SCHOLARLY BOOKS & STUDIES

ON THE FIRST LADIES

 

Scholarly Books

• Alice E. Anderson, Behind Every Successful President: The Hidden Power and Influence of America's First Ladies
• Carl Sferrazza Anthony, First Ladies: The Saga of the Presidents' Wives and their Power , 1990 & 1991
• Paul F. Boller, Jr., Presidential Wives: An Anecdotal History , 1988
• Betty Boyd Caroli, The First Ladies , 1987
• Myra Gutin, The President's Partner: The First Lady in the Twentieth Century , 1989
• Donna Dixon Healy, America's First Ladies: Private Lives of the Presidential Wives , 1988
• Peter Hay, All the President's Ladies: Anecdotes of the Women Behind the Men , 1988
• Laura Holloway, Ladies of the White House; or, in the Home of the President
• Edith P. Mayo, First Ladies: Political Role and Public Image
• Edith P. Mayo, The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies
• Marianne Means, Woman in the White House: The Lives, Times and Influences of Twelve Notable First Ladies
• Mary Ormsbee Whitton, First First Ladies, 1789-1865: A Study of the Wives of the Early Presidents
• James S. Rosebush, First Lady, Public Wife: A Behind-the-Scenes History of the Evolving Role of First Ladies in American Political Life , 1987
• Gil Troy, Affairs of State: The Rise and Rejection of the Presidential Couple Since World War II (reprint: Mr. and Mrs. President: From the Trumans to the Clintons )
• Margaret Truman, First Ladies: An Intimate Portrait of the White House Wives
• Robert P. Watson, The Presidents' Wives: Reassessing the Office of First Lady , 2000
• Robert P. Watson and Anthony J. Eksterowicz, eds., The Presidential Companion, Readings on the First Ladies, 2003 (2 nd ed., 2006)
• Molly Maijer Wertheimer, ed., Inventing a Voice: The Rhetoric of American First Ladies of the Twentieth Century , 2003

 

Reference Works

• Margaret Klapthor, The First Ladies
• Lewis L. Gould, ed., American First Ladies: Their Lives and Legacy , 1996
• Robert P. Watson, First Ladies of the United States , 2001
• Robert P. Watson, ed., American First Ladies , 2002 (encyclopedia; reprinted 2006)

 

Biographies

• See "The Presidential Wives Series," edited by Robert P. Watson for Nova Science Publishers (20-book series). The project is ongoing, but several books are already in print:

1. Paul M. Zall, Dolley Madison
2. Barbara Bennett Peterson, Sarah Childress Polk: First Lady of Tennessee and
3. Washington
4. Jean Choate, Eliza Johnson: Unknown First Lady
5. John Shaw, Lucretia
6. Stephen F. Robar, Frances Clara Folsom Cleveland
7. Tom Lansford, A "Bully" First Lady: Edith Kermit Roosevelt
8. James S. McCallops, Edith Bolling Galt Wilson: The Unintended President
9. Dale C. Mayer, Lou Henry Hoover: A Prototype for First Ladies
10. Mohammed B. Alam, Jackie Kennedy: Images and Reality
11. Jeffrey S. Ashley, Betty Ford: A Symbol of Strength
12. Pierre-Marie Loizeau, Nancy Reagan: The Woman Behind the Man

• See "The Modern First Ladies Series," edited by Lewis L. Gould for the University Press of Kansas. The project is ongoing, but Gould's book on Lady Bird Johnson is already out in print.
• See "First Ladies" section for a bio on every first lady and a listing of biographies on each first lady

 

Studies of the First Families

• Carl Sferrazza Anthony, America's First Families: An Inside View of 200 Years of Private Life in the White House
• Harry Benson, First Families: An Intimate Portrait from the Kennedys to the Clintons
• Hugh Brogan, American Presidential Families
• Robert P. Watson, ed., Life in the White House: A Social History of the First Family and President's House , 2004
• John Whitcomb and Claire Whitcomb, Real Life at the White House: 200 Years of Daily Life at America's Most Famous Residence