The Presidents' Wives: Reassessing the Office of First Lady - Softcover

Watson, Robert P.

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9781555879488: The Presidents' Wives: Reassessing the Office of First Lady

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555879489 ISBN 13: 9781555879488

Publisher: Lynne Rienner Pub, 2000

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Book by Robert P. Watson

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From Booklist:

This handy guide provides a fascinating glimpse into the cultural, political, and historical evolution of the unofficial, but increasingly significant, office of the First Lady. Although the women who have occupied the White House range considerably in age, personality, and social commitment, each individual presidential spouse has exerted her own unique brand of influence on both her husband and the course and flavor of national policy. Utilizing a breezy style designed to appeal to a broad range of readers, the author outlines the history of the office, the official duties of the First Lady, distinct approaches to the office, public opinion and the First Lady, and the future of the office. By far the most intriguing chapter is devoted to ranking the First Ladies in accordance with a variety of criteria, including age, education, background, popularity and charisma, fitness for the office, activism, and success. Brimming with engrossing facts, data, and anecdotes, this overview of the long-neglected role of the First Lady will be a welcome addition to both political-science and women's-studies collections. Margaret Flanagan

From Library Journal:

Long before Hillary Rodham Clinton, long before even Eleanor Roosevelt, the nation's first ladies have been important players in the American political landscape. It's just that most of the time they've not been recognized as such. Watson (political science, Univ. of Hawaii) analyzes the office of first lady and offers a paradigm for future study of that office. He looks at official duties, including the First Lady's roles as wife and mother, campaigner, and presidential spokesperson, and also offers rankings based on historical study and contemporary polls. Watson intends this work to begin to fill the gap left by presidential scholars, who have tended to overlook this aspect of the presidency. Recommended for collections of presidential scholarship.
-Roseanne Castellino, Arthur D. Little, Cambridge, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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