The hidden history of the White House Power struggles, scandals, and defining moments

It was christened the President's Palace and at various times was called the Executive Mansion or the People's House, but the White House is the name that stuck. Mead (The Lost Pilots, 2018) finds the edifice at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue holding a history deeper than a mere address conveys. The White House burned with much else in the capital in the War of 1812, was rebuilt and expanded, and in the mid-twentieth century was virtually gutted to prevent the building's total collapse. Mead shares what transpired within those walls, the heart of the building's history, focusing on people beyond presidents. Born into slavery, Dolly Johnson was named chef on Theodore Roosevelt's recommendation even before he moved into the White House. Alexander Butterfield installed the taping system that sealed Richard Nixon's resignation. Kate Warne uncovered a plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln before his inauguration. Ely Parker, himself a Native American, worked to bring peace to the frontier under U. S. Grant. The scope of Mead's narrative, told nonchronologically, will intrigue readers of all sorts.

An English professor tells stories about the people and events that shaped the White House as a home, symbol, and setting for significant historical events. For Mead, author of Angelic Music and The Lost Pilots, the White House is not just a national treasure but also a structure that has served as "the stage for some of the most dramatic scenes in American history." Inspired by the long-running podcast American History Tellers, the author examines this iconic dwelling from three different perspectives, each of which constitutes its own section. In the first, Mead focuses on the actual building, which was completed in 1800. First called the President's House and built largely by enslaved people, the White House was almost completely destroyed during the 1814 British siege of Washington. It was rebuilt during the remaining years of then-President James Madison's term by the original Irish-born architect, James Hoban, and it was renovated and expanded during the Truman administration. In the second section, Mead delves into the race-based struggles surrounding who could visit the White House. Among the author's many tales are those about Ulysses S. Grant's controversial appointment of Seneca Nation member Ely Parker to head the all-white Board of Indian Commissioners and Theodore Roosevelt's infamous dinner invitation to Black educator Booker T. Washington. The third section is an exploration of how the White House became emblematic of American superpower status and a setting for such historical turning points as Winston Churchill's post--Pearl Harbor visit to Franklin Roosevelt in 1941. This accessible, well-researched, and generously illustrated book will appeal not only to history buffs, but to anyone interested in the colorful stories--and characters--associated with America's most storied structure, which "stands as a living monument to the towering figures, hairbreadth moments of crisis, and euphoric triumphs that have defined our country." Page-turning, illuminating reading. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.