The books listed here, selected by Reader Advisor Ginny Ryan, give a behind-the-scenes look at some famous families and individuals in business, politics and publishing.
Florence Harding: The First Lady, the Jazz Age, and the Death of America’s Most Scandalous President by Carl Sferrazza Anthony.
In this biography Florence Harding is portrayed as an immensely popular first lady. During the 1920s she championed women's rights, helped establish the Veterans Bureau, welcomed African American women to the White House, and was her husband's political partner. She also endured his adulterous affairs and numerous scandals. RC 46805.
Washington through a Purple Veil: Memoirs of a Southern Woman by Lindy Boggs.
Lindy Boggs describes coming to Washington in 1941 as a political wife in love with her husband, Congressman Hale Boggs, and in awe of his political expertise. It was not until she ran to fill the seat vacated by his death in 1972 that she realized her own political skills. With her genteel approach, she relates how she fought for many issues, including civil rights and women's equality. RC 42135.
House of Dreams: The Bingham Family of Louisville by Marie Brenner.
The Binghams were a liberal, socially active family whose fortune was based on a communications empire centered in their hometown, including two newspapers, radio and television stations, and a printing press. Then, in a frenzy of family "tension and rage," the empire and the relationships among family members collapsed. RC 27976.
From the Door of the White House by Preston Bruce.
A unique view of five American presidents and their families by a man who served as doorman in the White House with Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, and Ford. This firsthand account also includes close-ups of many other world figures, the self-contained world of the White House, and some of the most dramatic and important moments in recent history. RC 22314.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth by Carol Felsenthal.
Biography of Theodore Roosevelt's notorious, rabble-rousing daughter, Alice, who became the darling of the society pages. Felsenthal suggests that it was Alice's shyness and her feeling of abandonment that accounted for her brash exterior. RC 27734.
Fat Man in a Middle Seat: Forty Years of Covering Politics by Jack W. Germond.
A veteran print and media journalist known for his honesty and candor recounts highlights of his forty years reporting American politics. Reminisces on his experiences covering national figures from governor Nelson Rockefeller in the 1950s to president Bill Clinton through the 1990s, complete with insider observations and anecdotes. Some strong language. RC 50832.
Personal History by Katharine Graham.
Memoir of a celebrated woman publisher of the Washington Post. Recounts her father's purchase of the Post in 1934 and her marriage to Phil Graham, who managed the newspaper until his suicide in 1963. Katharine reluctantly took over and became by some accounts "the most powerful woman in the world." RC 43945.
Washington by Meg Greenfield.
Pulitzer Prize winning Washington Post editor and Newsweek columnist's posthumously published exploration of the real world of politicians in the nation's capital, comparing their subculture to that of high schoolers. Analyzes the changes that took place during Greenfield's forty years as a firsthand observer. Foreword by Katharine Graham. Afterword by Michael Beschloss. RC 52474.
Under the Influence by Peter Hernon.
The authors, who are writers for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, have assembled a history of five generations, almost 130 years, of the Busch family. This is despite a 1989 edict that prohibited employees and members of their families from speaking with them. It is a portrait of a corporate monarchy that lives by its own rules. RC 34731.
Joseph Pulitzer II and the Post Dispatch: A Newspaperman’s Life by Daniel W. Pfaff.
When blindness forced Joseph Pulitzer to relinquish control of his newspaper empire, he turned the New York World over to his two most promising sons. The paper folded. He put his fun-loving namesake at the helm of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, but this son assembled a fine staff and developed a distinguished paper. Pfaff relates the father-son relationship and career of the son who was to continue the legacy. RC 38168.
Reflected Glory: The Life of Pamela Churchill Harriman by Sally Bedell Smith.
Portrait of a woman the author describes as a twentieth-century courtesan who, through the shrewd use of wealth and position, lived in the brilliance of world luminaries in politics, media, business, and theater. Chronicles Harriman's privileged youth, her marriages to three powerful figures, and her own political ascent to the post of ambassador to France. RC 45688.
Murrow, His Life and Times by A.M. Sperber.
Richly detailed life of CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow (1908-1965), whose World War II radio reporting and TV documentaries set the highest standards for broadcast journalism. Sperber portrays a complex intellectual and moralist given to dark moods, whose creative achievements occurred in a medium that never fulfilled his expectations. RC 24460.
Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times by Helen Thomas.
The White House journalist for more than five decades chronicles her work covering all of the presidents since John F. Kennedy. Shares personal reminiscences of the United States leaders as well as of the first ladies. RC 48559.