First Women audiobook

First Women details the lives of the Presidents' wives from Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes look into the lives of the White House families without all the politics to get in the way.Some of these ladies' stories were known to me, but others were new and even surprising. First Women reveals the personal as well as the public lives of women who often endured their intimate lives with their husbands and children splashed all over the media. Their political power and influence is unmatched only by their loyalty to their husbands, deserved or not.Now to read the memoirs/(auto)biographies of these first ladies!

This was a really enjoyable book and I learned a ton about the first ladies! I highly suggest :)"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 #1 bestseller 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 ten 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."

In 2015 I started a project of reading biographies and memoirs about first ladies. I have managed to read most of the biographies except a few hard to find ones. I also learned that the rule book says first ladies is not to be capitalized. This book about the first ladies covers the first ladies from Kennedy to Obama and was published in 2017.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. I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. 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.

This book was so interesting and put together well. I enjoy that the author did not seperate the women by the years they served but told their stories together. This is not a history book but the stories of living breathing people. As stated in the book this is a group of very extraordinary women.

This book details the White House lives of modern First Ladies from Jackie Kennedy through Michelle Obama. Each woman is profiled from the time their husbands became involved in politics and continues through their time as a "Former First Lady". The book shows the good, the bad, and the ugliness of the job and on the attitudes of each lady. Some of the women became quite close, while others seem to simply tolerate their peers. Each woman brings their own attitude and charm to the White House and each has her own triumphs and hurdles. Ultimately, they all belong to a special "sisterhood" that no one else could completely understand. This book gives the rest of us a glimpse into what it really means to be the First Lady of the White House.Brower gives the reader a no-holds bar look at these ladies. None of them are without fault. Indeed, all of them have some not so great moments. It is at time scandalous and at times you are humored with some of their antics. My perception of all of them has changed, mostly not for the better. However, for some, I have a better appreciation of them. I'm not sure how much the author's own political ideals were coming through. There were some women she seemed harder on than others, but none of them were shown as flawless and often quite the opposite. Being the wife of a President cannot be an easy job and after all, these women are human. Most did not ask or want to be a First Lady, but they have all handled the job with their heads held high. It will be interesting to see what the future holds and to see if there some day might be a First Husbands edition of this book. The book could also have been a little more cohesive. It did bounce around some and was not always chronological as you would expect it to be. I still enjoyed it thoroughly.

Since I am a l ways interested in historical books, this collective biography of was my c u p of tea. These are the post-war first ladies. Mamie Eisenhower was mentioned but not in a good way. She was boorish and actually cruel to Jackie Kennedy, forcing her to walk the WHite House two weeks after a cesarean section. From Jackie forward, the women's personalities are distinct and defined. All were much stronger than their public persona. Each endured unfair public scrutiny. Surprisingly, Lady Bird Johnson emerges as a star, a true Steel Magnolia during a very troubled time in our country. Her predecessor, Jackie O, was eternally damaged by her husband's death. Her strongest bond was with Hillary Clinton in part because the two shared brilliant and openly philandering husbands. Roslyn Carter was a real powerhouse as was Nancy Reagan. But of them all, Betty Ford remains my favorite, a real modern woman who shared her deepest secrets to help other Americans deal with their personal problems. The one fault in the book is that it seems to have been written as a term paper. Passages repeat as if they were copied from 3x5 cards. That problem aside, this is an informative and engrossing book about some mostly unsung women of the political scene.

I’m going to share with you my favorite story from the book.Nancy Reagan was not a pleasant person. She didn’t like her husband to interact with the White House residence staff, who she considered “the help.” She would demand certain flowers for the White House that would have to be flown in from other continents. Days before State dinners she would come up with elaborate desserts and expect chefs to literally work day and night to complete them. And her treatment of Barbara Bush would best be described as cold.At some point (I’m not sure if it was while Reagan was still president or when the Bush family was in the White House), an unflattering biography of Nancy came out, and Barbara wanted to read it. But she knew if she was spotted reading it it could cause a scandal. So Barbara swapped out the dust jacket for one on another book so she could read her hot gossip in privacy. I’m the farthest thing from a fan of the Bush family, but if someone released a scandalous biography of my nemesis would I read it? Hell yeah I would. I bet that old broad would sit on her front porch and spill the tea with her friends and I am 100% here for it.

A year ago I read The Residence by this author and loved hearing about the first families. This book was just as wonderful although I feel she still jumps around too often. We can be on Michelle Obama for a paragraph and then we jump to Pat Nixon for 3 pages. There is no consistency with the length of the stories and yet I never felt confused or lost; to me, it just jumps too often. I learned a TON from reading this book that I never knew or realized. I always thought my favorite First Lady was Jackie Kennedy just because of the glamor and elegance she kept in the White House, however, I think I've fallen in love with the two Bush women Barbara and Laura. While each of the President's wives had their flaws as all people do (looking at you Nancy Reagan), it was amazing to see the comradery formed between each outgoing and incoming First Lady and to see them put aside their political beliefs to help each other. There needs to be more of this coming togetherness despite personal and political beliefs.

Good overview of the ten most recent first ladies (Jackie Kennedy to Michelle Obama) and their modernization of the position, their relationship with each other, their relationships with their husbands, and the legacies they have left.

I read the audio book and first I want to mention the narrator because so many of the reviewers disliked her. I do not agree with those reviewers. I liked Ms. White's conversational manner. I felt as though we were sitting over beverages sharing knowledge. It was a simple, quiet and intimate conversation about the first ladies. I loved it. One caveat: I listen (always) at 1.5 speed or faster so perhaps that helped.This book was a lovely introduction into a subject I knew little about and has inspired me to seek out more reading material about some of these women. I have always believed that our First Ladies are far more important and influential than most Americans want to believe. Policy is in my opinion always influenced by the families of the President because that is what families do with any human being. I loved learning a little more about these women who stood side by side with the most important men of the last 50 years. The book was a very easy read despite the fact that it advances and retreats through time. I enjoyed learning about how these women interacted with one another and with the staff of the White House. I liked seeing how they sometimes liked and respected each other and sometimes snubbed one another. It felt real and true to life because we all act similarly at various times of our lives.

Though politics evokes a great deal of anxiety in me, I am constantly listening to and reading about it as I find it endlessly fascinating. However, given my constant immersion in the topic and discussion of American Politics, it becomes easy to assume that those who are part of opposing parties or political beliefs are inherently antagonistic with and towards one another. This book provides a peek behind the veil and demonstrates that respect and even friendship can exist among those who politically oppose one another. I loved learning about the traditions, friendships, quarrels and life experiences and characteristics shared by these women. Such an interesting read that prompted me to re-think how I viewed the role of First Lady.

4.50. A great look at the "modern" first ladies starting with Jackie and moving straight through to Michelle. The book has a great flow of information often weaving one woman's legacy or experience with another first lady's experience. I enjoyed this very much.

I so enjoyed this! I didn’t know much about the First Ladies, so it was great to hear about their backstories and struggles, as well as their different experiences in the White House. It’s important to remember, regardless of political party, this women and their husbands are people. I couldn’t quite follow how Brower meant to structure this, but it kept my interest throughout. Def recommend!

I loved the personal stories. Each woman is complicated, and it really helped me to like certain ones even more.

Such a good and easy read about our first ladies from Jackie to Michelle; parts were like a trip back though my memories of our history. Bless these women. Regardless of what you think of their husbands, or the public persona of these women; you will gain a new respect for them and for the job of being 'first lady'. I did chuckle to myself when reading about Mrs. Clinton and her famous, "Stand by my man" quote. Hillary, you did stand by your man just like the Tammy Wynett song. All these ladies stood by their man, some like Nancy Reagan with more devotion than can still be imagined, but they did stick with them. Pat Nixon breaks your heart as does Jackie Kennedy and those terrible days in 1963. I think it will be interesting to see what Michelle does after she leaves the White House. She gave up a wonderful job, that she really enjoyed and was good at, for her husband's political agenda.Lady Bird Johnson's letters touched me the most; such a gracious lady. All of the older women, the ones I remember, were great letter writers and that's the beauty of the book; their letters to one another when a 'lady' needed encouragement or comfort. The young Kennedy children's letters are included too. I wonder if this type of a book will be possible in another 50 years because no one writes letters any longer? If you're a lover of history and want a quick read, this is your book.

A good continuation of her previous book The Residence. Maybe I just read them too closely together but there were a few too many repeated stories. Very enlightening never-the-less.