DC Washington Books

Upstairs at the White House

I am enchanted by the stories of the first families that occupied the White House and how they made their own homes and contributions within the walls. The interaction of history and history in the making is what makes a place like the White House unique. This book included many new to me stories, as well as some excellent photos and illustrations. Highly recommend.

This lovely book, published at the time of the 200th anniversary of the occupation of the White House, consists of a compilation of essays written by a panel of distinguished writer-historians. It contains over 100 illustrations, including the earliest photos, taken in the 1840s.

The introduction, entitled "Like No Other House" says it all!The White House is unique: a "private" family home, the hub of our government, a tourist attraction, and a place of ceremony. It has been the scene of some of history's most important events and some of history's most important figures have stayed under its roof.

The White House has survived: from the burning by the British only 14 years after John and Abigail Adams moved in through many periods of neglect and mismanagement.

The book focuses more on personalities than on politics, especially the First ladies, who are given great credit by many of the essayists.

Beginning with John and Abigail Adams' short residency, the first essay follows Abigail on her long journey from Massachusetts to the "marshlands of the Potomac", where she found a barely furnished house with no wood to heat it, an unfinished staircase, and plaster walls that were still damp.

Dolley Madison managed to combine simplicity with high style with the help of architect Benjamin Latrobe. The Madison's tenure was cut short when the British burned the Executive Mansion, as it was called, in 1814.

The house was rebuilt as a national symbol, but by the time the Lincolns moved in over 100 years later, it was a shabby place. The once-elegant public rooms had threadbare rugs, dirty upholstery, faded draperies, and few amenities. Mary Lincoln immediately took upon herself the transformation of the President's house, traveling to New York and Philadelphia during wartime to look for rugs, wallpaper, china, and crystal and having much of the furniture restored. Despite her efforts, during public events, people actually cut off pieces of the wallpaper, rugs, and curtains for souvenirs.

Theodore Roosevelt "remade the presidency and reinvented the White House and his models for both have lasted a century" according to the essayist who wrote the section about him. He changed the name from the Executive Mansion to the White House and added the West Wing for executive offices. Unfortunately, the renovation was finished too fast and was mainly cosmetic. Only 50 years later, a massive structural rebuilding had to be undertaken.

I learned much more about those who have occupied the White House, but will control myself and not go into any more of that here! Believe me, this is a book that you will learn from, even if you think you know American history fairly well.

These Zagat guides are just great, and this one is no exception. They are pithy, witty, and above all useful. I don't go out without consulting them.

This is an indispensible reference guide for dining in the Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis areas. It is easy to understand and navigate with reviews of most restaurants in terms of food, decor/ambiance, price etc. The reviews are right on for the restaurants I have tried. Also very handy are the crossreferences for many categories such as brunch, parking, late night dining etc. Probably the best feature is another index listing the "best" restaurants for various occasions as identified by readers.

Highly recommended, I get a new one every year.

What a marvelous book to have. Not many of us have the opportunity to see the wonderful collections that were displayed in the gardens of the White House during the Clinton years. This is the one way we can see them! Beautifully pictured with full color photos and great descriptions! A lovely book to have as an historic record of what Scuplture in America was like in the 20th-Century! You may or may not like the Sculptures that were shown - but this book has them all!

I recently purchased this book because my family was going on a trip to Washington, DC. What an asset this book became to my family. First the children would recognize monuments and shout out what Arlo thought they were, to my astonishment then they would say the real name of the monument. They laughed so hard at seeing how Arlo thought what certain monuments looked like. It soon became a game of I spy in the eyes of Arlo. I hope Arlo has a new book for our next vacation.

The American Library of Congress holds over 110 million items - many of them unique and priceless - and this charts the history of the Library and its holdings, from its initial 740-book collection begun in 1800 to its miles of bookshelves today. Vintage photos and illustrations pack a presentation which is a 'must' for any who would understand American book history.

Between Justice & Beauty: Race, Planning, And The Failure Of Urban Policy In Washington, D.C. by Howard Gillette Jr. (Professor Of History Rutgers University) examines how, as the only American city directly under congressional control, Washington D.C. has historically been used to test federal policy initiatives and social experiments. Some results have been positive; many have not, and the best of intentions striving to bring social justice to the largely black populace have failed. A large federal presence has been created, but to what ends? Gillette claims that this bloated and all-too-often ineffective federal presence is a triumph of beauty of justice, and searches for a more effective means to bring help to the city dwellers who need revitalization the most. A scholarly, well-researched treatise, sparsely illustrated with black-and-white photographs, Between Justice & Beauty attacks longstanding social problems head-on in search of solutions.

This book inspired and excited me about visiting and more fully understanding places near Washington D.C. that are off the beaten path. It is unlike any other travel guide I've seen in that it suggests several specific "ways to" (as opposed to "how to") travel and learn about the places that are covered. Now I want to take others along to share the discovery possible in these under-exposed places. This book gave me a much deeper sense of this area. The content makes me think differently about the places I've seen before and want to go back with a larger perspective.

I was raised in Washington, DC so this book is particularly close to my heart. It chronicles more than 300 years of black history in the nation's capital. From stories about slavery to the March on Washington, DC has a strong and varied African American history. It is arranged chronologically, with interesting tidbits and mini profiles on the sides. The pictures alone tell a wonderful story. A great addition to any history buff's shelf!

This is _the_ guidebook if you want to delve deeply into the City's history. It is chock full of interesting tidbits and historical information that bring the city alive. This is _not_ the guidebook for you if you are looking for the most updated information on museum hours and the like, if you are planning a quick trip the D.C. and want to hit just the main attractions, or if you need detailed maps (and metro information) for getting around the city. In other words, this book will satisfy your desire to really experience and get to know D.C. but it is not the best book to flip through when you suddenly realize that you are lost and need to figure out where to go. For better maps and more succinct descriptions of sites and restaurants, seek out Access Washington, D.C. by Richard Saul Wurman.

This is a book that belongs on the coffee table of every thinking person living in or interested in the city of Washington. A masterfully researched history, it shows how the city's designers set out to capture the essence of America: a respect for tradition combined with the prospects of a limitless future. Streets laid out in a conventional grid represent the former, while diagonal avenues radiating outward, seemingly to the horizon, represent the latter.

Mistakenly, I had always thought that Washington's design was the brainchild of Peter Charles L'Enfant alone, but this fascinating history graphically illustrates how it evolved over the next century, influenced by the thoughts and writings of Henry Adams, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman, among others. Nor has that evolution ended. A growing Metro that stitches the city into its surroundings, and an ever-expanding Mall that honors our cultural diversity and the many who died to defend our liberties, stand as a welcome counterpoint to the political squabblings that dominate the daily headlines. Washington's architecture captures the spirit of America, and Dr. Luria's perceptive history brilliantly chronicles its evolution.