Here are hilarious stories of Teddy Roosevelt's rambunctious children tossing spitballs at presidential portraits-as well as a heartbreaking account of the tragedy that befell President Coolidge's young son, Calvin, Jr. In The President's House, Margaret Truman takes us behind the scenes, into the deepest recesses and onto the airiest balconies, as she reveals what it feels like to live in the White House. Through all the vicissitudes of its history, the White House has transformed the characters, and often the fates, of its powerful occupants. Teddy Roosevelt expanded it, Jackie Kennedy and Pat Nixon redecorated it. Andrew Jackson's supporters, descending twenty thousand strong from the backwoods of Kentucky and Tennessee, nearly destroyed the place during his first inaugural. In Thomas Jefferson's day, it was a reeking construction site where congressmen complained of the hazards of open rubbish pits. Opened (though not finished) in 1800 and originally dubbed a "palace," the White House has been fascinating from day one. In this splendid blend of the personal and historic, Margaret Truman offers an unforgettable tour of "the president's house" across the span of two centuries. Part private residence, part goldfish bowl, and part national shrine, the White House is both the most important address in America and the most intensely scrutinized. Magic and mystery in a unique place - From palace to mansion to powerhouse - The President's Park - History happened here - Working the house - Womanpower - The West Wing - Frontstairs, backstairs - Bed, breakfast and beyond - Growing up under glass - Here come the brides - Talking dogs and other unnatural curiosities - Minding the media - Keeping killers and kooks at bay - The people's White House - The White House forever - Presidents and their wivesĪs Margaret Truman knows from firsthand experience, living in the White House can be exhilarating and maddening, alarming and exhausting-but it is certainly never dull.
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