From Amazon.com
Dolley Madison is Hillary Rodham Clinton's favorite first lady. "She cared about the welfare of children," Ms. Clinton writes in the introduction, "spoke her mind about things, and in her infinite wisdom saved priceless documents and art treasures from the onslaught of British troops who destroyed the White House during the War of 1812." Young readers will learn about Madison's life and the lives of 42 other remarkable women, through easy-to-read text and many illustrations and photographs. They will also learn the answers to some important questions about women in American history: Did the American Revolution change things for women? Why isn't there more information about women's lives? What was "woman suffrage"? Why was it hard (until the 20th century) for women to get an education?
The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies shows that these women are a lot more than just the wives to the presidents.
From Publishers Weekly
With a foreword by Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies: Their Lives, Times, and Issues, edited by Edith P. Mayo, presents highlights from the lives of all 43 First Ladies, including the strict Sarah Polk, who allowed no dancing in the White House, to Lucy Hays, who held firm in her belief that even Presidential wives should not try to influence their husbands' politics. This handsome, well-researched volume includes 127 photographs and paintings, as well as 11 entries on such related subjects as "Where Does the Term 'First Lady' Come From?" and "How Have First Ladies Contributed to Campaigning?" (Holt, $24.95 ISBN 0-8050-1751-8, Mar.)
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
