Containing anecdotes from the marital and political lives of ten post-war US presidents and their wives, this book examines the intimate relationships and not-so-intimate politics of White House couples. The modern First Lady does her own campaigning, travelling, lobbying and handling of the media, and the First Couple has become as much a political partnership as a romantic and companionate one. The author offers advice for the Clintons for their second presidential term, and explores the social and electoral tensions embodied in the nation's foremost paragons - and pariahs - of public and private leadership.
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
The media attention and political influence garnered by first ladies is a distinctive quality of the modern presidency. It follows, therefore, that scholars of the American presidency increasingly direct attention to the role the first family plays in contemporary politics. One point made emphatically clear by Gil Troy's book Affairs of State is that the heightened role of the first lady is not a creation of the Clinton presidency. Troy traces the history of first families from Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt to Bill and Hillary, with the Nixon presidency shaping up as an important juncture in the creation of the modern image of the White House family. He depicts the immense influence the press corps has over public opinion about the first family--a role they gained through politicians' attempts to leverage their families for favorable media coverage. Having sketched the rules of the image game as played by the press and the presidency, Troy gives sage advice: follow the conventions and don't risk offending the impossible expectations placed on the first family. To do otherwise is to risk negative press coverage and the disapproval of middle America.
From Publishers Weekly
This overview of post-WWII U.S. presidential couples by Troy, a history teacher at Canada's McGill University, is deeply engrossing. He claims the book "is about image... insofar as the First Couples have sought to fulfill America's unrealistic standards for the presidency," and about substance as "a story of increasing First Lady involvement in politics, and voters' rejection of that involvement." According to Troy, the wives of presidents who followed Eleanor Roosevelt were scrutinized as half of a political partnership and expected to develop an appropriate public persona. Drawing on extensive research, Troy examines each partnership and evaluates whether the marriage helped the presidency. Truman's emotional dependence on Bess, who disliked politics, distracted him, while Mamie Eisenhower and Barbara Bush filled supportive roles. According to Troy, the presidencies of Ford, Carter and Clinton were impacted negatively by the public's perception of their wives as wielding too much power. In his otherwise absorbing history, the author's advice for first couples, that wives be deferential, is reminiscent of 1950s' women's magazines. Photos not seen by PW.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Simply a great book to read.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Affairs of State (Hardcover)
This is a wonderful book which has the perfect combination of intellectual stimulation and high entertainment. Troy does a great job of peering into the hidden rooms of the white house and discovers that power does has not always rested where it appeared to. Anyone interested in American history or politics will no doubt thoroughly enjoy this fresh look at the presidency
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A serious thesis with broad appeal - fascinating.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Affairs of State (Hardcover)
Affairs of State presents the thesis that the First Lady must not enter into the spotlight of Presidential politics if she is to wield any real power. Dr. Troy's argument is compelling in several senses. The topic itself combines the best appeals of gossip and serious political science. Affairs of State allows us to indulge our fascination with the American royal family while giving real insight into the balance of power. The book is a well researched, sober work of history, deserving of the most attentive academic scrutiny.
-Robin Copp
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written and persuasively argued - it'a must read,
By A Customer
This review is from: Affairs of State (Hardcover)
Troy's book offers the reader a rare and fresh combination of education and entertainment. From the Roosevelts to the Clintons, Troy's well-researched account of the successes and failures of America`s most powerful couple is rich with insight and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it to all
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