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Inside the White House: Stories From the World's Most Famous Residence
In collaboration with the White House Historical Association, National Geographic presents this authoritative overview of America's first home featuring never-before published stories and photographs. Organized by theme, discover what makes the White House tick--from its beginnings to the modern day, from the architecture, to the staff, to the first families. Learn fascinating details of the real-life Downton Abbey staff who run this grand home. Marvel at the elaborate detail that goes into hosting a state dinner. Meet the beloved pets who've inhabited 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Read about celebrity visitors, the media, and the security so critical in today's world. Sidebars contain tidbits of rare information, and an appendix includes an illustrated time line of all White House First Families as well as a complete index. Photos include intimate and candid glimpses of life inside the White House--some never before seen, others long forgotten, and most never displayed in such large format.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 8, 2014
No matter what your politics, this is a fabulous book!
This book is not about a particular president. Rather, it is a book about the White House -- the rooms within, the people who run it, the people who live(d) in it, and much much more!
Let me just say, that I inhaled all of the information in this book, and had a very difficult time putting it down!
This book was written by Noel Grove, William Bushong, and Joel D. Treese, with the White House Historical Association. I didn't even know this entity existed, but I shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, this outstanding book is a National Geographic presentation, which means the text is easy to understand, there are beautifully illustrated drawings, photographs, paintings & maps, and the layout is super easy to understand!
Some things that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about:
The Truman Renovation: Truman inherited a White House that was aging, had faulty wiring, cracked plaster, and was considered dangerous to live in. A structural survey revealed major problems caused by stress from floor-bearing steel beams added in 1902 and the weight of the 1927 3rd floor & roof improvements, all pressing against the inner brick walls. The accompanying photograph that shows the temporary steel bracings, as well as bulldozers and trucks driving around INSIDE the gutted walls of the White House is quite simply, astounding!
I learned a bit about the White House Gardens and the people who take care of them. The 18 acres of lawns, trees and the Rose, East, and Children's Gardens are under the direction of the Head Gardener; the National Park Service tends the larger President's Park.
I learned why the Oval Office is oval. If you want to know this answer, you'll have to read the book!
The role of the Social Secretary was most interesting! One of the greatest responsibilities of the person in this position is helping the president and first lady plan estate dinners. The description provided for how people are chosen & invited to these dinners was intriguing. On a side note, Jeremy Bernard (President Obama) is the first male social secretary AND Letitia "Tish" Baldridge (President Kennedy) resigned her position in early 1963, after failing to get Mrs. Kennedy to cooperate in regards to State Dinners, and other social obligations while she was pregnant with Patrick (this last info. came from Christopher Andersen's "These Few Precious Days.")
A big deal is made when former presidents all get together, usually for the death of another president or former first lady, but I don't know that the same excitement (for lack of a better word) is made when all of the former (and current) first ladies come together. I was amazed to see the number of first ladies, still living, when they attended the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library in 1991 -- Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush.
"The Backstairs Hierarchy" was another section that I found riveting. the Chief Usher, the Butler, the Head of the Stables, etc. Until the 1930's, about 1/3 of the servants lived in the building in the 3rd and ground floor rooms. Their permanent homes were elsewhere, so this temporary housing was plain. Today, none of the domestic staff live in the White House, although some might bunk on cots overnight when events run late. They are all federal employees (the Chief Usher is a bonded federal employee who functions as the manager of the house) who retain their jobs only at the president's pleasure. The turnover is amazingly low.
On a side note, Hillary Clinton once wrote a book called "It Takes a Village". For anyone who has ever read that book, you will understand when I say it takes a village of dedicated professionals to keep the White House running, and looking fabulous!
AND, unlike some professional athletes, you won't catch retired employees out selling prized possessions that were given to them throughout the course of their employment.
The whole chapter about diplomacy, ceremony, and performance was most interesting! The history and tradition of the Marine Band is the best!
The president and first lady are the temporary residents, representatives, and keepers of this majestic home, but things can change in a heart-beat, and unfortunately, sometimes do. The chapter on transition and crisis, including information on inaugurations, funerals, protests, and more was engrossing.
I will never get over the iconic image of Lyndon Johnson taking the Oath of Office aboard Air Force One just after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This photo breaks my heart, every single time, because just like with other sudden deaths -- Lincoln, etc. it begs us to ask the question: What if?
Crisis, unfortunately, often defines a presidency. For example, while reading this book, I discovered that Woodrow Wilson had a stroke in October of 1919, and for 16 months, was not fully capable of carrying out the duties of the president. Despite the urging of cabinet officials and some members of Congress, the Vice President -- Thomas Marshall -- made no effort to exercise any kind of presidential authority, AND the 25th Amendment, which now makes provisions for presidential disability and / or death was not enacted until 1967! I always assumed that this came about because of FDR (polio) or JFK (assassination), but this history with Woodrow Wilson could have been another contributing factor.
We all know about the Civil War, Teapot Dome Scandal, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Watergate, and 9/11. These crises can all be tied to specific presidents -- Lincoln, Harding, Kennedy, Nixon, and George W. Bush.
President Obama has had a number of crises occur during his presidency, but I don't know that any one particularly stands out, as they do with the others. Still, there's the economic crisis & recession, which he partially inherited, Benghazi (which is still haunting the Administration), the shooting that killed 6, and injured 13, including Representative, Gabrielle Giffords, in Arizona, etc.
As I said there is a lot to see and learn from in this book. I have only touched on a very few. Check this out to see what else you can discover!
This book is not about a particular president. Rather, it is a book about the White House -- the rooms within, the people who run it, the people who live(d) in it, and much much more!
Let me just say, that I inhaled all of the information in this book, and had a very difficult time putting it down!
This book was written by Noel Grove, William Bushong, and Joel D. Treese, with the White House Historical Association. I didn't even know this entity existed, but I shouldn't be surprised. Anyways, this outstanding book is a National Geographic presentation, which means the text is easy to understand, there are beautifully illustrated drawings, photographs, paintings & maps, and the layout is super easy to understand!
Some things that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about:
The Truman Renovation: Truman inherited a White House that was aging, had faulty wiring, cracked plaster, and was considered dangerous to live in. A structural survey revealed major problems caused by stress from floor-bearing steel beams added in 1902 and the weight of the 1927 3rd floor & roof improvements, all pressing against the inner brick walls. The accompanying photograph that shows the temporary steel bracings, as well as bulldozers and trucks driving around INSIDE the gutted walls of the White House is quite simply, astounding!
I learned a bit about the White House Gardens and the people who take care of them. The 18 acres of lawns, trees and the Rose, East, and Children's Gardens are under the direction of the Head Gardener; the National Park Service tends the larger President's Park.
I learned why the Oval Office is oval. If you want to know this answer, you'll have to read the book!
The role of the Social Secretary was most interesting! One of the greatest responsibilities of the person in this position is helping the president and first lady plan estate dinners. The description provided for how people are chosen & invited to these dinners was intriguing. On a side note, Jeremy Bernard (President Obama) is the first male social secretary AND Letitia "Tish" Baldridge (President Kennedy) resigned her position in early 1963, after failing to get Mrs. Kennedy to cooperate in regards to State Dinners, and other social obligations while she was pregnant with Patrick (this last info. came from Christopher Andersen's "These Few Precious Days.")
A big deal is made when former presidents all get together, usually for the death of another president or former first lady, but I don't know that the same excitement (for lack of a better word) is made when all of the former (and current) first ladies come together. I was amazed to see the number of first ladies, still living, when they attended the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library in 1991 -- Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Rosalynn Carter, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, and Barbara Bush.
"The Backstairs Hierarchy" was another section that I found riveting. the Chief Usher, the Butler, the Head of the Stables, etc. Until the 1930's, about 1/3 of the servants lived in the building in the 3rd and ground floor rooms. Their permanent homes were elsewhere, so this temporary housing was plain. Today, none of the domestic staff live in the White House, although some might bunk on cots overnight when events run late. They are all federal employees (the Chief Usher is a bonded federal employee who functions as the manager of the house) who retain their jobs only at the president's pleasure. The turnover is amazingly low.
On a side note, Hillary Clinton once wrote a book called "It Takes a Village". For anyone who has ever read that book, you will understand when I say it takes a village of dedicated professionals to keep the White House running, and looking fabulous!
AND, unlike some professional athletes, you won't catch retired employees out selling prized possessions that were given to them throughout the course of their employment.
The whole chapter about diplomacy, ceremony, and performance was most interesting! The history and tradition of the Marine Band is the best!
The president and first lady are the temporary residents, representatives, and keepers of this majestic home, but things can change in a heart-beat, and unfortunately, sometimes do. The chapter on transition and crisis, including information on inaugurations, funerals, protests, and more was engrossing.
I will never get over the iconic image of Lyndon Johnson taking the Oath of Office aboard Air Force One just after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. This photo breaks my heart, every single time, because just like with other sudden deaths -- Lincoln, etc. it begs us to ask the question: What if?
Crisis, unfortunately, often defines a presidency. For example, while reading this book, I discovered that Woodrow Wilson had a stroke in October of 1919, and for 16 months, was not fully capable of carrying out the duties of the president. Despite the urging of cabinet officials and some members of Congress, the Vice President -- Thomas Marshall -- made no effort to exercise any kind of presidential authority, AND the 25th Amendment, which now makes provisions for presidential disability and / or death was not enacted until 1967! I always assumed that this came about because of FDR (polio) or JFK (assassination), but this history with Woodrow Wilson could have been another contributing factor.
We all know about the Civil War, Teapot Dome Scandal, the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Watergate, and 9/11. These crises can all be tied to specific presidents -- Lincoln, Harding, Kennedy, Nixon, and George W. Bush.
President Obama has had a number of crises occur during his presidency, but I don't know that any one particularly stands out, as they do with the others. Still, there's the economic crisis & recession, which he partially inherited, Benghazi (which is still haunting the Administration), the shooting that killed 6, and injured 13, including Representative, Gabrielle Giffords, in Arizona, etc.
As I said there is a lot to see and learn from in this book. I have only touched on a very few. Check this out to see what else you can discover!
September 6, 2019
The White House has seen so much. New occupants move in approximately every 4 to 8 years, and each occupant wants to do something different. One will put in a swimming pool, and two owners later that pool is covered over. One wants a garden, and the next would rather have a jogging track. The building withstood fires, converting from fire to gas to electricity, and a variety of different tastes.
This book was fantastic. It was full of stories, photos, and paintings. It talked not only about the building, but the staff, the events, and the presidents and their families and pets. It covers every administration from Washington (though only briefly, as he did not ever live at the White House) to Obama.
I poured over the pages with an interest I didn’t know that I had.
This book was fantastic. It was full of stories, photos, and paintings. It talked not only about the building, but the staff, the events, and the presidents and their families and pets. It covers every administration from Washington (though only briefly, as he did not ever live at the White House) to Obama.
I poured over the pages with an interest I didn’t know that I had.
March 13, 2022
Plenty of great facts, wanted more pics.
February 28, 2017
It's an enormous, heavy, coffee-table sort of tome. I got it from the library but wasn't about to lug it home sort I just sort of glanced at it. It looked nice - of course there are no shortage of books on The White House.
December 12, 2013
"Inside the White House" is a fantastic book that will please both my fellow history lovers and my fellow lovers of beautiful books. Filled with fascinating stories about what is possibly one of the most famous houses in the world, this book gives insight into some of the things that have happened to the building throughout time and some of the stories of the people who lived in the house. I know this is a book that I am going to be referring to over and over again. It has some really interesting stories that I had never heard about before as well as some that I am more familiar with (some of the holiday traditions, Jackie Kennedy's big push to return the White House to its grandeur, the burning of the White House during the War of 1812, etc.).
I absolutely loved this book. Being both really into history and really into politics, I'm fascinated by White House history. I live in the Washington, D.C. area and any time that I walk by the White House, I am always driven to stop and gaze at it. It's truly a stunning building. Although I've taken tours of the White House before, it has been awhile so I loved seeing all of the pictures of the rooms in the building as well as some of the interesting portraits and furnishings that the building holds. The building is now a monument to the American people and our shared history. If you can't live in the White House, this book gets you pretty darn close!
The White House is so much more than just a building and so much has happened there. The book is divided up into various sections. There are sections on everything from the building of the White House to famous people that have come to visit the White House. There is a ton of information in the book so you definitely need a little bit of time to digest it. I recommend this book to anyone who loves American history!
I absolutely loved this book. Being both really into history and really into politics, I'm fascinated by White House history. I live in the Washington, D.C. area and any time that I walk by the White House, I am always driven to stop and gaze at it. It's truly a stunning building. Although I've taken tours of the White House before, it has been awhile so I loved seeing all of the pictures of the rooms in the building as well as some of the interesting portraits and furnishings that the building holds. The building is now a monument to the American people and our shared history. If you can't live in the White House, this book gets you pretty darn close!
The White House is so much more than just a building and so much has happened there. The book is divided up into various sections. There are sections on everything from the building of the White House to famous people that have come to visit the White House. There is a ton of information in the book so you definitely need a little bit of time to digest it. I recommend this book to anyone who loves American history!
August 10, 2016
I wish goodreads allowed using ½ stars since I believe this look Inside the White House is more than a three star but a number of problems keep me from giving a full four star rating.
This large format National Geographic publication portrays the Presidential residence with multitudes of photographs, artwork and vignettes of the families and administrations that it has served. The book's organization under topics such as The West Wing, Gardens and Grounds and Transition and Crisis eliminates any consistent timeline. The reader is constantly swung through four centuries, sometimes without historical reference.
There is much redundancy of information, especially between text and captions. One gets the feeling the editors really didn't expect anyone to read the content. Also, certain stories are repeated under multiple topics as if there wasn't enough original material. I definitely learned more about American history through this read but would have preferred more variety. There is a heavy emphasis on the Obama administration even though the book was published after just one completed term of office. Towards the end the book takes a political turn and closes emphasizing decent and conflict - not truly related to the White House itself - an unfortunate conclusion for this important symbol of America.
i would suggest treating this as a picture book; enjoy the artwork, photos, captions and pursue stories of interest. Reading cover to cover becomes a drag, it could have been so much more.
This large format National Geographic publication portrays the Presidential residence with multitudes of photographs, artwork and vignettes of the families and administrations that it has served. The book's organization under topics such as The West Wing, Gardens and Grounds and Transition and Crisis eliminates any consistent timeline. The reader is constantly swung through four centuries, sometimes without historical reference.
There is much redundancy of information, especially between text and captions. One gets the feeling the editors really didn't expect anyone to read the content. Also, certain stories are repeated under multiple topics as if there wasn't enough original material. I definitely learned more about American history through this read but would have preferred more variety. There is a heavy emphasis on the Obama administration even though the book was published after just one completed term of office. Towards the end the book takes a political turn and closes emphasizing decent and conflict - not truly related to the White House itself - an unfortunate conclusion for this important symbol of America.
i would suggest treating this as a picture book; enjoy the artwork, photos, captions and pursue stories of interest. Reading cover to cover becomes a drag, it could have been so much more.
January 9, 2015
There are a few topics that I'm passionate about: Disney, video games, insects and presidents. This book is about the White House. The book is a beautiful, large, oversized book that is divided into different sections. There are sections about the first ladies, sections about hosting events in the white house. The book is a bit long but has a lot of great information. I recommend this as a coffee table book for history buffs!
January 28, 2017
If you are interested in White House history, this is the book for you! I really enjoyed this one. The photographs in this book, historic and modern are excellent, and the text covers the history of the White House from soup to nuts (insert Trump joke here).
January 4, 2014
Wonderful history of the building and its occupants through the years....
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March 16, 2014Interesting book, filled with stories and beautiful pictures, of the White House through the years and presidential administrations.
April 14, 2017
A beautiful book with many colorful and historic photographs. The text if detailed and interesting about the history of the White House and it many families that have lived there.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews