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.
#931676 in Books 2012-11-20Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.77 x .24 x 5.29l; .33 #File Name: 1608463109107 pages
Review
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful. The Underling ThemeBy wsmrerAn interesting book it is a laundry list of what America's continuing militarization is generating with advancing technology and the need to intervene in all area of the world where our National Interest might be perceived to be threatened.The underling theme Turse pursues well is simply how mindless this process has become.Turse is not afraid to list all post WW II American military actions; save Granada and Panama; as defeats given there intended aim. But he clearly does not see the current moves found in his subtitle as wise redirections. And he sees the current push to use Special Ops; proxy armies and robot technology; the new American way of war; holding great potential for unforeseen entanglements and serial blowback.One startling finding of his is that; quoting Admiral Olson; the outgoing chief of Special Operations Command; "Black operations like the bin Laden mission are now exceptionally common. A dozen or so are conducted every night."Right now; Olson emphasized; U.S. Special Operations forces were approximately as large as Canada's entire active duty military.Our secret war is not well publicized and this book is defiantly an opening on it.A criticism of his work would be; as noted by one or more reviewers; what else can be done in this dangerous world we inhabit?His answer is look to the past where small incursions have blossomed into major (misdirected) engagements; actions have consequences; expect them. He does not use the term `Cost- Benefit Analysis' but does call up the process as a necessity for policy makers.Some portion of the book deals with the hypocrisy of our politicians; but none of that will come as a surprise to most readers. Perhaps more interesting time could have been spent on the question of what if anything is implied by the term National Interest that is presumably driving our military policy.Turse's title; The Changing Face of Empire; hits on the concept that America is behaving like an empire and that is an unconformable notion perhaps for some. The Imperial Age was a period when some European nations carved up the world for their own national interest; Britain being the outstanding example. Historical studies have shown that the gains did not match the costs for the country's population as a whole but clearly did for some parties -- the ruling elite. Today American is under some threat; real or imagined; that is driving our Imperial reach. It would be useful if authors as well informed as Nick Turse were to try to unravel the real meaning of National Interest in a way of directing rational policy or asking what in the world do we really think we are doing and who is benefiting?**Jeremy Scahill; Dirty Wars: The World Is a Battlefield published in 2013 is an excellent continuation on this topic.And this: According to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism; the CIA has conducted 378 strikes in the program's 10-year history. Of those; 326 are classified as "Obama strikes." The total number of people killed by drones is estimated at 2;528 to 3;648. Civilian casualties are estimated at 416 to 948; with 168 to 200 of those being children. As many as another 1;545 are estimated to have been injured in those strikes.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great chronicaling of 21st Century U.S. ImperialismBy David BlivenI think it's absolutely essential that we know what our government is up to. If we don't; then how/why would we have a basis to protest it? This book's conclusion is worth quoting at length: "After more than a decade of war; it has failed to eliminate a minority; rag-tag Afghan insurgency with limited popular support. It trained an indigenous Afghan force that was long known for its poor performance; before it became better known for killing its American trainers. It has spent years and untold tens of millions of tax dollars chasing down assorted firebrand clerics; various terrorist “lieutenants;†and a host of no-name militants belonging to al-Qaeda; mostly in the backlands of the planet. Instead of wiping out the organization and its wannabes; however; it seems mainly to have facilitated its franchising around the world. . . . It’s thrown millions of dollars in personnel; equipment; aid; and recently even troops into the task of eradicating low-level drug runners (as well as the major drug cartels); without putting a dent in the northward flow of narcotics to America’s cities and suburbs. It spends billions on intelligence only to routinely find itself in the dark. It destroyed the regime of an Iraqi dictator and occupied his country; only to be fought to a standstill by ill-armed; ill-organized insurgencies; then out-maneuvered by the allies it had helped to put in power; and unceremoniously bounced from the country. It spends untold millions of dollars to train and equip elite Navy SEALs to take on poor; untrained; lightly-armed adversaries; like gun-toting Somali pirates."3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Solid ReadBy culdeeI was diappointed how thin this book was until I read it. There is noting wasted this is all prime rib and no fat. I liked it so much I bought my son in law a copy. His major is military intelligence.
