By Jim Knippenberg
Enquirer staff writer

When it comes to book wars, Bill Clinton loses the battle with Harry Potter. When new Potter books are released, many bookstores stay open late and begin selling the latest chapter in the magical tale at 12:01 a.m. on the publication date.

Clinton's 900-page memoir My Life (Alfred A. Knopf; $35) is the most eagerly awaited book of the summer and the biggest buzz going in publishing and politics right now. It won't even be released until 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, but Publisher's Weekly has already anointed it as the summer's "biggest book story."

But not here.

"We have 100 copies on order, and that's a large order, but it's nothing like the Potter books," said Christian Schmit, supervisor at Borders' Tri-County location. "For Potter, we order 800 to 900 copies.

"We've been taking pre-orders, but we only have 20 to 30 so far. Instead of staying open late, I'll come in early on the 22nd and set up the display right in the front of the store. But that's all we're doing that's even a little bit different."

Not so in a number of other cities. According to Jenny Dahlmann in Borders' corporate office, 71 of the chain's 450 stores will either stay open late (16 of them) or open early (57 stores) to catch people on the way to work. The stores will have plenty to sell because "this is probably the largest quantity we'll order all year."

The book is already the No. 1 seller on Amazon.com and has been for more than three weeks. Knopf's first printing is a whopping 1.5 million copies (wife Hillary's Living History was only 1 million). Knopf president and editor in chief Sonny Mehta recently went on record saying, "I suspect that won't be nearly enough."

He was right. A second printing has already been ordered.

Clinton's first signing - 12:30 p.m. Tuesdayat Barnes & Noble's Rockefeller Center store in New York - is expected to draw a huge crowd when the store starts letting people line up at 7:30 a.m. (The rest of Clinton's touring schedule is posted on Knopf's Web site, www.randomhouse.com/knopf/clinton/events.html.)

Few have seen the book, so little is known about it. But this much we do know: It's broken into two main parts, with the first covering his life from birth to the 1992 election. The second half is a sort of diary of his eight years in office.

And yeah, insiders say, Clinton tackles some of the tough issues, including growing up with a violent stepfather, intern Monica Lewinsky and Kenneth Starr's investigation of the "affair."

Clinton got a $10 million advance for My Life, $2 million more than Hillary got from Simon & Schuster for History.

But despite all the hype, in Cincinnati the buzz is muted.

"We're going to close on time Monday, but someone will stay behind to set up the display so it's ready when we open at 9 a.m. Tuesday," said Sarah Hall, events coordinator for Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

"We ordered a significantly larger number of books than usual, and we have been selling pre-sale vouchers that are good for 20 percent off. I think we've sold about 30 so far."

Dayton's Books & Co. did better with the pre-sale vouchers (close to 100, says public relations coordinator Sharon Kelly Roth) but the store isn't planning anything special for the release.

Kathleen Benjey, manager of Barnes & Noble's Newport on the Levee store, is surprised by the lack of enthusiasm. "We have 20 or 30 pre-orders... we did order a lot more books than normal, but nothing like Harry Potter."

That's why she's not staying open for a 12:01 rush. "I see no need to do it."

One thing the stores are counting on is a mini-sales surge for Living History, something they're stocked and ready for. "It came out in paperback in April and we ordered a significant number," Joseph-Beth's Hall said.

"We still have a large quantity on hand and it wouldn't surprise me a bit if people started buying it as a kind of companion book. We're ready for it."

E-mail jknippenberg@enquirer.com