Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford

Written by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin Hill

Narrated by George Newbern

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me and Five Days in November reflects on his seventeen years on the Secret Service for presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford.

The assassination of one president, the resignation of another, and the swearing-in of the two who followed those traumatic events. Clint Hill was there, on duty, through Five Presidents.

After an extraordinary career as a Special Agent on the White House Detail, Clint Hill retired in 1975. His career spanned the administrations of Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and Gerald R. Ford. A witness to some of the most pivotal moments in the twentieth century, Hill lets you walk in his shoes alongside the most powerful men in the world during tumultuous times in America’s history—the Cold War; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert F. Kennedy; the Vietnam War; Watergate; and the resignations of Vice President Spiro Agnew and President Nixon.

It was indeed a turbulent time—and through it all, Clint Hill had a unique insider perspective. His fascinating stories will shed new light on the character and personality of each of these five presidents, as Hill witnesses their human sides in the face of grave decisions.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9781508223665

Clint Hill

Clint Hill is the New York Times bestselling author of Mrs. Kennedy and Me; Five Days in November; Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford; and My Travels with Mrs. Kennedy. A United States Secret Service Agent from 1958 to 1975, Clint Hill was assigned to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and was in the motorcade in Dallas on November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. For his courage and swift actions that day, Hill received the nation’s highest civilian award for bravery. Starting out as a Special Agent, Clint Hill served as Agent in Charge of the First Lady Detail, the Vice Presidential Protective Division, the Presidential Protective Division, and when he was retired in 1975, he was Assistant Director responsible for all protective activity. Hill married coauthor Lisa McCubbin in 2021. Find out more at ClintHillSecretService.com.

Reviews for Five Presidents

[Kathe Biehl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very insightful. Clint Hill is a great writer and keep you wanting to hear more.

[Barbara Claypool · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

My favorite part was Clint’s time spent with President Johnson. I learned some things about him that made me respect him more. Never much cared for Johnson as a president bring a young adult during his presidency. Long but worth the listen or read.

[samari k · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! I have never read a rich Memoir as this! A detour into the private lives of people too powerful to imagine of they hold flesh and blood. Thank you Clint. You served and ran your rave well.

[Veronica Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very good book I enjoyed it learned lots from it.

[Ivan Ramos · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you like presidential history, this book is for you. It gives a front row seat account of historical events during the Eisenhower, Kennedy, LBJ, Nixon and Ford presidencies. The narration is good and maintains a very good pace making it an interesting listening experience.

[Melanie Danielson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an excellent book by Mr. Hill. The details make you feel like you are there with him.

[John Fisher · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

wow, I am speechless on how well done this book is. Tears, laughs, anxiousness, pity, and gratefulness are all experienced when you dive in!

[Sheri Humphreys · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I listened to this with my significant other. We both loved it. We're old enough to remember the events and presidents Hill speaks about, and we'd sometimes pause the recording to add our own memories. Very interesting; a great read/listen.

[Joan Murphy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fascinating read. I highly recommend this title. Will definitely read all his other books.

[Greg Wright · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Written from Clint’s first hand perspective. Sets politics a side and give great details.

[Amber Magness · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really great account of a tumultuous time in US history from the perspective of a secret service agent. It was interesting to read about the different personalities of the presidents and how that shaped their policies.

[Pam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Review to come. Too overwhelmed at this moment to process the thoughts required to do this remarkable, powerfully important book of US and world history the justice it deserves. Explained to the world by Mr. Clint Hill, a person of the highest integrity readers may ever have the privilege to know.

[Jeremy Robinson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

very interesting and engaging book. loved the lbj years and the inside look at the presidents.

[fionaanne · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-written and engaging. The most interesting bit is about Hill's long-term trauma from the assassination of Kennedy and his guilt that he didn't react faster (which was probably impossible but our brains are funny things).

[deaconbernie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

For an excellent description of what went on behind the scenes, this is your book. Some of Mr. Hill's real feelings seep through but, in the main, this is a straightforward approach to telling us about something that goes on right before our eyes but about which we know very little. What is startling is his reaction to "that day in Dallas." These men (and now women) would willingly place themselves between the protectee and the shooter are subject to ordinary human emotions. Sadly, Mr. Hill seems to have severely bottled up his emotions for too long.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I devoured every page of this book. I learned so much that I did not know about the five presidents and about the Secret Service, getting just a glimpse of the extraordinary job that they do. Highly recommend!

[writemoves · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was refreshing to read a book by a current or former Secret Service agent not bashing a President or member of the President's family. It's a very respectable book of the five Presidents though Hill was not a fan of Richard Nixon. Hill did present an even handed look at the five men---there were no allegations that would cause a buzz other than the Nixon Administration wanted to establish a Secret Service mole in the Ted Kennedy campaign. Hill even spoke even handedly about Spiro Agnew who he was assigned to protect. Good read for those interested in Presidential history.

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I became a fan of Hill’s after reading his book “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” when he described the Kennedy years in the White House from one of the most unique perspectives imaginable. He continued this tradition in this book, looking at all of the presidents he served under, as well as letting us get to know him better with stories about his private life. He has served our country well and should be proud of his career with the Secret Service. This is a book for anyone who loves history and politics to enjoy.

[sigmundfraud · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A wonderful sketch of five presidents as seen through the eyes of Clinton Hill, the secret serviceman assigned to each of these presidents. I was most interested in Eisenhower who is the one I knew the least, having lived through the other presidencies as an adult.Eisenhower came off as an impressive and able chief executive but I was awed by his capacity for eighteen holes of golf most days and then a bridge game at night. The most tragic part of the story is the assassination of JFK with Hill riding in the car behind the president's vehicle. He was responsible for Jackie Kennedy but blamed himself for the death of JFK for many, many years afterward. I felt so bad for Hill. There was no realistic reason to blame himself. Hill retired early due to health problems that disqualified him from protecting the president and others.