What happened: Hillary hits out in 2016 election book

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Hillary Clinton’s new book "What happened", which gives an account of the 2016 US presidential election, is hitting bookstores across the US.

In the book, the former Democratic candidate lists those she blames for her loss to Donald Trump. It seems Hillary is still brooding about the election result after 11 months.

National Public Radio called it a book of exasperation, given that she rants against James Comey, Bernie Sanders, Vladimir Putin and the media.

Abandoning the carefully measured wording in her previous works, this book adopts a humorous and scathing tone.

The Guardian said the book is a complete change from her usual public image, describing it as "entertainingly mean."

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spar during the second presidential debate. /AP Photo

She has spared no efforts to be sarcastic about Trump's victory. "In 1992 and 2008, change meant electing dynamic young leaders who promised hope and renewal. In 2016, it meant handing a lit match to a pyromaniac."

However, prime responsibility for her defeat is placed at the door of former FBI director Comey. He reopened an investigation into Clinton's use of a personal email server when handling classified material during her time as US secretary of state.

Hillary says of the private email server furore: "It was a dumb mistake. But an even dumber scandal."

Hillary Clinton identified the former FBI director James Comey's decision to reopen a probe into her use of a private email server as the main reason for her defeat. /AP Photo

She also repeatedly pummels the news media for creating a "false equivalency" between her emails and Trump's various scandals.

Of course, she also accepts some responsibility for the defeat. "I do think it's fair to say there was a fundamental mismatch between how I approach politics and what a lot of the country wanted to hear in 2016."