Description: A revealing look at Nellie Taft, one of the most obscure and least understood first ladies of the twentieth century. Examines how she succeeded in making the White House a serious cultural center, despite suffering a stroke ten weeks after the inauguration that permanently affected her speech and made her an invalid for the next two years.
Brief description:
Lewis L. Gould's many books include The Modern American Presidency, 2nd ed., revised and updated and The William Howard Taft Presidency.
Review Quotes:
"Gould's insightful, sympathetic, and lively portrait reveals Nellie Taft as a fascinating bundle of contradictions--a genteel and educated woman who was determined to make Washington the center of the nation's cultural life, but who also smoked, drank, and bet at cards during her White House years."--Nancy C. Unger, author of Fighting Bob La Follette
"Helen Taft has proven elusive, known mostly for her ambition and planting the cherry trees. But Gould documents a far more complicated and interesting woman who used her knowledge of music to put together remarkable programs for the White House and showcase the nation's talent. She also figured in her husband's split with Theodore Roosevelt. With his thorough grounding in presidential history, Gould is able to show just how that happened."--Betty Boyd Caroli, author of First Ladies
"Lewis Gould has drawn on his deep knowledge of the Progressive Era to present a new understanding of Helen Taft as a woman who brought culture and beautification to the nation's capital half a century before Jacqueline Kennedy and Lady Bird Johnson."--Kristie Miller, author of Isabella Greenway: An Enterprising Woman and Ellen and Edith: Woodrow Wilson's First Ladies