Houses of the Presidents: Childhood Homes, Family Dwellings, Private Escapes, and Grand Estates
Description
Houses of the Presidents offers a unique tour of the houses and day-to-day lives of America's presidents, from George Washington's time to the present. Author Hugh Howard weaves together personal, presidential, and architectural histories to shed light on the way our chief executives lived. Original photography by Roger Straus III brings the houses and furnishings beautifully to life.
From Jefferson's Monticello to Reagan's Rancho del Cielo, with fascinating and surprising stops between and beyond, Houses of the Presidents presents a fascinating alternative history of the American presidency.
Praise for Houses of the Presidents: Childhood Homes, Family Dwellings, Private Escapes, and Grand Estates
"With gorgeous photos and a rich, fascinating text . . . HOUSES OF THE PRESIDENTS is the gift book that will grab everyone on your list, from your history-buff grandfather to your real-estate-obsessed sister. . . . The photographs are highly evocative, with a strong sense of place. The text encompasses architectural history, family stories and presidential lore. . . . A visual treat and an entertaining and informative read."—More Magazine
Among the book's pleasures is the way it delivers American history in manageable bites. If you had to point to one thing that distinguishes the homes of American presidents from those of ordinary mortals, ultimately it wouldn't be the wallpaper or the plumbing, but the way history inhabits the walls.—The Wall Street Journal
"The White House is just a place to live for a few years; the places in this book are homes. A marvelous volume for the whole family to enjoy."—-Louisville Courier-Journal
"Author Hugh Howard uses the houses as a device to relate the stories of the presidents and the forces that shaped them. . . . Photos by Roger Straus III let us see how the presidents lived."—-Akron Beacon Journal
"It's easy to be cynical after a bruising election, but this patriotic homage to the lodgings of our nation's leaders - many of them humble - will give you a frisson of pride."—-- USA Today
Presidential houses tell us much about those who lived in them. Some, like Jefferson's Monticello, tell how these men shaped their places. Others, like Washington's Mount Vernon and FDR's Springwood at Hyde Park, tell how they were shaped by them. And still others, like Madison's Montpelier and Lincoln's Cottage, tell how the ideas they propagated there shaped the nation. These stories and more are all here in this wonderfully written and beautifully photographed book by Hugh Howard and Roger Straus III. It is certain to remain the definitive work on this fascinating subject for many years to come."
—Richard Moe, president emeritus, National Trustfor Historic Preservation
"Houses of the Presidents is a marvelous contribution to American history. Meticulously preserved childhood and family homes-from the humble to the most majestic-are included in this brilliantly illustrated book. No home should be without it!" —Douglas Brinkley, Professor of History, Rice University, and Fellow, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy
You can tell a lot about a man from his home--his self-image, his struggles and his dreams, his roots and his destiny. Anyone curious about America's presidents will want to linger while Hugh Howard takes us on a tour of their houses. This is a beautiful and revealing book, at once intimate and grand. —Evan Thomas, author of Ike's Bluff: President Eisenhower's Secret Battle to Save the World
Houses of the Presidents is a visual and intellectual treat for anyone interested in presidential biography. The presidential residences pictured here speak volumes about the lives and times of these men. This is a piece of Americana that should grace everyone's personal library.—Robert Dallek, author of An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963