Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "AN APPALLING double tragedy overshadowed the joy that should have welcomed Alice Lee Roosevelt's entrance to the world on February 12, 1884..." (more)
Key Phrases: sweat nurse, lady bird, bad psychologically, White House, United States, First Daughter (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The fiercely intelligent eldest daughter of President Teddy Roosevelt (1884–1981) was rebellious and outspoken partly as the result of her desperation to gain the attention of an emotionally distant father, according to historian Cordery. Utilizing Alice's personal papers, Cordery describes how she was more devastated by the political infidelity of her husband, House speaker Nicholas Longworth, during the 1912 presidential election (he sided with Taft over TR) than by his sexual dalliances. Her own affair with powerful Idaho Sen. William Borah resulted in the birth of her only child, Paulina. When her beloved father died in 1919, the stoic Alice simply omitted it completely from her autobiography, and she was a poor mother to Paulina, who died in 1957, at 32, from an overdose of prescription medicines mixed with alcohol. Alice's independence of mind often led her against the grain: she worked to defeat Wilson's League of Nations and was a WWII isolationist and America First activist. Her witty syndicated newspaper columns criticized FDR and the New Deal, and she betrayed her cousin Eleanor by encouraging FDR's liaison with Lucy Mercer Rutherford. Cordery (Theodore Roosevelt: In the Vanguard of the Modern) pens an authoritative, intriguing portrait of a first daughter who broke the mold. Photos. (Oct. 22)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* Our royalty is our presidential families, and the eldest daughter of Theodore Roosevelt was even referred to in the press of the time as Princess Alice. "Larger than life" is a clichéd description, but Alice Roosevelt Longworth was qualified to wear it. This absorbing, magnificently complete biography, the first to be based on Alice's own papers, presents her as the first female celebrity of the twentieth century. What that meant in terms of how she viewed herself and how she was viewed by her famous father and an adoring public is explored in Cordery's impressively astute psychological understanding of this quite complex personality. Alice's mother died giving birth to her, her father was famously distant, and her stepmother, First Lady Edith, hadn't a clue about how to handle an intelligent, willful—and world-famous—stepdaughter who seemed bent on acting in the most dramatic fashion. Alice's tumultuous marriage to Speaker of the House Nicholas Longworth is sensitively appraised, and the true father of Alice's one child is identified. Always the political animal, Alice remained a force in Washington, D.C., politics as well as society throughout her long life, a life she plotted for herself unbound by tradition. Hooper, Brad"

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 608 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; 1St Edition edition (October 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670018333
• ISBN-13: 978-0670018338
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #421,310 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

59 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Other Washington Monument, November 27, 2007

By	Ronald H. Clark (WASHINGTON, DC USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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For those of us who live in Washington, the name of Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884-1980) is a familiar one, for she played a major and central role on the stage of the Capital for almost all of her long and interesting life. Daughter of course of Teddy Roosevelt, and his first wife, Alice came of age while TR was President, and had one of the few authentic White House weddings. She married Representative Nicholas Longworth, an Ohio Republican, who eventually rose to be Speaker of the House, before his untimely death in 1931. Alice lived on as a public figure here for nearly 50 more years and just had one heck of an interesting life.

Known for her sharp tongue, sense of mischief, and independent ways (e.g., while her husband was still alive, she apparently managed to have a daughter with Senator Borah of Idaho, and everyone got along famously), Alice was not everyone's cup of tea. But, as this superb biography demonstrates, she had a serious side and was one of the most astue observers of the Washington political scene during the 20th century. Anyone prominent in politics during this period most likely interacted with Alice, particularly at the famous intimate dinners she gave at her beautiful townhouse in Dupont Circle (which still stands, incidentally). Interested in many erudite topics, Alice became quite the reader of books which only added to her incisive command of many topics in addition to the political. All dimensions of her long and fascinating life are covered in this fine book, based upon stupendous research (reflected in the extensive bibliography),including many interviews, and the assistance of Alice's granddaughter which afforded the author unique access to Alice's papers. Though a long book at 483 pages (not counting extensive notes), believe me this biography no more drags than did Alice's life. Alice was undoubtedly one of the most interesting characters on the Washington scene; I regret we arrived here only in 1977, but even then Alice was still at the center of public attention (who else stood on their head regularly in her late 90's) and rightly was given the title of "the other Washington monument" by us all....a title well deserved.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging Portrait of a Political Princess, December 16, 2007

By	History Buff (USA) - See all my reviews

As a non-historian who wishes she could time travel, I gravitate to biography, occasionally whetting my appetite upon historical fiction (albeit with a guilty sigh). I enjoy the escape into other eras where people thought, dressed, talked, and acted differently than they do today. "Alice" filled this need as few biographies do with as much detail paid to her context as to the subject herself. The result is a satisfying read about a highly imaginable, three-dimensional Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Stacy Cordery's detailed and insightful descriptions introduced me to a woman I had never heard of - and yet she was more popular than Shirley Temple at the height of her popularity! By the time I was finished with the book, I wanted to have tea with this political princess. I felt I had a new grasp of a bygone era and a different perspective of Theodore Roosevelt, too. How fun to realize while his leadership of the country was happening on stage, Alice's backstage antics threatened to steal the show. You don't have to love Alice to appreciate her place in history. And if the era doesn't particularly lure you, Cordery's smart and engaging prose and analysis should.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding biography of a fascinating woman, December 10, 2007

By	Nell Minow (USA) - See all my reviews

One of the 20th centuries most fascinating characters is the subject of the biography she deserves. Yes, the famous wit and flamboyant behavior is there, and her carelessness and neglect. But this book puts Mrs. Longworth's role in political history into perspective with meticulous research that includes interviews with people whose memories of working with her add a wealth of fascinating detail. Well done!