Thousands Line Up to Meet Clinton in London
By Corey Ullman
More than 1,200 people lined up at a central London bookstore on Monday at a book-signing for Bill Clinton (news - web sites)'s mammoth memoir "My Life" and to shake the hand of the man lauded by adoring fans as the most charismatic politician alive.
The line outside Waterstone's bookstore in Piccadilly Circus was rivaled only by fans of author JK Rowling, who attracted close to 1,700 people to last year's signing of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," staff said.
People came from all walks of life on a rainy July day to see the former U.S. president, whose autobiography is in fifth place in the British book charts.
And Clinton did not disappoint.
"I've got a jaw that can't even move," said Bonita Chhabra, wide-eyed and trembling as she approached the table where Clinton stood signing copies of his 957-page autobiography.
"This has got to be the best moment of my life -- apart from having my son," the 27-year-old said, giggling breathlessly.
Afterwards, red-faced and beaming, she said, "It was amazing -- he held my hand for ages."
Martin Shanahan, a 42-year-old Irishman who queued for 24 hours and had purchased two copies of the memoir derided by many critics as bloated and boring, was the first to meet Clinton.
"It's the gig of the day -- he's so charismatic, he's bordering on rock star status. As far as I'm concerned, he's the real president," Shanahan said.
Sixty-year-old Araceli Asia, from the Philippines, said she devoured the book cover to cover in less than a week.
She praised Clinton as "handsome and intelligent" and excused his notorious affair with Monica Lewinsky.
"It's not his fault he has the assets that make everyone fall for him," she said.
Standing behind her, Glenda Farrar agreed.
"Have you ever seen a man turn away something offered to him on a platter?"
"He was a great president and he did a lot for America," said the 60-year-old, who had traveled four and a half hours by train to see Clinton.
American Margo Miller, accompanied by her two-year-old daughter Chelsea ("No, not after Bill's Chelsea") took the opportunity of the hours-long wait to register her fellow Americans living in Britain to vote in November's presidential election.
"We decided it was a good place to get Americans who have a lot of time on their hands. And we figured most people waiting on line to see Clinton will be sure to vote for Kerry," she added.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...u=/nm/20040712/en_nm/leisure_books_clinton_dc
By Corey Ullman
More than 1,200 people lined up at a central London bookstore on Monday at a book-signing for Bill Clinton (news - web sites)'s mammoth memoir "My Life" and to shake the hand of the man lauded by adoring fans as the most charismatic politician alive.
The line outside Waterstone's bookstore in Piccadilly Circus was rivaled only by fans of author JK Rowling, who attracted close to 1,700 people to last year's signing of "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," staff said.
People came from all walks of life on a rainy July day to see the former U.S. president, whose autobiography is in fifth place in the British book charts.
And Clinton did not disappoint.
"I've got a jaw that can't even move," said Bonita Chhabra, wide-eyed and trembling as she approached the table where Clinton stood signing copies of his 957-page autobiography.
"This has got to be the best moment of my life -- apart from having my son," the 27-year-old said, giggling breathlessly.
Afterwards, red-faced and beaming, she said, "It was amazing -- he held my hand for ages."
Martin Shanahan, a 42-year-old Irishman who queued for 24 hours and had purchased two copies of the memoir derided by many critics as bloated and boring, was the first to meet Clinton.
"It's the gig of the day -- he's so charismatic, he's bordering on rock star status. As far as I'm concerned, he's the real president," Shanahan said.
Sixty-year-old Araceli Asia, from the Philippines, said she devoured the book cover to cover in less than a week.
She praised Clinton as "handsome and intelligent" and excused his notorious affair with Monica Lewinsky.
"It's not his fault he has the assets that make everyone fall for him," she said.
Standing behind her, Glenda Farrar agreed.
"Have you ever seen a man turn away something offered to him on a platter?"
"He was a great president and he did a lot for America," said the 60-year-old, who had traveled four and a half hours by train to see Clinton.
American Margo Miller, accompanied by her two-year-old daughter Chelsea ("No, not after Bill's Chelsea") took the opportunity of the hours-long wait to register her fellow Americans living in Britain to vote in November's presidential election.
"We decided it was a good place to get Americans who have a lot of time on their hands. And we figured most people waiting on line to see Clinton will be sure to vote for Kerry," she added.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...u=/nm/20040712/en_nm/leisure_books_clinton_dc
