First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and Their Power

by Carl Sferrazza Anthony

Book Overview

In this previously untold story of a unique role and its evolving definitions, Carl Sferrazza Anthony has produced "an entirely new take on the first ladyship" and "an awesome work of scholarship"... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0688077048
• ISBN13: 9780688077044
• Release Date: January 1990
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 2 Pages
• Weight: 2.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 2.2" x 6.5" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

This book is a treasure

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.

Well researched and interesting

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.

Excellent--A Good Read and Good History

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.

A Long Overdue Account

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......

delightful, informative book

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.