Ladies of Liberty audiobook

Women in history, especially American history, are often overlooked. Cokie Roberts seeks to right that wrong by giving us an inside look at the women who mattered in revolutionary America: how they affected powerful men and, hence, public policy, as well as the contributions and sacrifices they made to allow the great men of America to be great men. For instance, conventional history tends to treat Louisa Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams, as a weak, unhappy woman. But one only has to read the account of how she moved her entire household from Russia to Paris without her husband's help and during a time of impending war to realize how strong, capable and courageous she really was. I also very much enjoyed Cokie Roberts' writing style: factual and easy to read, with a hint of humor. She wrote as a modern woman giving a modern take on the antiquated assumptions of a time long past. Although this is a sequel, I read it before Roberts' first book, Founding Mothers. I am anxious to go back and read the first one.

What history book tends to comment on what Mrs. M wore or how Mrs. Adams decorated her home for a ball honoring her husband's political opponent? This one does! Even better, through quotations of personal correspondence written by, to, or about a woman, we peek into the minds and hearts of America's leading families of the first quarter of the nineteenth century. I'd never known of Louisa Catherine Adams's harrowing adventure as she and her small son traveled from St. Petersburg to Paris (in a Russian carriage, no less) in the midst of the turmoil surrounding Napoleon's escape from Elba and return to power. Sure, her husband had just brokered an end to the War of 1812 in Ghent, but what an accomplishment in her own right! The words of Rosalie Stier Calvert, one of few female staunch federalists, Dolley Madison, of course, Margaret Bayard Smith, Theodosia Burr, Bestey Patterson Bonaparte (I loved the contemporary descriptions of her skimpy party gowns and the sensation she caused in society), and countless other women of the times reveal the moving, breathing side of history that enlives the traditional historical narrative. You read of miscarriages, infant deaths, competitive drawing room receptions, and fierce loyalty to husbands, political ideals, and the future of America. Roberts also highlights the pioneers of female enducation and of social services to widows and orphans. No matter how liberated and enlightened women might feel we are today, women then, in their sphere of influence, were just as engaged in taking advantage of and shaping the processes that make our country great.

wowCokie Robert's reading of her own book is one of the best audio production i've listened to. She make late 1700s -early 1800s U.S. history gossipy and bitchy, she knows Washington, she knows these women, there are asides in the reading, you see her raise her eyebrows as she tells us what went on.i suspect the present political campaign, whatever election year it is, will be said to be the worst and in the Old Days it was never as bad as it is now. The president has brought his daughters to whore them out for votes (Jefferson), the front runner for the presidency is whoring his wife for votes (James Madison). Nothing like saving George Washington's portrait while the White House is under the torch to restore your reputation. The Dolly Madison of children's books wasn't the Dolly Madison the press reported on.Another lesson, don't get ill or come down w/cancer in 1800, i about broke down while Robert's read about the woman w/breast cancer.The story of the congressmens donation to the orphan asylum sounded like we were sitting on Cokie Robert's porch, drinking sweet tea and she was telling us a story.

Focusing on the letters written by the first-ladies and other prominent women of post-Revolutionary United States, this was a fascinating inside look at the thoughts and actions of the influential women whose lives were most entwined with politics between 1797-1825. The most interesting to me was Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams, wife of John Quincy Adams.Roberts did an excellent job of combining the history and politics of the times with the background and personalities of the women. Now I would like to read her other books about women in American History – We Are Our Mothers' Daughters and Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.

I loved this book and it's unique portrayal of political events post-Revolutionary War through the war of 1812 via the eyes of the prominant women of the time. Roberts quotes extensively from the women who wrote about current events and I was captivated. There's nothing like reading Louisa and John Quincy Adam's letters to each other to feel how real these people were and to get a sense of what it was like to live during those times. It was what I love most about history: a feeling of being connected with real people that lived through historic times. Dolley Madison is now on my list of top ten people I hope to meet someday. The book is literally filled, page after page, with vibrant, strong and articulate women whose influence was undeniably great even during times when they weren't officially allowed a political voice. This book is a sequel (I discovered that after I checked it out) and I will gladly put the first (Founding Mothers) on hold next.

I picked this book because I'm teaching a class on American women--you know, the wild and the wicked--and found it fascinating. The follow up book to Founding Mothers, this volume deals with the stories of American women from the Revolution to the disputed election of 1824 and the "corrupt bargain" that brought John Quincy Adams to the White House. The tone is gossipy rather than scholarly, which made for fun reading, and Roberts relies heavily on the letters written to and by the ladies highlighted in this volume. Thank goodness for the letter writers. They traded news, gossip, observations, etc. about the personalities and the issues of the day. Fascinating insights into Abigail Adams, Louisa Adams, Dolley Madison, Martha Washington, and countless others.

This book was worth every minute it took for me to finish it. The history of these Constitutional women was amazing. An extremely well researched book. The details were very challenging to keep straight, but I feel so much more educated for having read this book. I loved this book so much I asked for the hard copy as part of my own library, and received it from my daughter Jennifer for Mother's Day. I plan to also read Founding Mothers, also, by Cokie Roberts. If history is your thing this book is so worth it. If not, you will tire and get bored quickly. Hopefully, it is required reading for college history majors and those studying influencial American women.

Cokie Roberts has been one of my favorite journalists for a long time now and her writings about the women of early America shows her at her best. She has clearly done extensive research to prepare this book and most of the sources are primary. She quotes letters and journals of the women commenting on a wide-ranging set of topics. One minute the women are discussing the politics of the day and the next disparaging the dress worn by a certain lady to a ball. It's all quite enjoyable. It has made me want to pursue other books about these women. And as Ms. Roberts narrates her own book, it was a real treat.

This book provides a fascinating window into the lives of upper class women living in the United States shortly after its inception. Roberts' use of primary source material in the form of the women's letters renders the book particularly insightful. The only aspect of the book which disappoints is Roberts' writing style - she is overly colloquial in places and prone to using trite exclamations of sentiment that are wholly unnecessary. However, this is only a small detractor from this otherwise engaging read.

It is bewildering to me that Goodreads treats the picture book version as the main entry for the title. The picture book and the actual book are quite different. The book covers the period between the first Adams presidency and the end of the Monroe presidency. It's told from the point of view of women. It's extremely well-researched and written. The primary characters are the first ladies of the time, but she includes Sacajawea, Rosalie Calvert, Mother Seaton, the founders of orphanages, and others. If you interested in the relationships and history of the time, you'll find it fascinating.

I loved this in depth look at women in history who so often get glossed over. I felt like I was there and I cried with them at their losses which were many!