Under This Roof
The White House and the Presidency--21 Presidents, 21 Rooms, 21 Inside Stories
by Paul Brandus
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Pub Date Sep 29 2015 | Archive Date Oct 09 2015
Rowman & Littlefield | Lyons Press
Description
“Like taking a tour of the White House with a gifted storyteller at your side!”
History leaps off the page in this “riveting,” “fast-moving” and “highly entertaining” book on the presidency and White House in Under This Roof, from award-winning White House-based journalist Paul Brandus. Reporting from the West Wing briefing room since 2008, Brandus—the most followed White House journalist on Twitter (@WestWingReport)—weaves together stories of the presidents, their families, the events of their time—and an oft-ignored major character, the White House itself.
From George Washington—who selected the winning design for the White House—to the current occupant, Barack Obama—the story of the White House is the story of America itself, Brandus writes. You’ll:
Through triumph and tragedy, boom and bust, secrets and scandals,Brandus takes you to the presidential bedroom, movie theater, Situation Room, Oval Office and more. Under This Roof is a “sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it. Paul Brandus captivates with surprising, gloriously raw observations.”
- Why, in the minutes before John F. Kennedy was murdered, was a blood-red carpet installed in the Oval Office?
- If Abraham Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom, where did he sleep?
- Why was one president nearly killed in the White House on inauguration day—and another secretly sworn in?
- What really happened in the Situation Room on September 11, 2001?
History leaps off the page in this “riveting,” “fast-moving” and “highly entertaining” book on the presidency and White House in Under This Roof, from award-winning White House-based journalist Paul Brandus. Reporting from the West Wing briefing room since 2008, Brandus—the most followed White House journalist on Twitter (@WestWingReport)—weaves together stories of the presidents, their families, the events of their time—and an oft-ignored major character, the White House itself.
From George Washington—who selected the winning design for the White House—to the current occupant, Barack Obama—the story of the White House is the story of America itself, Brandus writes. You’ll:
- Walk with John Adams through the still-unfinished mansion, and watch Thomas Jefferson plot to buy the Louisiana Territory
- Feel the fear and panic as British invaders approach the mansion in 1814—and Dolley Madison frantically saves a painting of Washington
- Gaze out the window with Abraham Lincoln as Confederate flags flutter in the breeze on the other side of the Potomac
- Be in the room as one president is secretly sworn in, and another gambles away the White House china in a card game
- Stand by the presidential bed as one First Lady—covering up her husband’s illness from the nation—secretly makes decisions on his behalf
- Learn how telephones, movies, radio, TV changed the presidency—and the nation itself
Through triumph and tragedy, boom and bust, secrets and scandals,Brandus takes you to the presidential bedroom, movie theater, Situation Room, Oval Office and more. Under This Roof is a “sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it. Paul Brandus captivates with surprising, gloriously raw observations.”
A Note From the Publisher
This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the book is published several months from now. Photos and diagrams, which may be included in the finished book, may not be included in this format. Uncorrected proofs are primarily useful so that you, the reader, might know months before actual publication what the author and publisher are offering. If you plan to quote the text in your review, you must check it with the publicist or against the final version. Please contact publicity@rowman.com with any questions. Thank you!
This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the book is published several months from now. Photos and diagrams, which may be included in the finished book, may not be included in this format. Uncorrected proofs are primarily useful so that you, the reader, might know months before actual publication what the author and publisher are offering. If you plan to quote the text in your review, you must check it with the publicist or against the final version. Please contact publicity@rowman.com with any questions. Thank you!
Advance Praise
“[A]
fast-moving and well-written history of the presidency…. Brandus is a
top-notch tour guide, filling his pages with vivid portraits of
presidents and their families at work and play.”
—Del Quentin Wilber,New York Times bestselling author of Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan
—
“[A]n engaging, endearing profile of the world’s most famous residence and the families who called the White House home…. I thought I knew just about everything interesting about the presidency—until I read his book!”
—Ron Fournier, senior columnist for the National Journal
—
“[I]nventive, smart and engaging.”
—Susan Page, Washington Bureau chief of USA Today
—
“[A] towering history . . . a riveting narrative.”
—David A. Andelman, Editor & Publisher, World Policy Journal; Columnist, USA Today; and author of Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today
—
“Quite simply, it’s a fascinating read.”
—Steve Scully, C-SPAN Networks
—
“This fascinating book is stuffed with secrets and little-known tales of presidential intrigue.”
—Larry J. Sabato, New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy
—
“Under This Roof is like taking a tour of the White House with a gifted storyteller at your side illuminating the most dramatic moments of American history…. Paul Brandus paints a vivid picture.”
—Christina Bellantoni, Editor-in-Chief, Roll Call.
—
“Paul Brandus brings wit and insight to vivid depictions of the forty-two men, their families, and staff members who have lived and worked at the ‘President’s House’ since 1800. Liberally sprinkled with anecdotes, Under This Roof is a great choice for anyone interested in American History and life in the White House.”
—Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian, HISTORY® and author of The American Plate
—
“Under this Roof sweeps us into a sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it. Paul Brandus captivates with surprising, gloriously raw observations.”
—Mark Santangelo, Chief Librarian and Archivist, The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington
—
“[A] terrifically fun, smart, and thoughtful exploration of the people who lived in the White House…. [A] must-read for anyone with curiosity about what happens within the White House’s historic walls.”
—Ben Frumin, Editor-in-Chief, TheWeek.com
—
“[A] meticulously researched, highly entertaining ‘if these walls could talk’ biography of the White House and its inhabitants from a writer who makes the reader feel he is there. On this brisk walk through American history, author Paul Brandus shows us the small moments that tell the American story.”
—Melinda Henneberger,Washington Post and Senior Writer for Bloomberg Politics
—Del Quentin Wilber,New York Times bestselling author of Rawhide Down: The Near Assassination of Ronald Reagan
—
“[A]n engaging, endearing profile of the world’s most famous residence and the families who called the White House home…. I thought I knew just about everything interesting about the presidency—until I read his book!”
—Ron Fournier, senior columnist for the National Journal
—
“[I]nventive, smart and engaging.”
—Susan Page, Washington Bureau chief of USA Today
—
“[A] towering history . . . a riveting narrative.”
—David A. Andelman, Editor & Publisher, World Policy Journal; Columnist, USA Today; and author of Shattered Peace: Versailles 1919 and the Price We Pay Today
—
“Quite simply, it’s a fascinating read.”
—Steve Scully, C-SPAN Networks
—
“This fascinating book is stuffed with secrets and little-known tales of presidential intrigue.”
—Larry J. Sabato, New York Times bestselling author of The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy
—
“Under This Roof is like taking a tour of the White House with a gifted storyteller at your side illuminating the most dramatic moments of American history…. Paul Brandus paints a vivid picture.”
—Christina Bellantoni, Editor-in-Chief, Roll Call.
—
“Paul Brandus brings wit and insight to vivid depictions of the forty-two men, their families, and staff members who have lived and worked at the ‘President’s House’ since 1800. Liberally sprinkled with anecdotes, Under This Roof is a great choice for anyone interested in American History and life in the White House.”
—Libby O’Connell, Chief Historian, HISTORY® and author of The American Plate
—
“Under this Roof sweeps us into a sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it. Paul Brandus captivates with surprising, gloriously raw observations.”
—Mark Santangelo, Chief Librarian and Archivist, The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington
—
“[A] terrifically fun, smart, and thoughtful exploration of the people who lived in the White House…. [A] must-read for anyone with curiosity about what happens within the White House’s historic walls.”
—Ben Frumin, Editor-in-Chief, TheWeek.com
—
“[A] meticulously researched, highly entertaining ‘if these walls could talk’ biography of the White House and its inhabitants from a writer who makes the reader feel he is there. On this brisk walk through American history, author Paul Brandus shows us the small moments that tell the American story.”
—Melinda Henneberger,Washington Post and Senior Writer for Bloomberg Politics
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781493008346 |
| PRICE | $25.95 (USD) |
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