Wild Women In The White House: The Formidable Females Behind the Throne, On the Phone, and (Sometimes) Under the Bed (Wild Women Series) [Paperback]

Autumn Stephens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1997 | Series: Wild Women Series

Part Irreverent Portrait Gallery, part exuberant expose, Wild Women in the White House introduces an unforgettable array of feisty first ladies and mutinous housekeepers, bigamist brides, subversive office seekers, and, of course, the ever-burgeoning bevy of backdoor paramours who have held (or at least briefly handled) the reins of executive power. Rollicking and revealing, this latest gem from the author of Wild Women and Wild Words from Wild Women offers and eye-opening journey into the realm of the eclectic sisterhood whose outrageous works and deeds haverocked the fusty old foundations of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue..and sometimes the entire nation. From Day One of American democracy, scores of ahead-of-their-times trend-buckers have more than matched the mettle of the men in the Oval Office.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

If social history is more accessible to many readers than military or political tomes, perhaps its gossipy subgenre is the most entertaining of all. This quirky, highly readable series of portraits of "Women in and Around the White House" is enlivened by some wonderful quotes (many from the irrepressible Alice Roosevelt Longworth) and a gallery of first ladies every bit as insipid as those pictures of presidents inflicted on us all in school (but with really funny captions).

The first lady (she wasn't even called that at first) has always been under pressure from the public and the press to conform to an ill-defined, constantly changing role. Each in the parade of women across these pages did something to change that role, expanding or contracting it, or just plain opting out altogether out of fear or loathing of a public life. Presented largely chronologically, Stephens's look at the wives, mistresses, daughters, mothers, nieces, aunts, sisters, and female friends and acquaintances of the presidents of the United States is a refreshing review of changing fashions in etiquette, clothing, and gender roles. By the end, you'll find yourself compelled to agree with the current first lady's assessment of her treatment: "I don't think there's anything that has happened to me that is, frankly, very new."

Review

Part irreverent portrait gallery,part exuberant expose, Wild Women In The White House introduces an unforgettable array of feisty first ladies, mutinous housekeepers, bigamist brides, subversive office seekers, and the ever-burgeoning bevy of backdoor paramours who have held (or at least briefly handled) the reins of executive power. Rollicking and revealing, Wild Women In The White House offers an eye-opening journey into the realm of that eclectic sisterhood whose often outrageous words and deeds have rocked the fusty old foundations of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- and sometimes the entire nation. Wild Women In The White House is highly recommended reading, especially in light of today's on-going national conversation about the proper role and place of women in the White House from First Ladies to Cabinet Members. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Details

• Paperback: 211 pages
• Publisher: Conari Press (January 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573240699
• ISBN-13: 978-1573240697
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,839,848 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and fun read. Chock full of intriguing tidbits., February 24, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Wild Women In The White House: The Formidable Females Behind the Throne, On the Phone, and (Sometimes) Under the Bed (Wild Women Series) (Paperback)

What a fun and intersting book! My impression of the world of the White House is forever altered. Page after page is filled with intriguing tales of the tangled lives of the people who have in some way ended up at the White House over the course of U.S. history. It's a real window to the emotional side of the lives of the Presidents, their wives, and all the hangers-on. Yep, those folks are just as wacky and disfunctional as the rest of us.

This book is best kept on top of the toilet tank since it's a perfect bathroom reader. Each page is a separate little vignette; pick it up for just a few minutes during your "morning routine" and you'll surely learn something really interesting to share with friends and co-workers later in the day.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wild and not-so-wild women, November 26, 2003

By 

L O'connor (richmond, surrey United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Women In The White House: The Formidable Females Behind the Throne, On the Phone, and (Sometimes) Under the Bed (Wild Women Series) (Paperback)

Not all the women in this book are wild, some aren't wild at all, but all the brief essays about them are interesting and amusing. Many of the women are already well-known, many more are not well-known at all. It is fascinating to read about all the president's wives with their very different personalities and attitudes to being in the White House. My absolute favourite is Mamie Eisenhower, who refused to bestir herself about anything and said "all women over fifty should stay in bed till noon." I only have three years to go, hooray! Truly a woman after my own heart. I was a bit taken aback though when Cher's romance at forty with a twenty-two-year old boy is referred to as a December-May romance. Come, come, Ms. Stephens, forty is scarcely December. September at the latest.

4.0 out of 5 stars Wild Women in the White House, January 6, 2009

By 

Ronald Hubbard - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wild Women In The White House: The Formidable Females Behind the Throne, On the Phone, and (Sometimes) Under the Bed (Wild Women Series) (Paperback)

I am about 3/4 through the book, but so far it has been very interesting. A suject hardly ever touched on, it give you insight to the history of the White House.