The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House

Kate Andersen Brower was attending lunch at the White House when, after noticing the "obvious rapport" between the First Lady and one of the butlers, decided to write a book about the White House residence staff and their experiences. Thus was born The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House.

Although Brower has taken a bit of flak, to say nothing of those who spoke with her, The Residence is far from a juicy, tell-all. For the most part, the recollections focus on the very personal experiences of the staff, from learning of the death of JFK, to experiencing Nixon's resignation. With the exception of one or two Lewinsky-related stories, virtually all of the stories that cast a president or first lady in the least negative light pertain to the dearly departed. Lyndon Johnson, who drove the staff nuts with his very particular (and peculiar) plumbing demands, comes off the least well of the presidents, although his wife, Lady Bird, seems to have been especially beloved. In comparison, Ronald Reagan was deeply admired by the staff, while Nancy seems to have been the most difficult of first ladies. The favorites, though, clearly were the elder Bushes.

What The Residence offers as much as anything is glimpse of American history. Kennedy's assassination, Nixon's resignation, Clinton's impeachment, 9/11: for better or for worse (mostly worse!) these are all seminal moments in the history of the American presidency and in the country's history. Brower is offering readers a unique perspective on all of these events, as well as many smaller moments that influenced or were influenced by these. At no point did I feel she or her sources lacked the appropriate respect for the presidency or first family. She has captured stories that would have otherwise disappeared, and provides a bit of history about the physical structure itself (which makes for an interesting comparison to the details presented in Empire of Mud).

Anyone with an interest in 20th century American history should enjoy this. Although it can fairly be called a "serious book," it's also light enough to read at the beach.