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Mar 22, 2010

Dana rated it:

I'm about 130 pages in, and I've come to two conclusions:

1. Stacy Cordery is a very good writer, and I'm looking forward to reading others of her books.

2. Either Alice Roosevelt was one of the most irritating adolescents who ever lived or Cordery was seduced by so much extant source material. If I have to read another diary entry gushing over some guy (whose name changed daily) I will vomit.

Alice is now about to get married and I'm hoping it will mature her More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Jan 11, 2009

Sue rated it:

This book is filled with more about Alice's political life than any other bio of her I've read, but the author seems to have lost interest with Alice's story after Nick Longworth's death. The author is very vague on Alice's relationship with her granddaughter -- there is a deeper story there that should be explored -- and not a single mention that Jimmy Carter was the first/only president since McKinley to her death in 1980 who did not welcome her to the White House, again something to explore. More...

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Apr 23, 2010

Jeff added it

I’ve been fascinated by Theodore Roosevelt’s flamboyant eldest daughter since my high school days and was delighted by this study of how, over the course of her very long life, she constantly reinvented herself — from teenaged White House rebel to behind-the-scenes political operator to finish at last as ‘Washington’s other Monument’. She was a brilliant wit and a champion hater specializing in (as she herself put it) “detached malevolence”, with a particular talent for making her Democrat Roose More...

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Aug 16, 2011

Beth rated it:

At first, I was really enjoying this biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. She was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and cousin to both Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt. In her teenaged and early adult years, nicknamed "Princess Alice" by the press, she was an interesting iconoclast who made her own rules and set trends. But by the 1910s, she morphs into a dreadful hate-monger, and she only gets worse. She played a rather key role in keeping the U.S. out of the League of Na More...

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Jul 12, 2011

Erin rated it:

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The complexity of Alice's life, her personal struggles and the political events of the time are excellently depicted. This book captures the nuances of the political issues of the day without getting bogged down. Key perspectives and policies are described in a way that provides the reader with a fair perspective without getting overwhelmed with rhetoric. The author clearly demonstrates their expanse knowledge of this era by the ease with which they writ More...

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Nov 28, 2011

Christina rated it:

I gravitate to any strong woman (I am unapologetically a feminist). However, give me a strong woman who is also a smart-ass and you have alighted in me pure hero worship for her. Alice Roosevelt Longworth would never have classified herself as a feminist. She honestly disavowed any formal identity whatsoever besides as a member of the Republican/Bull Moose party of her father. Yet, Gloria Steinem was one of her admitted heroines (Cordery, 2007, p. 463). Her lack of identification was fully More...

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Apr 05, 2009

Jamie rated it:

I came to this book after I read the chilren's picture book, "what to do about alice" about 30 times. I so fell in love with Alice and was excited to learn more about her, and this book did indeed deliver.

I tend to like books in which women who have a lot going on make some questionable life choices, and this is right up there with the Martha Gellhorn bio for delivering on that.

I identify with Alice, and the fact that she had a Siamese cat at the end of her l More...

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May 21, 2011

Lee Anne rated it:

Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice was a character. Rebellious in spirit, outspoken, and a strong woman in a world filled with strong men.

Stacy Cordery's biography of this most famous of first daughters sadly pales in comparison to the picture book What to Do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. Cordery's gossipy tone and armchair analysis (there are too many variations of "perhaps Alice was thinking..." More...

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Mar 12, 2009

Jeanette rated it:

Before coming across this biography about Alice Roosevelt Longworth, I knew very little about this woman who was once a major American icon and known around the world as Princess Alice. I knew she was Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, that her mother had died shortly after giving birth to her and that she married a congressman from Cincinnati in a fancy White House wedding but that was about as far as my knowledge went. It turns out there was a lot to learn.

Details, details, details! Th More...

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Nov 29, 2008

Katherine rated it:

I wouldn't recommend this book unless you:

a) are really into Alice Roosevelt

b) are interested in the details of high society life at the turn of the 20th century

c) like biographies.

I was curious about Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, and luckily my curiosity sustained me through this long book. Alice really led a fascinating life, and I agree with her bits of wisdom such as: "Having a baby is like trying to push a grand piano through a transom." More...

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May 07, 2008

Pooch rated it:

p. 3 "Victorian morality was synonymous with honorable men, demure women, and docile children."

P. 4 "...charities like Mrs. Slattery's Night School for Little Italians."

p. 5 Diary entry by TR after death of his father, "...Christianity gave us, on earth, rest in trouble, not from trouble."

p. 418 "People forget that such wit is possible only when upheld by a broad intellect, insider status, and years of political and legislati More...

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Mar 25, 2008

John rated it:

Long referred to as “the other Washington Monument” Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, was a powerful political force and icon of the 20th century, When Alice was born on February 12, 1884 in the family home, Teddy Roosevelt was then a recently elected New York Assemblyman. Tragically, two days after her birth TR’s wife and his mother died in the same house.

Roosevelt had assumed the Presidency after the assassination of William McKinley More...

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Jan 21, 2012

kenpen rated it:

"If you haven't got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me."
-Alice Roosevelt Longworth

This is all I knew about Alice Roosevelt Longworth before I read Alice. Based off that quote, I thought I'd love Alice (the person).

Alice is a New York Times notable book. Alice Roosevelt was one of the first big celebrites in America. The media followed her as much as her father, Theodore Roosevelt. This biography follows her entire life. It also talked a lot More...

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Aug 03, 2011

Terry rated it:

Alice Roosevelt Longworth was quite the character. Passionate, patriotic and snarky, she was well ahead of her time. She smoked, wore pants and even rode around in an automobile unchaperoned! This biography is well written, easy to read, and helps explain the decisions that Alice made. She was extremely critical of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt; this book helps explain some of that, almost to the point of excusing her for it.

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Jul 26, 2008

AC rated it:

Cordery has written a sympathetic, well researched and written biography about Teddy Roosevelt's eldest child. It provides a wealth of unique historical information. Unfortunately, it was difficult to like the subject. Alice began life as an almost abandoned child, became a spoiled brat, then an national and international celebrity who toyed with the media and public just as the more clever celebrity figures of our era do, and grew into a long-lived national political "institution." More...

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Feb 09, 2010

Pbwritr rated it:

Couldn't finish. Read about 200-plus pages. Very interesting for the early years of her life; apparently, alice was the first "real" female celebrity who wasn't in the entertainment business. She was adored while growing up in the White House (Teddy Roosevelt's daughter) by people around the world. Had her own mind, a bit of a rebel, but enjoyed the high life. Once she married Nick, a U.S. Congressman, the book became boring. Too many political names, issues intervene in the stor

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Jul 21, 2011

Trena rated it:

This is a well-written, readable book that provides a minute-by-minute chronicle of the life of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Teddy Roosevelt's oldest daughter (by a forgotten first wife who died shortly after Alice's birth). She was a huge celebrity as first daughter--think Paris Hilton in her heyday.

She apparently grew up to run a political salon and have extramarital affairs. But I just couldn't make it that far (gave up at page 257). While the book is comprehensive on the content More...

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Oct 03, 2011

Teatime1776 is currently reading it

I am mid-book and have set it aside. It is interesting, but highly detailed. I think if I read on it will gather a bit more steam. It seemed like it spent so much time on her growing up years as a rich, spoiled White House child, and her very immature romance with Nick Longworth that I was easily swept up in other ficition, etc. I may get back to it but for now it's on Hiatus.

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Aug 23, 2008

Lrosenow is currently reading it

Highly recommended for history buffs of the era - otherwise might be tedious for the casual reader. I happened to be seated next to the author, Stacy Cordery, at a luncheon where she gave a presentation in Chicago and the tale of how she came across hundreds of Alice's letters and personal papers was spellbinding but is unfortunately not part of the book.

Courdery does, however, provide the reader with what I found to be a fascinating glimpse into the the relationship between Alice More...

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Aug 26, 2010

Michelle rated it:

This book caught my interest because I grew up knowing some friends of Alice Longworth, and knew they'd be mentioned in the book. Apart from that, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Alice Roosevelt (daughter of Theodore Roosevelt) lived from 1884-1981, and was involved in politics nearly her entire life, so her biography covers many of the important political issues in our country during that time. The subject is fascinating to begin with, and the author does a good job of keepi More...

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Sep 12, 2009

Cwelshhans rated it:

This book did a lot of telling without showing. I kept being told that Alice was a rebel, but there weren't many examples. I kept being told that her husband was an alcoholic and a womanizer, but there weren't many examples. I kept being told that Alice was kept from seeing her granddaughter, but no specifics were provided. A decent overview, I suppose, but not what I had been expecting.

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Jun 23, 2009

Tom rated it:

Interesting biography of Princess Alice. The apple sure didn't fall from her fathers tree. Alice had an amazing mind, in another day and time she would have been a leading politician. This book chronicles the White House years, how she was actually the first modern "celebrity" that was followed, documented and exploited by paparazzi. Alice was hugely popular, the papers and public couldn't get enough of her, anything she did became newsworthy. Her private life, some major things never More...

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Mar 13, 2010

Tandi rated it:

Nothing like putting your head back in history... a wonderful glimpse of what it would be like to be in the middle of some of our country's growing pains. Made me wonder what kind of discussions are going on NOW! A good portrayal of the many sides of being a strong woman. Inspiring.

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Apr 07, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

The end is not as interesting as the beginning. I need to force myself to continue. It is interesting as it gets to WWII to hear how Americans didn't really get that Hitler was as bad as he was until it was a little late in the game.

Finished this. No doubt about it, Alice Roosevelt was a fascinating and influential and extremely intelligent woman. She did pick a lot of losers politically. She was actually a friend of Nixon's until he inappropriately tied himself to her dad in a speec More...

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Dec 05, 2008

Petra rated it:

This book was chosen in my book club to read. I got to page 109 and still have 380 pages to go. I just couldn't finish it. It is an interesting story, just not one I have any desire to continue. In the first pages all you seem to read is "poor Alice and "no hope for Alice" and that gets old after a while. I'm sure she was a very interesting woman especially for the day but not 500 pages of her. Sorry.

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Aug 26, 2009

Melissa rated it:

This book, about Teddy Roosevelt's eldest daughter, is fascinating... Someone once told Teddy Roosevelt, during his presidency, that he had to control Alice and he responded, "I can run the country or I can control Alice. I cannot do both." This book explains all... :)

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Jan 02, 2009

Deirdre rated it:

For research, this book rates an A+. Sometimes the sequential segments are a bit muddled. But don't let that deter you from reading this book about a woman you may never have heard of...she may have been the origin of paparazzi! A good read.

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Mar 20, 2008

Janille rated it:

This was a remarkable book about a woman I previously had no knowledge of - her life story is incredible. Alice Roosevelt Longworth died in 1980 at the age of 96 - her life spanned the most important events of the 20th century and she was INVOLVED in them in a way most women of her generation (heck even MY generation) never experienced. This was one of the most engaging biographies I have ever read. I highly recommend it to anyone who is a history buff, or who loves to read about American poli More...

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May 02, 2009

M rated it:

This book dragged in parts, but it was fun to read about someone who was super famous in her day that I knew nothing about. It's nice to know the stories of women who didn't follow society's dictates of what women should be.

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Apr 29, 2009

Julie rated it:

Pretty good. I was expecting the book to be a little more personal since the author had access to a bunch of papers that hadn't been accessed previously. It was a little too much about political elections and agendas, so it seemed dry to me. I loved reading the beginning while she was in the White House and before, and then also when she was older, late in life. Fascinating family.

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