The Residence
Inside the Private World of the White House
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- 12,99 €
Beschreibung des Verlags
#1 New York Times Bestseller
The inspiration for the Netflix series premiering March 20!
“A revealing look at life inside the White House. . . it’s Downton Abbey for the White House staff.”— The Today Show
A remarkable history with elements of both In the President’s Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas.
America’s First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.
These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion’s 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level’s basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.
Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members—many speaking for the first time—with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy’s private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband’s assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon’s resignation and President Clinton’s impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This chatty behind-the-scenes look at life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue offers an uneven survey of its history and inner workings. Former White House correspondent Brower, who has written about this subject for adults, pays particular attention to the approximately 100 permanent nonpartisan employees, including the butlers, florists, plumbers, and chefs who keep the 132-room mansion running. The narrative offers architectural details, such as Taft's adding the Oval Office; shines light into the experience of first children and pets; recounts ghost stories; and serves up choice details about U.S. presidents, including their favorite meals and quirks. Though much of the read is enjoyable, a story about Dolley Madison is repeated, and Jackie Kennedy receives more coverage than other first ladies. While a chapter on race "Understanding the Past: Race and the White House" grapples with the history of a house built by enslaved people, it also treats racism as a historical issue rather than a systemic and ongoing one. Includes a timeline, questions, list of presidents and first ladies, and recommended reading. Ages 8 12.
