Ruffles and Flourishes [Paperback]

Liz Carpenter (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Carpenter's breezy, often tasteless account of her years as press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson was first published in 1969. Photos.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 346 pages
• Publisher: Texas a & M Univ Pr (February 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 089096548X
• ISBN-13: 978-0890965481
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,184,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and Intimate, December 19, 2007

By 

Story Circle Book Reviews - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruffles and Flourishes (Paperback)

This is Liz Carpenter's first memoir, a witty and intimate chronicle of life behind-the-scenes in the West Wing in the days when Liz was press secretary to Lady Bird Johnson. From the first phrase--"I was sitting at my desk in the White House, minding everybody's business and thoroughly enjoying it"--to the "Notice to Congress" at the end, you'll find something to smile about or be moved by on every page.

But Liz Carpenter didn't begin life at the White House; she started life at the Homeplace, near Salado TX, home to six generations of her family. Her memoir takes her from there to the University of Texas (where she earned her journalism degree), to her life as a journalist in Washington. Then there was marriage to a newspaperman, two children ("Well," Liz says, "it does build character!"), and life in the maelstrom of American politics. And then there were the Johnsons, through the vice-presidential years and the tragedy of the Kennedy assassination. And then the LBJ presidency, with Liz doing her best to do her job as Mrs. Johnson's press secretary. It was a tumultuous life that would have worn down the best of us (how would you like to meet the press regarding not just one but two White House weddings?). But Liz manages to hang on to her sanity and her sense of humor. Ruffles and Flourishes is not a sensational tell-all memoir, but it tells enough to bring the Washington political scene to life and to show us how it felt--how it really felt--to live through it all (with a husband and kids, to boot).

by Susan Wittig Albert
for Story Circle Book Reviews
www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
reviewing books by, for, and about women

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read!, March 8, 2009

By 

Connie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ruffles and Flourishes (Paperback)

Ruffles and Flourishes is one of the best books I have read in a long time! Liz Carpenter is a wonderful story teller with a great sense of humor. Over the years, I have read many books on Johnson and his presidency, and, politically, I have not been a fan; but Carpenter's book gave me new insights into LBJ's personality and presidency, and I enjoyed every minute of the book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Good price, acceptable delivery, September 25, 2011

By 

Carol Case "Careful buyer" (Dallas, TX) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Ruffles and Flourishes (Hardcover)

I'm a Texan, a history buff, interested in reading about exceptional Texas women. Although this is an old book, I was interested in adding it to my library collection. Book was in good condition and I was pleased with my purchase.