First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents [Paperback]

Bonnie Angelo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 16, 2001

Bonnie Angelo, a veteran reporter and writer for Time, has captured the daily lives, thoughts, and feelings of the remarkable women who played such a large role in developing the characters of the modern American presidents. From formidably aristocratic Sara Delano Roosevelt to diehard Democrat Martha Truman, champion athlete Dorothy Bush, and hard-living Virginia Clinton Kelley, Angelo blends these women's stories with the texture of their lives and with colorful details of their times. First Mothers is an in-depth look at the special mother-son relationships that nurtured and helped propel the last twelve American presidents to the pinnacle of power.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Succinct and highly readable, this group portrait of the 11 women who gave birth to America's 20th-century presidents might just put a more favorable spin on the phrase "mama's boy." From Franklin Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, all these chief executives were devoted to their mothers (relations with Dad were often more problematic), and that devotion had a direct effect on their presidencies--for the most part, a positive one. Sara Delano Roosevelt's adoration gave her son the self-confidence necessary to champion the New Deal's more unpopular measures. Martha Truman's personal experiences of the Civil War's bitter aftermath inspired Harry's determination to lend a hand to the vanquished as well as the victorious after World War II. Ida Eisenhower's pacifism didn't prevent her from supporting Dwight's decision to pursue a military career, but it shaped him into that welcome rarity, "a military leader who hated war." Lillian Carter's defiance of Southern mores to espouse civil rights and her precedent-shattering stint in the Peace Corps (at age 68) affected Jimmy's emphasis on human rights as well as his post-presidential commitment to serve the less fortunate. Virginia Kelley gets slapped for imparting to Bill Clinton the sense that "rules were for other people," but she's also credited with instilling his famous ability to feel other people's pain. In First Mothers, Bonnie Angelo, a longtime correspondent for Time magazine, delineates 11 different lives with a journalist's gift for cogency and an ability to see underlying similarities. Many of the facts here are familiar, but her interpretations are fresh. --Wendy Smith --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Presidents are born, not made, right? On the contrary, claims Angelo, a veteran Time correspondent, who makes it clear that it's the cut of the apron and the strength of its strings that turn a son into a president. The 11 first mothers included in this illuminating and irresistibly readable bookAevery presidential mother from Sarah Delano Roosevelt onAall instilled in their sons supreme confidence and (with the exception of Sara Roosevelt) an awareness of social issues. Drawing on letters, interviews (including those with Presidents Ford, Carter and Bush) and historical evidence, Angelo paints vivid portraits of these "indomitable American women" whose gumption and drive to see their sons succeed were (with the exception of Virginia Clinton Kelley) very much steeped in what Tocqueville described as a 19th-century spirit of independence. In fact, while all these women were "highly individualistic," Angelo points out how much they had in common: all of them married late, and most of their marriages were marked by terrible trials and tragedies. Angelo explains that she started with the story of FDR's mother because his presidency marked "the beginning of contemporary America and the modern presidency, the prize that now can be won only by men of supreme self-assurance who are willing to withstand the grinding process and microscopic examination." While telling their individual histories, Angelo also draws fascinating parallels that indicate how the grounded philosophy and fighting spirit of the mother became that of the son (e.g., Lillian Gordy Carter learned from her father to treat blacks with careAan attitude that was decried by their neighbors but had an enormous impact on Jimmy Carter's presidential focus on equality). 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW. Agent, Lane Zachary. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (October 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060937114
• ISBN-13: 978-0060937119
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #502,861 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A terrific read, October 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents (Hardcover)

This book was so much fun to read. It presents some heretofore unknown insights into the lives of presidents from FDR through Clinton. It specifically focuses on the mother-son relationships and it is full of surprises. It presents a total picture of the early years of these men and how many similarities there are within their family relationships. Fascinating! George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had poor relationships with their mothers! They were exceptions to the close, favored son duos of most of the presidents in the book. A page turner. Well written. I was sorry to see it end.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Eye Opener!, November 28, 2000

By 

Chris Clark (NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents (Hardcover)

As a mom to 2 sons, and also as Host of BellaOnline's Sons Channel, I have always been of the opinion that boys are shaped and molded more so by their mothers words and deeds than anyone else they come into contact with. This is never more apparent than in Bonnie Angelo's book, "First Mothers". These women, whether knowingly or unknowingly, raised their boys to achieve the highest pinnacle of leadership our country offers. The stories told in this book are poignant, reveling and speak volumes about the mother/son bond.

A must read for any mom of boys!

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, November 9, 2000

By 

Melissa L. Shogren (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents (Hardcover)

This is a rich topic, the influence of mothers upon famous men, but the author presents her material with all the depth of those admiring biographies of famous women written for junior high school girls. The reader is jerked back and forth in time while the author hops from one topic to the next while discussing presidential "first mothers" in a superficial and breathless style. There are a few moments of candor that make these mothers more than cardboard saints,(Eleanor Roosevelt comes in for quite a bit of criticism for her lack of mothering skills), but these moments are few and far between. When the author does permit some clouds of disapproval to darken her sunny skies, her criticisms are quickly balanced by elaborate, and rather strained, excuses for the woman's behavior. (Angelo's depiction of Mr. Clinton's mother could have been written by a rabid Clinton apologist.) Three stars because of the interesting topic although it only deserves two for execution.