American First Ladies : Their Lives and Their Legacy [Paperback]

Lewis L. Gould (Author)

Book Description

Series: Garland Reference Library of the Humanities | Publication Date: November 1996

An historical survey of the impact of individual First Ladies' impact on America and the American woman. A selection of each woman's own writings is given along with a commentary on her influence, and a biography of her life, and the narrative covers all the presidents' wives from Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA?A detailed biographical resource that presents personality traits, health issues, friends, habits, and quotations about the First Ladies, from Martha Washington to Hillary Clinton. An extensive list of sources for more information is included for each entry. One appendix gives Siena College's "First Lady Polls" from 1982 and 1993, which rate each woman on a scale of 1 to 5 in 10 categories; another lists each president, term dates, and his First Lady or equivalent representative. Black-and-white portraits of the women are included. This is an important reference as it shows the impact these individuals have had on our history. Of the many books available on this topic, this one is the most informative and fascinating.?Linda A. Vretos, West Springfield High School, Springfield, VA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

From Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton, American First Ladies presents accounts of 38 women and their impact upon the institution of first lady. Coverage is limited to those who were married to a president during his term of office. The impact of first ladies on all aspects of society is discussed. For example, Eliza (McCardle) Johnson's greatest contribution was her commitment to her family and husband during his presidency. Four first ladies (Anna Harrison, Letitia Tyler, Margaret Taylor, and Jane Pierce) left only a slight mark in history, therefore the essays on them are briefer than those on women who took an active role in society, such as Eleanor Roosevelt. A bibliographic essay concluding each treatment notes any writings by the first lady, memoirs by family and friends, biographies of her and her husband, and relevant newspaper articles; the location of her papers is given. A black-and-white portrait accompanies each entry, and a detailed index concludes the book.

There are many biographical compilations on these women, such as Presidents' Wives (McFarland, 1989) and The First Ladies (8th ed., White House Historical Association, 1996). However, this is the only one to include Hillary Clinton, and its biographies are the most extensive. One can see the role of the first lady evolve as one reads the chronologically presented essays. This work provides the researcher with a thorough understanding of the role these women played in our country's history and is a valuable resource for secondary-school, public, and academic libraries. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 700 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; Reprint edition (November 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0815325851
• ISBN-13: 978-0815325857
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,367,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Portraits, May 3, 2009

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This review is from: American First Ladies : Their Lives and Their Legacy (Paperback)

I found this book to be fascinating. It provides a close look at First Ladies, something one often doesn't find as historical books tend to focus on the presidents. Not only do you get a review of their lives as First Ladies, but details on their lives before and after their time in the White House. The only distractions are some editing errors and an often clear subjective positive view of the First Lady in question...thus the book is not entirely written from a neutral historical point of view.