
First Women
The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies
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Narrated by:
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Karen White
About this listen
From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of the groundbreaking backstairs look at the White House The Residence comes an intimate, news-making look at the true modern power brokers at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: the first ladies, from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama.
In one of the most underestimated - and challenging - positions in the world, the first lady of the United States must be many things: an inspiring leader with a forward-thinking agenda of her own; a savvy politician, skilled at navigating the treacherous rapids of Washington; a wife and mother operating under constant scrutiny; and an able CEO responsible for the smooth operation of countless services and special events at the White House.
Now, as she did in her smash number-one best seller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower draws on a wide array of untapped, candid sources - from residence staff and social secretaries to friends and political advisers - to tell the stories of the 10 remarkable women who have defined that role since 1960.
Brower offers new insights into this privileged group of remarkable women, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Patricia Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. The stories she shares range from the heartwarming to the shocking and tragic, exploring everything from the first ladies' political crusades to their rivalries with Washington figures; from their friendships with other first ladies to their public and private relationships with their husbands. She also offers a detailed and insightful new portrait of one of the most-watched first ladies of all time, Hillary Clinton, asking what her tumultuous years in the White House may tell us about her own historic presidential run...and what life could be like with the nation's first first husband.
Candid and illuminating, this first group biography of the modern first ladies provides a revealing look at life upstairs and downstairs at the world's most powerful address.
©2016 Kate Andersen Brower (P)2016 HarperCollins PublishersListeners also enjoyed...
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Reagan
- The Life
- By: H. W. Brands
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 31 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Ronald Reagan today is a conservative icon, celebrated for transforming the American domestic agenda and playing a crucial part in ending communism in the Soviet Union. In his masterful new biography, H. W. Brands argues that Reagan, along with FDR, was the most consequential president of the 20th century. Reagan took office at a time when the public sector, after a half century of New Deal liberalism, was widely perceived as bloated and inefficient, an impediment to personal liberty.
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Very little about Reagan
- By Jack Merritt on 07-30-15
By: H. W. Brands
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Thirty-Six Years in the White House
- By: Thomas F. Pendel
- Narrated by: Brian V. Hunt
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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For 36 years, from Lincoln to Teddy Roosevelt, Tom Pendel saw the daily comings and goings at the center of American political life in the White House. As doorkeeper, he saw senators, congressmen, royalty, citizens, and scoundrels appear on the White House steps.
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Very interesting
- By Crystal Stapleton on 06-28-22
By: Thomas F. Pendel
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The Hill
- Inside the Secret World of the U.S. Capitol
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 5 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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There’s a secret world hidden in the halls of the U.S. Capitol! The first stone was laid by George Washington himself, and the building stands today as one of the most recognizable symbols of the oldest democracy in the world. In this home of America’s legislative branch, senators and representatives fight to pass laws they believe are for the good of the country.
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Lady Bird and Lyndon
- The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President
- By: Betty Boyd Caroli
- Narrated by: Amanda Carlin
- Length: 16 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A fresh look at Lady Bird Johnson that upends her image as a plain Jane who was married for her money and mistreated by Lyndon. This Lady Bird worked quietly behind the scenes through every campaign, every illness, and a trying presidency as a key strategist, fundraiser, barnstormer, peacemaker, and indispensable therapist.
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Lady Bird & btw Lyndon
- By Richard on 11-27-15
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Wait Till Next Year
- A Memoir
- By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Wait Till Next Yearis the story of a young girl growing up in the suburbs of New York in the 1950s, when owning a single-family home on a tree-lined street meant the realization of dreams, when everyone knew everyone else on the block, and the children gathered in the streets to play from sunup to sundown. The neighborhood was equally divided among Dodger, Giant, and Yankee fans, and the corner stores were the scenes of fierce and affectionate rivalries.
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An Easy Too Read Memoir
- By Jean on 11-07-18
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Untold Power
- The Fascinating Rise and Complex Legacy of First Lady Edith Wilson
- By: Rebecca Boggs Roberts
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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While this nation has yet to elect its first woman president—and though history has downplayed her role—just over a century ago a woman became the nation’s first acting president. In fact, she was born in 1872, and her name was Edith Bolling Galt Wilson. For the first time, we have a biography that takes an unflinching look at the woman whose ascent mirrors that of many powerful American women before and since, one full of the compromises and complicities women have undertaken throughout time in order to find security for themselves and make their mark on history.
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Readers voice lacked Edith’s strength
- By Heidi on 08-01-24
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The Triumph of Nancy Reagan
- By: Karen Tumulty
- Narrated by: Kate Reading
- Length: 25 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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This book explores the multifaceted character of Nancy Reagan and reveals new details surrounding the tumultuous presidency. The Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty spent four years interviewing the people who knew this couple best and draws on overlooked archives, letters, memoirs, and White House records, compiling the most extensive biography of Nancy Reagan yet. From the AIDS epidemic to tensions with the Soviets and the War on Drugs, this book shows how Nancy Reagan became one of the most influential First Ladies of the century.
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A poignant and rich biography—well worth the time!
- By Amazon Customer on 04-26-21
By: Karen Tumulty
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Exploring the White House
- Inside America's Most Famous Home
- By: Kate Andersen Brower
- Narrated by: Patricia Santomasso
- Length: 4 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Have you ever wondered what exactly goes on inside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue? Sure, the president of the United States works and resides there, but do you know who helps keep this historic house running? It’s no simple task, especially when there are important state events and foreign dignitaries - in addition to presidential pups, mischievous children, and even a couple of ghosts. And its Residence workers and first ladies make sure everything is in check and running smoothly.
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Not bad, not bad at all.
- By brian on 12-09-20
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Lady Bird Johnson: Hiding in Plain Sight
- By: Julia Sweig
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 18 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson had a decision to make. Just months after moving into the White House under the worst of circumstances - following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy - he had to decide whether to run to win the presidency in his own right. He turned to his most reliable, trusted political strategist: His wife, Lady Bird Johnson.
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Fine, but lacking an intervention
- By Keith on 03-22-21
By: Julia Sweig
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White House by the Sea
- A Century of the Kennedys at Hyannis Port
- By: Kate Storey
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, is synonymous with the Kennedy family. It is where, for a hundred years, America’s most storied political family has come to celebrate, bond, play, and grieve. It is also the setting of so many events we remember: JFK giving his presidential acceptance speech, Jackie speaking with a Life magazine reporter just days after her husband’s assassination, Senator Edward Kennedy seeking refuge after the Chappaquiddick crash, Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger tying the knot—and even Conor Kennedy courting pop star Taylor Swift.
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A personal look at the Kennedys
- By CrezFive on 07-19-23
By: Kate Storey
Loved it
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excellent read ,
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The book does not cover the first ladies chronologically but by topic. Under that topic the author may tell about each of the first ladies or only a few. At times I felt I was being yanked around and some information was repeated. Brower made a point that the majority of the first ladies did not want the position or to be in the spotlight. The author states the role is difficult, hard to quantify and often viewed through a lens of sexism. Brower noted that most of the first ladies became friends transcending political party differences. One of the examples given was that of Betty Ford and Lady Bird Johnson.
The book is well written and researched. The author appeared to be unbiased. Brower provides antidotes to make her points. Brower’s research included interviews of political advisors, friends, family and staff as well as letters, diaries and memoirs. The book provides general information. For those wanting more in-depth information, I suggest reading their biographies or memoirs.
The book is twelve and half hours. Karen White does a good job narrating the book. White is an actress and was an AudioFile Best Voice Award winner. She also has won multiple Earphone Awards and was an Audie Award finalist.
Engaging
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A Little Cloying
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Great perspective on the lives of 1st Ladies
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Marnie Johnson.
Review
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What didn’t you like about Karen White’s performance?
She sounds like a robot... there was no emotion or inflection in her voice at all.Narration is absolutely horrible
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Story seemed biased
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Would you listen to First Women again? Why?
No. Not unless I read it or had a different narrator.What did you like best about this story?
The history of how the first wives supported and understood each other.What do you think the narrator could have done better?
No be so droll. She was too deadpan. No voice inflection.Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
No.Any additional comments?
No.Boring Narrator but good input.
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So interesting
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