Secret White House tapes provide new Clinton book

During his presidency, Bill Clinton met prize-winning historian Taylor Branch 79 times in the White House to record a secret diary of his time in office.

The result is "The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President", a new book that presents a fresh view of key events such as Clinton's handling of the economy and deficit, the rise of al Qaeda and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Since the Watergate scandal brought down Richard Nixon presidents have been wary about making tapes in the White House.

But Branch and Clinton had worked together in their twenties and Clinton proposed the tapes as a historical record of his presidency. In the event, Clinton kept the tapes and Branch's book is based on the contemporaneous notes he took.

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