This is a true story about two domestic servants, a mother and her daughter, each worked for thirty years in the White House with a ten year period when they were both there. Each kept notes and diaries during their tenure. The book also has pictures.
In 1909, the mother was hired by President Taft, who was the first president ever to allow a black person to enter the White House. She worked in the White House until 1939. Her daughter was hired by President Hoover in 1929 and she worked there until the final days of the Eisenhower Administration in 1959.
This book should be required reading for every serious student of American history. The authors were eye witnesses to some of the great events of history and offer different prospective from that found elsewhere. For example, we learn that when Calvin Coolidge announced in 1927 that he did not intend to run for re-election, he was playing hard-to-get. He believed that the people would insist that he accept a third term of office. He expected to be drafted. He actually wanted a third term in office. Coolidge was disappointed when Herbert Hoover was nominated as he disagreed with Hoover's ideas and policies. We learn that in the last year and a half of the presidency of President Woodrow Wilson, he had to be wheeled around the White House in a wheel chair and was often engaged in "sickbed rambling." When Franklin D. Roosevelt took office as president, he was an invalid, confined to a wheelchair. Few Americans knew this and elaborate means were devised to make it appear that Roosevelt was robust and healthy. Whenever he was to speak, railings were created beside where he was to be standing. This was done so that it would appear that FDR was walking, taking a few steps up to the speaker's podium, when in reality the handrails were holding him up and he was dragging his feet a short distance to create the illusion that he was walking. Also, Roosevelt was dependent on his mother, Sara Delano, who had all the money and controlled his finances. That's just a few of the massive amount of memories relayed in this book.
I'm the only owner of the book. I'm not big on reading, but I read it in one day. It was one of those books that once started, couldn't be put down. It is in excellent condition with no torn pages, no dog eared pages, no stains.
Buyer to pay USPS Media Mail delivery charges of $4.70. Depending on your location, Media Mail can take 4 to 10 days for delivery. If you would prefer Priority Mail for quicker delivery just let me know and I can give you a quote on that service. Delivery to Alaska, Hawaii, or American territories will have to be via Priority Mail as the postal service will not quote a delivery time for Media Mail to those locations.
SHIPPING COST INFO:
I do combine shipping on multiple items purchased. However, my web host is not set up to calculate multiple item shipping costs. At checkout, you will be charged full shipping price on each item purchased and I will refund the appropriate amount of overpayment. If you are uncomfortable with that, you can send me an email with your zip code and stating which items you'll be purchasing and I'll calculate the correct combined shipping charges and send you a custom invoice.
Also, every January the postal service increases shipping charges. This year, many price increases were a bit steep with some package categories adding as much as a dollar on to an already high shipping charge. I try to absorb some of the new charges but that's getting harder with each increase.
International shipping charges also took a tremendous leap. International shipping will now depend on the country. Buyer must contact seller for international shipping charges before making a purchase. Seller reserves the right to void any international transactions where contact has not been made prior to purchasing.
