The Book Prize Index

An Affair of State: The Investigation, Impeachment, and Trial of President Clinton

Richard A. Posner

In a book written while the events were unfolding, Richard Posner presents a balanced and scholarly understanding of President Clinton's year of crisis which began when his affair with Monica Lewinsky hit the front pages in January 1998. With the freshness and immediacy of journalism, Posner clarifies the issues involved, carefully assesses the conduct of Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr, and examines the pros and cons of impeaching President Clinton as well as the major procedural issues raised by both the impeachment in the House and the trial in the Senate. This book, reflecting the breadth of Posner's experience and expertise, will be the essential foundation for anyone who wants to understand President Clinton's impeachment ordeal.

Politics & GovernmentPolitics & Government · medium confidencePolitics & Government81 signalsLlm Classifier: Politics & Government -> Politics & GovernmentGoogle Books: History -> HistoryKeyword Classifier: American History -> American HistoryCrime, Policing & ViolenceCourts & TrialsPrisons & Incarceration

Award History

0 wins · 1 total

AwardYearResultCategory / Notes
Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Current InterestMajor1999FinalistSecondary source
View all award history (1)
Experimental book profileGenerated by GPT-5.4 nano · may contain inaccuracies

This is an unverified interpretation of the catalog description, offered as an opt-in discovery experiment—not as bibliographic fact.

  1. 01 Central figures

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

    These suggestions did not meet the normal display threshold and are more likely to be wrong.

    • Kenneth Starr45%
    • Monica Lewinsky40%

  2. 02 Central places

    None extracted with sufficient confidence.

  3. 03 Suggested argument

    No argument inferred with sufficient confidence.

    This suggestion did not meet the normal display threshold and is more likely to be wrong.

    The book argues that a balanced, scholarly assessment can clarify the issues in President Clinton’s crisis by evaluating Kenneth Starr’s conduct and weighing the pros and cons and procedures of impeachment and trial.

    Model confidence 58%

  4. 04 Reading orientation

    60 / 100 academic

    Trade / academic crossover

    An estimate of intended readership and scholarly apparatus—not quality or importance.

Confidence percentages are the model's own estimates. Profile confidence: 73%.