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

About the Author
Susan Swain was the moderator for C-SPAN's special yearlong history series, First Ladies: Influence and Image. Swain is C-SPAN's co-CEO and, in addition to her senior management role at the network, has been an on-camera host for C-SPAN for more than thirty years, interviewing public officials, historians, and journalists for the public affairs network. This is her ninth book project with C-SPAN and PublicAffairs. She lives in the Washington, DC, suburbs.For more information, visit firstladies.c-span.org or @FirstLadies on Twitter


Book Information
ISBN 9781610397179
Author C-SPAN C-SPAN
Format Paperback
Page Count 496
Imprint PublicAffairs,U.S.
Publisher PublicAffairs,U.S.