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by Kate Andersen Brower (Author)
#1 New York Times Bestseller
"A revealing look at life inside the White House. . . it's Downton Abbey for the White House staff."-- The Today Show
A remarkable history with elements of both In the President's Secret Service and The Butler, The Residence offers an intimate account of the service staff of the White House, from the Kennedys to the Obamas.
America's First Families are unknowable in many ways. No one has insight into their true character like the people who serve their meals and make their beds every day. In her runaway bestseller, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower pulls back the curtain on the world's most famous address. Full of stories and details by turns dramatic, humorous, and heartwarming, The Residence reveals daily life in the White House as it is really lived through the voices of the maids, butlers, cooks, florists, doormen, engineers, and others who tend to the needs of the President and First Family.
These dedicated professionals maintain the six-floor mansion's 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases, and prepare everything from hors d'oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners. Over the course of the day, they gather in the lower level's basement kitchen to share stories, trade secrets, forge lifelong friendships, and sometimes even fall in love.
Combining incredible first-person anecdotes from extensive interviews with scores of White House staff members--many speaking for the first time--with archival research, Kate Andersen Brower tells their story. She reveals the intimacy between the First Family and the people who serve them, as well as tension that has shaken the staff over the decades. From the housekeeper and engineer who fell in love while serving President Reagan to Jackie Kennedy's private moment of grief with a beloved staffer after her husband's assassination to the tumultuous days surrounding President Nixon's resignation and President Clinton's impeachment battle, The Residence is full of surprising and moving details that illuminate day-to-day life at the White House.
Front Jacket
"Absolutely delicious."--Washington Post
From the mystique of the glamorous Kennedys to the tumult that surrounded Bill and Hillary Clinton during the president's impeachment to the historic tenure of Barack and Michelle Obama, each new administration brings a unique set of personalities to the White House--and a new set of challenges to the fiercely loyal and hardworking people who serve them: the White House residence staff.
In her runaway bestseller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower pulls back the curtain on the world's most famous address. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with butlers, maids, chefs, florists, doormen, and other staffers--as well as conversations with three former first ladies and the children of four presidents--Brower offers a group portrait of the dedicated professionals who orchestrate lavish state dinners; stand ready during meetings with foreign dignitaries; care for the president and first
lady's young children; and cater to every need the first couple may have, however sublime or, on occasion, ridiculous.
"Superbly reported. . . . A fascinating backstage account of the world's most famous residence."--Judy Woodruff, anchor, PBS NewsHour and former White House Correspondent for NBC News
--Chris Matthews, host, Hardball on MSNBCBack Jacket
"Absolutely delicious."--Washington Post
From the mystique of the glamorous Kennedys to the tumult that surrounded Bill and Hillary Clinton during the president's impeachment to the historic tenure of Barack and Michelle Obama, each new administration brings a unique set of personalities to the White House--and a new set of challenges to the fiercely loyal and hardworking people who serve them: the White House residence staff.
In her runaway bestseller The Residence, former White House correspondent Kate Andersen Brower pulls back the curtain on the world's most famous address. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews with butlers, maids, chefs, florists, doormen, and other staffers--as well as conversations with three former first ladies and the children of four presidents--Brower offers a group portrait of the dedicated professionals who orchestrate lavish state dinners; stand ready during meetings with foreign dignitaries; care for the president and first
lady's young children; and cater to every need the first couple may have, however sublime or, on occasion, ridiculous.
"Superbly reported. . . . A fascinating backstage account of the world's most famous residence."--Judy Woodruff, anchor, PBS NewsHour and former White House Correspondent for NBC News
