Thanksgiving in the White House


Book Description

President Abraham Lincoln's youngest son, Tad, is very fond of Jack the turkey. He has tamed him and taught him tricks, and the bird follows him all around the White House yard. But Jack was meant to be the main dish of the first official Thanksgiving celebration. Tad doesn't want his pet to be eaten for dinner, not even for a day as special as Thanksgiving! Can he convince his father to save Jack's life?




Thanksgiving


Book Description

We all know the story of Thanksgiving. Or do we? This uniquely American holiday has a rich and little known history beyond the famous feast of 1621. In Thanksgiving, award-winning author Melanie Kirkpatrick journeys through four centuries of history, giving us a vivid portrait of our nation's best-loved holiday. Drawing on newspaper accounts, private correspondence, historical documents, and cookbooks, Thanksgiving brings to life the full history of the holiday and what it has meant to generations of Americans. Many famous figures walk these pages—Washington, who proclaimed our first Thanksgiving as a nation amid controversy about his Constitutional power to do so; Lincoln, who wanted to heal a divided nation sick of war when he called for all Americans—North and South—to mark a Thanksgiving Day; FDR, who set off a debate on state's rights when he changed the traditional date of Thanksgiving. Ordinary Americans also play key roles in the Thanksgiving story—the New England Indians who boycott Thanksgiving as a Day of Mourning; Sarah Josepha Hale, the nineteenth-century editor and feminist who successfully campaigned for Thanksgiving to be a national holiday; the 92nd Street Y in New York City, which founded Giving Tuesday, an online charity established in the long tradition of Thanksgiving generosity. Kirkpatrick also examines the history of Thanksgiving football and, of course, Thanksgiving dinner. While the rites and rituals of the holiday have evolved over the centuries, its essence remains the same: family and friends feasting together in a spirit of gratitude to God, neighborliness, and hospitality. Thanksgiving is Americans' oldest tradition. Kirkpatrick's enlightening exploration offers a fascinating look at the meaning of the holiday that we gather together to celebrate on the fourth Thursday of November. With Readings for Thanksgiving Day designed to be read aloud around the table.




Thanksgiving Day at Our House


Book Description

A collection of poems about one family's activities on Thanksgiving Day, including pondering the history behind the holiday, welcoming relatives, enjoying the good food, and giving thanks at the end of the day. Full color.




Upstairs at the White House


Book Description

In this New York Times bestseller, the White House chief usher for nearly three decades offers a behind-the-scenes look at America’s first families. J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state. J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called “one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met,” provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt’s fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy’s tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.




The White House in Gingerbread


Book Description

Pocket inside back cover includes of the White House gingerbread template.




President Lincoln


Book Description

From a small log cabin in Kentucky to the frontier of Indiana to the steps of the White House, Abraham Lincoln rose from humble beginnings to become the sixteenth president of the United States.




Thanks, Obama


Book Description

“Litt is a funny and skillful storyteller… While the first half of the book is enjoyable, the second half is masterly, rising to a crescendo that is as rousing as, well, a particularly inspiring campaign speech.” — New York Times Book Review “Graceful, instructive, wry speechwriter memoirs like Litt’s are the exception rather than the norm. . . . Thanks, Obama will join the ranks of lasting works about the texture of political life, and of coming-of-age accounts by staffers who grow up personally and politically at the same time.” — The Atlantic “His time [in the White House] was as ‘hopey changey’ as advertised—with a little bit of absurdity and humor added into the mix.” — Elle, Best of the Month “Serve[s] as a more devastating indictment of the current administration than a campaign-style book ever could . . . limber, funny and illuminating.” — New Republic “Highly entertaining . . . much more than a scrapbook of Beltway gossip and Obama idolatry.” — Pacific Standard “Irresistibly charming . . . Litt minted his star converting world affairs into jokes. The translation of satire back to sincerity is trickier to pull off, and lands with its own undeniable grace.” — Slate “Litt is a skilled storyteller with a keen sense of humor and unique experiences and insight to draw upon.” — Bustle “Litt also offers both humor and optimism, two things many of us sorely need these days.” — Bustle, Best of the Month “What Litt understands and what Thanks, Obama makes clear may very soon be forgotten: The finest presidential speeches can heal the nation.” — Paste Magazine “A thoughtful and funny account of life as a minnow surrounded by Washington’s self-important whales . . . ranks with other classics from former White House speechwriters, such as Peggy Noonan’s What I Saw at the Revolution.” — USA Today, *** 1/2 “Funny and unexpectedly moving . . . a powerful reminder that true fulfillment can come from wielding even the smallest bit of influence on behalf of those who have none.” — Washington Monthly “A fast, funny ride through the halls of power.” — Kirkus “Veering between tragedy and comedy, between self-doubt and hubris, Litt vividly recreates a period during which he saw his words sometimes become the words of a nation.” — Publishers Weekly “By turns moving and hilarious, David Litt’s rollicking account of his journey from campaign field grunt to presidential speechwriter is an irresistible read.” — David Axelrod, former Senior Advisor to Barack Obama and author of Believer: My Forty Years in Politics “David Litt has done the impossible: written a smart, insightful, and funny White House memoir you don’t have to be a political junkie to love. Even better, he takes us back to a saner more compassionate time when our president liked to read.” — Judd Apatow “Terrific—part first-hand story about being inspired by a cultural icon, part how-to manual for getting involved in politics and making change. Thanks, Obama is a hysterical, pithy, and heartfelt trip down memory lane. And boy, do we need it.” — Keegan-Michael Key “David Litt is brilliant. I’ve gotten to witness firsthand some of the work he did for President Obama at past White House Correspondents Dinners and it’s always intelligent, razor sharp and hilarious.” — Billy Eichner “An outstanding, hilarious, and precise memoir . . . I laughed again and again. This is an excellent account of what it felt like to work for the Second to Last President of The United States.” — John Mulaney, co-creator and star of Oh, Hello “Don’t be fooled by the self-deprecating narrator, this portrait of a young speechwriter is filled with wit, wisdom, and a loving touch. David’s labors remind of us a not-so-distant past when words mattered. If I was a simpleton and a book critic, I’d say thumbs up.” — Matt Walsh, HBO’s Veep “David Litt is a natural storyteller and an absolute joy.” — Tig Notaro, author of I’m Just a Person “Thanks, Obama is a wonderful book for the same reasons David Litt’s speeches for the White House were wonderful: it’s well-written, it’s funny, it tells us exactly what we’re curious about, and. . . it reminds us that a great president galvanizes not only his staff but his country.” — Anne Fadiman, author of Ex Libris “Funny and warm, David Litt knows how to make people laugh regardless of their political affiliation.” — Mike Birbiglia, author of Sleepwalk With Me: And Other Painfully True Stories “A magnificent memoir on the Obama presidency. You’ll walk away with another kind of hope that’s needed now more than ever: the belief that a government can actually do some good.” — Adam Grant, author of Originals and coauthor of Option B “A talented (and very funny) speechwriter, David will make you laugh. He’ll make you miss Obama more than you do already. Most of all, he’ll renew your faith in the politics of hope.” — Stephanie Cutter, former deputy campaign manager for Barack Obama




Season's Greetings from the White House


Book Description

The collection of presidential Christmas cards, messages and gifts.




Dining at the White House


Book Description

A must read for any Presidential buff or foodie! This book provides an insider's view of what it is like to dine at the White House and describes Chef Moeller's most memorable moments cooking for three First Families. It includes over 100 recipes for one-of-a-kind dishes featuring his trademark use of fresh, seasonal ingredients inspired by his classical French training with an American twist. Useful chef notes help adapt fine French cooking techniques for the home cook.




White House Diary


Book Description

BY HENRIETTA NESBITT There be five ihuu Aitd -j, The Preside if nf lec. uic vi71 have These are the sort of messages Mrs. Henrietta Nesbitt took in stride during her eleven years in the White House one of the largest, most complicated, and most fascinating households in America. Her story is a succession of intimate anecdotes of the great and the near-great Alexander Woollcott, Pade rewski, the King and Queen of Eng land, Jose Iturbi, Winston Churchill, and of course the Roosevelt family it self. It is also a salty and sprightly rec- ord of the worlds most demanding job of housekeeping. ne It was my first view of the White House. For that matter, Id never been in Washington before. Dad and I - Dad being my husband, Henry F. Nesbitt got up early the morning before the inauguration and went through the streets straight to the presidential mansion, as if wed lived in the capital all our lives. This was Mr.. Roosevelts first inaugural, in March 1933. We went up to the White House and stood looking through the northwest gate, and I felt like the old woman in the ditty, not certain if it were I, or somebody else. To tell the truth I was scared half to death. It was the biggest home I had ever seen. Like a big wedding cake, I said to Dad. The kind with the white mountain frosting. We walked all around, peeking through the eight gate ways and the iron fence to the green lawns and the flower beds, all planted new for the new president, and across the semicircular drive to the big beautiful house with the tall-pil lared porte-cochere. Even the trees looked important, with their names set in the bark, like trees in a park. I didnt know these very trees had been singed when the British soldiers set fire to the White House, in 1812, that Dolly Madison and her James led cotillions under the elms, and that the big magnolias, starting to bud even this early in the spring, were planted by President Jackson because he was homesick for his Tennessee. All the Presidents, it seems, planted trees to add to the beauty of the grounds. But I didnt leam these facts until later, along with a lot of other patter I memorized to reel off to guests in the White House, such as commenting on the classic architecture and the historic pieces, and the fact that thq cornerstone was laid in 1792 and President Washington hadnt been there to see it put down. I never did find out why. All I knew this morning was that the White House had me awed, and I didnt know how Id ever get up enough courage to walk in. But we were going to do just that, Dad and I, right after the ceremonies that had the whole city, and the country itself for that matter, all stirred up. We were going through those gates and into the White House as if we belonged thec. I said to Dad, not to show how nervous I was, It must take a sight of gardeners to keep all the leaves raked up and this place looking right. Of course I wasnt thinking much of the garden, because it wasnt my business. The White House was my affair. I was trying to count all the windows, but I gpve up somewhere around ninety. How were we going to keep them all clean But those windows would have to shine. The handsome, dignified building was the most important in the United States, and that meant in the world. As soon as the Roosevelts moved in, Id have the care of it. Care of the White House. I didnt know it that mom ing, hut this would be my job and my address for the next thirteen years. Through three Roosevelt administrations I would have personal charge of the house at 1600 Pennsyl vania Avenue, Washington, D. C, But we didnt know it would be that long, back in 33. So I just hung onto Dads arm and spoke as pertly as I could. Pshaw, its only four years, I can stand anything for four years. I guess the Roosevelts, back where wed left them in the Mayflower Hotel getting ready for the inaugural, had the same idea then. The White House would be a big responsibility, but Mrs...