All the Presidents' Children: Triumph and Tragedy in the Lives of America's First Families

Rating:
Summary: The presidential curse - in large print
Review: According to author Doug Wead, being the child of a president is a real negative factor towards childrens chances of success. This theme is pervasive though the stories of presidential children. The author rightfully points out the pressure on presidential children, even before our current media emphasis on the White House and its occupants.

But there seems to be a bit of historial snobbery in the thesis. That is to say, well into the 19th century, children were seen as little adults. The distance between presidents and their children was not merely a presidential "flaw." It was not uncommon for children to be sent to boarding schools and farmed out by parents. Child labor was not seen as a social evil. It was a different society and we should not impose our 20th century values on 18th and 19th century. Family life was different in certain sections of the society. Children were often raised by care givers rather than parents in certain levels of the society.

There is a great deal of valuable information relating to scions of presidents and some great points of trivia. The writing is straight forward and no frills. The stories prior to 1950 seem to be more comprehensive and readable perhaps because the subsequent children are still alive and it is impossible to put them into true historical context.

I read the large print edition of this work. Though this is not my usual medium, it is not the first large print that I ever read. However, the set up of the pages and the lack of an index made finding information difficult, unless you read the work like a novel. If looking for stories about specific person, there was no way to do it.

Appendix A, which is a chronological list of the presidential children was helpful in supplying basic information, but the chapter headings do not disclose the persons discussed.

The author did an admirable job. The printer of the large print edition did him a disservice.



Rating:
Summary: Presidents Look Different
Review: Books on presidents fascinate me and this one was totally different from any I had ever seen or heard of. The stories of the daughters were especially interesting.

Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive!
Review: For a history buff this is the best book I have read in years. There is detail here and nuance that one cannot find in most books of the presidents. I was especially struck by Alice Roosevelt, such a press favorite that the darkness behind her acid, witty tongue was obviously concealed by an adoring press. And George W. Bush, love him or hate him, is surely a fscinating figure in this account. I appreciated the appendix and the 50 pages of source notes.

Rating:
Summary: Unique View
Review: Here are some great tales from the lives of the first families. Gives one a view of these men from a totally different perspective. Considering that one of these children has been having his impact on world history in our times makes the study especially relevant. The Grant and Roosevelt children were poignant stories - interesting accounts that one will not ordinarily encounter in a study of history.

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Summary: biased history
Review: I looked forward with great excitement to receiving this book. I find American History very interesting, and was curious about the lives of Presidential children. I was very disappointed, however, by the subtle (and not so subtle) bias in the writing. Wead uses this platform to bash children of Democrats and praise children of Republicans. Statements along these lines are cheap shots, and totally unnecessary. To my view, this book actually does a disservice to Wead's bosses--the Bushes. The partisanship ruins what could have been a great book, and a wonderful addition to the real history of our nation.

Rating:
Summary: All The President's Children by Doug Wead
Review: Outstanding book! If only I had read this book when I was in school I would have had an interest in learning history rather than just memorizing it to pass the class. This book is facinating. I love our country & am extremely interested in the people & their families who made it great.
This book makes a great gift! It was very much appreciated. The content is excellent & the writing style can be enjoyed by all types of readers. You'll find that you can hardly put it down, but if you only have a few minutes to read -it has short sections that are perfect for that, too.
I know you will enjoy it as much as I have.

Rating:
Summary: Untold History
Review: The thing I liked about this book was that it covered the same ground, American History, but with stories and anecdotes that I had never heard before. I take that back. A few were familiar but they looked totally different from the veiwpoint of the family back home. John Adams is away arguing for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence but his wife is dealing with a housefull of kids with the flu. Kennedy is having a ball but Jackie is trying to navigate between teaching her children to respect their father and giving them a proper upbringing. All very, very fascinating.

Rating:
Summary: Story on Letty Tyler Rocks
Review: These are stories that you never see and they give you a whole different picture of life in the White House, seen through the eyes of the children. The life of Letty Tyler was amazing. The same young goldigger who stole the affections of her father ends up stealing the affections of her husband. Sizzle, sizzle.

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Summary: Doug Wead is a master storyteller in person and in print!
Review: This book is an impressive contribution to history and courageous leadership. I think it is well-organized and speaks from the heart and mind of one who has the political resources to share with the world. Doug is not only a great storyteller to see in person, but also in this book. I know that he will be at the Boulder Theater on May 14-15 at the Courage in Leadership Conference and Gala Event via www.mirrorsoflove.com/leadershipevent, and for anyone that wants to experience Doug, I wouldn't miss him at this Event. You just might get an autographed copy of his book!
Cheri Lutton, author of Mirrors of Love - In Acts of Courage, also available through amazon.

Rating:
Summary: Accurate, Loaded with info
Review: This is more than a history book, it is a psychology book as well. I saw it reviewed on the Today Show and was smitten by the topic. The stories of youthful rommance in the White House were pure entertainment and fascinating but the accounts of how high achieving parents raised their children - or hurt them, was instructive. This book is one to re-read. Incidentally, the dates and facts in this book are very accurate and help augment reference books in my library with the wrong dates. Thank God for the internet, we can go to the various presidential libraries to get the facts and this one lines up remarkably well.