American First Ladies Their Lives and Their Legacy

A stylish biographical sketch of each First Lady from Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton written by 31 political historians and featuring excerpts from personal papers, family memoirs, and relevant articles. The entries include precedents which were set in the white house during that administration, e.g. Lou Hoover was the first First Lady to give a radio speech. The compilation is an interesting historical study in the perceived role of the First Lady and the personalities who shaped, defined, and resisted that perception. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR