First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781610397179)

A look inside the personal life of every first lady in American history, based on original interviews with major historians

C-SPAN's yearlong history series, First Ladies: Influence and Image, featured interviews with more than fifty preeminent historians and biographers. In this informative book, these experts paint intimate portraits of all forty-five first ladies -- their lives, ambitions, and unique partnerships with their presidential spouses. Susan Swain and the C-SPAN team elicit the details that made these women who they were: how Martha Washington intentionally set the standards followed by first ladies for the next century; how Edith Wilson was complicit in the cover-up when President Wilson became incapacitated after a stroke; and how Mamie Eisenhower used the new medium of television to reinforce her, and her husband's, positive public images.

This book provides an up-close historical look at these fascinating women who survived the scrutiny of the White House, sometimes at great personal cost, while supporting their families and famous husbands -- and sometimes changing history. Complete with illustrations and essential biographical details, it is an illuminating, entertaining, and ultimately inspiring read.

Author: Susan Swain, C-Span
ISBN-10: 1610397177
ISBN-13: 9781610397179
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Language: English
Published: 10/04/2016
Pages: 496
Format: Paperback
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.10h x 5.40w x 1.30d