America's Royalty
Sanford Kanter,Sandra Quinn-Musgrove | 1995-08-30 00:00:00 | Greenwood | 320 | United States
A comprehensive work about the first families' children, this is the only book available that treats these privileged few at any depth. The reading is enjoyable, answering questions such as, "What happened to...?" and, "Did this president have any children?" The book also is informative, glimpsing the lives of a few who have been shoved into the limelight at a certain period and for generations to come. Historically, the work functions sometimes as a period piece, sometimes as a human interest piece, but it always serves to help bring to life our first families. Included (where possible and/or appropriate) are the vital statistics of birth, marriage, education, development, profession, and death. The book is a good read, but it also serves an historical function.
Reviews
Although informative for the first-time reader, it is a re-do of the earlier edition, adding only the most recent modern-day presidents. It still contains mistakes and is of poor research quality. Kermit Roosevelt committed suicide, a fact the authors could have easily found, instead of sticking with the "natural causes" explanation. Information is missing about the Coolidge son who died at Walter Reed, and its effect on the President. Too many children have the Cause of Death as "Unknown" when the facts are well known. Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. did not die of "Unknown" causes; he died of lung cancer. President Harding with his illegitimate child and his wife Florence with her known child, should have been included in a "Warren Harding" chapter, not relegated to a passing note in the "Childless Presidents" chapter...they weren't childless. The author's include the grandchildren of some presidents while ignoring others. Bibliographies are weak and out-of-date for most chapters. Why no pictures for all the presidential children and only for a few, when they are readily available in most cases. $100+ dollars is too pricey for this all-too-thinly researched presidential children's biography. Go read it at a library and then decide if it's worth buying.
Reviews
Appeals to the american history buff in all of us. Easy reading yet draws you in with little effort. I love it for its ability to tell the reader happened to the First Children after their father left office. It also allows one a glimpse of the President as a father rather than just a polititian. I recommend it to anyone.
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