Public interest in the anti-Clinton book genre appears intense. A trio of books critical of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton are among the top five positions on The New York Times nonfiction best-seller list.
“Crisis of Character: White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill and How They Operate” by Gary J. Byrne is now No. 1 on the hard-cover nonfiction list at The Times; it has remained on the list for four weeks.
In second place: “Hillary’s America: Thee Secret History of the Democratic Party” by columnist and documentary filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza, new to the list this week. The libretto for the popular new musical “Hamilton” is in third place, and in fourth, it’s “Armageddon: How Trump Can Beat Hillary” by veteran political strategists Dick Morris and Eileen McGann, also new to the roster this week.
The Times’ combined list for print and e-book nonfiction is very similar. “It Gets Worse” by YouTube personality Shane Dawson sits at No. 1, followed by Mr. Byrnes’ book in second place, Mr. D’Souza’s in third, and the Morris/McCann work in fourth.
The appetite for such books has been growing. Mr. Byrne’s book was No. 1 at Amazon for four weeks before it was even published in June, though the author said his book has been “shunned by every mainstream media outlet.”
Pre-orders were brisk. Not everyone was a fan, however. The Association of Former Agents of the United States Secret Service released a statement denouncing Mr. Byrne’s book, suggesting the author has an “underlying motive,” among other things.
“I did not write this book for partisan politics, I wrote it so I could get the truth out. Now that I am retired, I also feel I have a responsibility to the American public to tell my story, so you know what the truth is,” Mr. Bryne said in a public video produced to counter the claims. “This story is all true.”
Regnery, which published Mr. D’Souza’s book, points out that Mrs. Clinton noted in her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, “Some people just don’t know what to make of me.”
“Actually, Dinesh D’Souza knows exactly what to make of Hillary Clinton — and he’s letting the whole country in on the secret,” the publisher responded in a statement on Monday.
Mr. D’Souza’s companion feature-length documentary film “Hillary’s America” is currently seen in theaters nationwide and has no become the highest-grossing documentary of 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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