Review of "The First Ladies of the United States," by Nicola Gillies

Review of

The First Ladies of the United States, by Nicola Gillies ISBN 0760705429

Four out of five stars

 While this is an excellent primer on the lives of the wives of the presidents, generally referred to as First Ladies, the biographies are far too short to give the reader any significant information. There has been a wide variation in the roles that First Ladies have played down through the years, from being reclusive to active in advising their husbands. In the case of Eleanor Roosevelt, she was a political figure in her own right and for Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, the First Lady was very much a de facto president.

 The purpose of this book is to generate an interest to learn more about the roles that some of these very influential women played in the history of the United States. There are some interesting historical points, but too few to give more than just a hint of the role these women played.