Upstairs at the White House by J.B. West
I love learning about houses; whether it’s driving around town looking at neighborhoods, watching HGTV, touring famous houses, or pouring over pictures of houses. I’m also curious about how people live in their houses; from decorating styles to daily lifestyles. So when I came upon the audiobook, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West, during an Audible sale, my curiosity was piqued. I’ve often wondered how the Presidential family lives in the White House. Also, how do the families move in and out so quickly at inauguration times? This book satisfied all of my curiosities.
J.B. West worked at the White House for 28 years. For most of that time, he was in the role of Chief Usher and worked directly with the First Ladies. His career started with Roosevelt in office. Some of the highlights West wrote about included Eleanor’s projects, Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt’s death while in office. This tragic loss resulted in Vice-President Truman taking over the Presidency. This was also West’s first experience assisting with major renovations of the White House residence, which occurred every time a new family moved in. West shared about the attempted assassination of President Truman.
Eisenhower was the next presidential family to take over the White House. West’s observations of how each couple interacted differently were quite interesting. Truman and his wife were the first couple who insisted on sleeping in the same room. I learned how camp David got its name and that Truman was the one who changed it from it’s previous title.
The era of JFK’s family in the White House was fascinating! West recalled first meeting Jacqueline Kennedy during the transfer of residence with Mrs. Eisenhower. Caroline was a toddler and John, Jr. was born just before inauguration. Jacqueline seemed rather grandiose in her decorating style, preferences, and spending. I recognize that each family is going to make the home their own style and Congress has a specific budget for that purpose; however, for civil servants, it was surprising for the desire to live in luxury. West told interesting stories of elaborate entertaining when the Kennedy’s were in residence. One of Jacqueline’s contributions was to create a White House guidebook for visitors to purchase, in which she was the editor. For the first time, the White House took on a museum-like atmosphere. West relayed the pregnancy and subsequent death of their baby, Patrick. Shortly thereafter, JFK was assassinated. The funeral and moving out process were thoroughly described. I thought it was very touching that Mrs. Kennedy left JFK’s favorite Monet painting as a gift to the White House. It remains part of the White House Historical Association; you can see it here.
Next, Vice-President Johnson takes over the presidency. He seemed like an odd duck. He was super picky about the water pressure in his shower and demanded it be replaced countless times until it met his satisfaction. On the bright side, he liked to conserve electricity and didn’t want all of the lights left on in the house. According to West, Johnson was at times abusive to people he worked with and his wife. He could also be very thoughtful and express affection for others. Johnson and his wife had two teenage daughters living in the White House. The first White House wedding took place in over 50 years.
Lastly, the book closes with Nixon moving into office. West retired shortly after the inauguration with 30 years government service.
Upstairs at the White House is an interesting, historical book on the lives of presidential families. It satisfied my curiosities about how families live in such an unusual place and time of their lives.
The audiobook is narrated by Eric Jason Martin. It took me a few minutes to get used to his voice; initially it seemed stiff. I soon realized that a stiff tone of voice fits a book about service in the White House perfectly.
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