Customer Reviews

First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power, 1789-1961

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Mr Anthony has pulled together through obvious painstaking research a brilliant guidebook for all history lovers. Accounts of more recent first ladies with the advent of television, radio etc. may be familiar to some readers, but facts abound on the lesser knowns. Frances Cleveland, Julia Tyler etc. come alive before your very eyes as the stories unfold. The position of First Lady (we also learn how that name came about-a tribute to Dolley Madison at her funeral) was obscure in its development and graduated into the highly prominent position it is today. Anthony suggests that the earlier ladies were not as obscure and quiet as one might think. We learn as we delve into their lives, dressing habits, political views, nicknames, friends, lovers etc. A foreshadowing element is used throughout hinting at future events working quite qell as the stories weave around each other. Mr Anthony must be applauded for an exceptional piece of history. The wife of a president is not just that as he points out, but a character at times of strength, adversity, integrity, wit, fear, brilliance, insecurity etc. An intriguing page turner......

This is an extrmeley interesting, well-researched look at American politics and society through the history of America's first ladies. The author does an excellent job of having the women he chronicles truly become individuals, sometimes very different from their husbands. He finds ways to bring the early life of future first ladies into his narrative, and he provides clues to the roots of some American icons that I certainly didn't know about--like the reason for the name of the Baby Ruth candy bar, named after Frances and Grover Cleveland's first daughter.

This is not a book that reads quickly. It is comprehensive and careful, and is meant to be savored as a work of history. I'm looking forward to reading the second volume of this.

This is an excellent, well-researched book. The author paints a dense, richly detailed portrait of each first lady and the social and political background of her time. I learned a lot--not just about the historical women, but about American cultural and social development. This is not a fast book to read, but it is a book to savor and learn from. It is also truly history--no attempt to sensationalize issues--and I appreciated that.

Anthony uses suspense and foreshadowing to make his characters come alive as he reveals to the reader the role each First Lady plays in the development of American history. He focuses on how much power each woman sought to exert and how successful each was in influencing her husband. Anthony shies away from gossip, focusing on the positive aspects of these ladies lives. The book is enjoyable to read and proves extremely informative.

Anthony's treatise has several outstanding merits, not the least of which is its impressive scope. No other First Ladies scholar (known to the general public) has succeeded in furnishing so rich and abundant a collection of anecdotes and insights on the topic of the Presidents' wives, many of whom -- such as Rachel Jackson and Jane Appleton Pierce -- would have descended into utter obscurity. Anthony gives short shrift to no one [First Lady] and that is a rare, fair feature -- much to be commended!
Over the years, authors / publishers of of First Ladies anthologies have shortchanged readers. All-inclusive Anthony must be credited with tastefully -- rather than sensationally -- putting forth the lesser known faces and facts, and despite his tendency to digress, presenting all sides of the picture.

In each First Lady installment, the author's massive (and occasionally frustrating) tendency is to weave, albeit expertly, in and out of character, like one making a tapestry, ending ultimately where he started; naturally, that is scant consolation for the researcher with little or no time to waste. Said another way, whereas the the stated focus (if we go by chapter index) is a particular First Lady, the pattern is to be discursive within that chapter by taking divers detours into the lives of prior or subsequent First Ladies. For instance, what does a lengthy paragraph on the youthful Rosalyn Carter have to do with a chapter supposedly on Bess the Boss (Truman)? Why does Anthony ramble on about deployment of the Atomic Bomb if the topic was Edith Wilson's admiration of Bess's ladylike restraint? When dialogue segues into other First Ladies' opinions of the decision to drop the bomb (all because Bess allegedly influenced Harry in this regard), better, one thinks, if Anthony had not been so tempted to veer off course. The result is that decades seemingly overlap! But for all its overlapping, Anthony's style (storybook format) is plainly mesmerizing, utterly enticing despite the researcher's initial frustration. His motive, we would wager, is to convey a perpetual sense of the present by giving readers concurrent glimpses into a whole handful of highly personal lives -- in short, to pinpoint the whereabouts of any to-be or former First Lady whilst the other other actually occupied her station; hence, an aging Edith Wilson on the subject of the A Bomb. Ah, yes -- a second source of frustration for the researcher: the photos Anthony incorporates bear no -- at the very least, visible or readily accessible -- captions. But in this case, the eager researcher need not be the only serious reader. Furthermore, that we should care so much to read a caption hints at the caliber of these First Lady photos, so historically rare and captivating, even in the absence of certain identifying features.

This first in a two-volume series on our nation's First Ladies is by far no cut and paste job (rather, a masterwork) for all its artful sculpturing, magnificent and painstaking authenticity. It is not simply the historian's job to neatly or conventionally classify, but to spark in his readers a genuine enthusiasm for his own beloved subject matter, and this is doubtless what Anthony achieves.

I was disappointed that the writing wasn't of the caliber of his other book, Florence Harding.

My daughter was thrilled with the book. It was used and in good condition. The price was excellent, shipping was extremely fast.

I am in the process of developing a class on America's First Ladies for an Elderhostel program. This book has become my primary reference source. It is the best of all the texts on the subject I have reviewed.

This book is a joy to read. Other reviewers give excellent examples of the details in this book, so I will limit my remarks to say that I strongly recommend this book. It is well-written and a treasure. It is thorough and unbiased. I savored every page.

Although I learned a lot about each first lady, the book was difficult to read. It skipped around way too much and it was difficult to remember all the characters (especially since they are introduced with their maiden names). I think the author needs a much more thorough editor and a second opinion on the arrangement of the content.