First Mothers: The Women Who Shaped the Presidents

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Writing, Captivating Reading
Review: "First Mothers" is for mothers, sons, fathers, daughters, and anyone else who is intersted in good history written by a first-rate journalist (Bonnie Angelo) without equal. But "First Mothers" is more than just a good story. It is a fascinating insight into family dynamics and psychology. Whoever is reading the book immediately places himself or herself in the corresponding position in the book. We become mother, son, daughter or father. The writer subtly draws us into the action without our knowing it. It also becomes a "how to" book without our being aware of it. We learn what it takes to form a child to be great--even though there are many ways. You uncles and aunts, take notice too! The book is so enjoyable that one is not aware of how much skill has gone into the concept and its execution. This unbelabored work of hard labor is one of the true marks of genius, and it manifests itself from time to time in literature and history. "First Mothers" is surely both. I have given it to all my friends, and I highly recommend it!

Rating:
Summary: Slavish Claptrap
Review: A typical "project" from someone who has written for the likes of Time magazine to scintillate a plebian readership with "interesting" tidbits. Her account of Sara Delano Roosevelt is laden with errors. She was not of "old Hudson River aristocracy". Her father Warren Delano was from Massachusetts, as was her mother Catherine Lyman. They built their estate at Algonac, near Newburgh NY, after Warren Delano made his fortune trafficking opium into China. Sara was an elitist snob who never worked a day in her life. AS Eleanor Roosevelt said of her: she was prejudiced against anyone who wasn't of the social elite her family aspired to. Indeed, her father lost much of his fortune during the Panic of 1857 and had to return to China one more time to make a second fortune in the 19th century drug trade.

Rating:
Summary: Well-researched, fascinating read!
Review: FDR was an incurable mama's boy? Truman's mom was an independent upstart with vision ahead of her time? Who knew?? What attracted me to this book was its tremendous amount of well-researched, detailed historic information that I've not seen published anywhere else. So many books have been written about past leaders, but so little has been written about the women who influenced these men so greatly during their formative years. It really gives a whole new perspective on how our former Presidents developed their value systems and their way of thinking that ultimately led them to success.

Rating:
Summary: Easy and informative read
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. An easy read with tons of anecdotes and facts that made the presidents and their families come alive.

Rating:
Summary: Understanding Our Roots, and Our Mothers
Review: Imagine if the public throughout history had been privileged to read books and concepts like this one. We might have had entirely different Presidents than we had, or we might have had a much better understanding of the kind of President we were getting. Barbara Bush has been around for some time, and most know both her influence, and her ability to put people at ease with her common sense and her style. We've yet to hear anything about the mothers of the current candidates in 2004, but who would not remember Lillian Carter, feisty as she was, a no nonsense strict disciplinarian if my memory serves me correctly, but endearing, and honored by her son, the President. One of the most powerful mothers of all was Bill Clinton's mother, and when I read her story I wept, not only for her, but for her family, and in part, for me, and for all of the women I'd known who had to march forward in life in less than ideal circumstances. Hers were pretty bad, but they sounded more familiar than not, unfortunately, as I'm sure they did to many others. I had never read a more powerful personal reflection and about such deeply troubling topics. Their familiarity continues to move me whenever I think about it. With all of our rhetoric about how we claim to be opposed to domestic violence, physical, emotional and verbal, we've done little to the vast need that actually exists. She may have been the first that I'm aware of in my lifetime to be so candid, and be connected to so powerful a person as a President of the United States. Surely, that is a major step forward for America, and one hopefully not lost on American women, even if it is usually on American men. Because we prefer our heroes complete with shining armor and white horse, we are not prepared for the knowledge that they had endured some of the common problems that affect so many families. The revelation was striking, and provides an extraordinary backdrop to understanding her son, the President, and perhaps a little of his administration despite their obvious gender differences. Men are often measured by their fathers as the "chips off the old block," as Dad's are inclined to view them, but in fact, most have far more affinity with their mothers to whom they have been the most intimate and honest. It is the reason that Barbara Bush can look at her son, and wonder if he would make a good President, as she did once, and why Lillian was not about to become lax with her son. The high expectations that mothers have of their sons as adults is far higher than their fathers do, and sons nearly always feel the pressure of that concern, as well as the love that accompanies it. Fathers have high expectations of their sons as youngsters, generally, to prepared them for that task, but it is usually the mothers who scrutinize and measure their progress the most intensely. Any book that attempts to define the relationship of Presidents and their sons, or even any prominent sons, and their mothers is well worth the effort and the expense for understanding how those gentlemen are able to rise to meet those expectations, and the struggles to get there. This is true family entertainment, and among the most worthwhile available for family values, and perhaps, for family progress.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't get my vote.
Review: Predictable. This book only made me turn the pages because I was hoping to find some golden nugget of information that would truly link the Presidents. It was not to be found.

Rating:
Summary: Doesn't get my vote.
Review: Predictable. This book only made me turn the pages because I was hoping to find some golden nugget of information that would truly link the Presidents. It was not to be found.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting and hard to put down!
Review: Starting with Sara Delano Roosevelt and ending with Barbara Bush, this book gives of biographies of the mothers that shaped the lives of the US Presidents. All strong women who helped their sons achieve their goals, it's amazing to see how alike all of these mothers and sons were/are. And, we learn many things about these women that make them truly women ahead of their time. An excellent book on a long-neglected subject!

Rating:
Summary: A terrific read
Review: This book was so much fun to read. It presents some heretofore unknown insights into the lives of presidents from FDR through Clinton. It specifically focuses on the mother-son relationships and it is full of surprises. It presents a total picture of the early years of these men and how many similarities there are within their family relationships. Fascinating! George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had poor relationships with their mothers! They were exceptions to the close, favored son duos of most of the presidents in the book. A page turner. Well written. I was sorry to see it end.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant Concept
Review: This is a great read for anyone even casually interested in American politics. I wish only that there were more photos!