Under This Roof: The White House and the Presidency--21 Presidents, 21 Rooms, 21 Inside Stories

by Paul Brandus

Why, in the minutes before John F. Kennedy was murdered, was a blood-red carpet installed in the Oval Office? If Abraham Lincoln never slept in the Lincoln Bedroom, where did he sleep?Why was one president nearly killed in the White House on inauguration day—and another secretly sworn in? What really happened in the Situation Room on September 11, 2001?
History leaps off the page in this “riveting,” “fast-moving” and “highly entertaining” book on the presidency and White House in Under This Roof, from award-winning White House-based journalist Paul Brandus. Reporting from the West Wing briefing room since 2008, Brandus—the most followed White House journalist on Twitter (@WestWingReport)—weaves together stories of the presidents, their families, the events of their time—and an oft-ignored major character, the White House itself.

From George Washington—who selected the winning design for the White House—to the current occupant, Barack Obama—the story of the White House is the story of America itself, Brandus writes. You’ll walk with John Adams through the still-unfinished mansion, and watch Thomas Jefferson plot to buy the Louisiana Territory Feel the fear and panic as British invaders approach the mansion in 1814—and Dolley Madison frantically saves a painting of Washington Gaze out the window with Abraham Lincoln as Confederate flags flutter in the breeze on the other side of the Potomac Be in the room as one president is secretly sworn in, and another gambles away the White House china in a card gameStand by the presidential bed as one First Lady—covering up her husband’s illness from the nation—secretly makes decisions on his behalf Learn how telephones, movies, radio, TV changed the presidency—and the nation itself
Through triumph and tragedy, boom and bust, secrets and scandals, Brandus takes you to the presidential bedroom, movie theater, Situation Room, Oval Office and more. Under This Roof is a “sensuous account of the history of both the home of the President, and the men and women who designed, inhabited, and decorated it. Paul Brandus captivates with surprising, gloriously raw observations.”

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Presidents, American History, Historical, Audiobook

296 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2015

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don't read compilation history but this was a book-club choice and I ended up enjoying it. The stories are great. But the book doesn't really live up to its title. He never really sticks to the one room/one president thing, and many of the stories have nothing to do with the White House. Sometimes things are forced.

I wish he would have just written a book about the White House, or just written a book about presidential history. But if you are just looking for interesting stories about the White House and presidency, this is a good place to start. He's an excellent storyteller.

[Julie Durnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with vignettes of presidents and first families corresponding to different rooms in the White House. There is a great deal of information contained in this book; presented in the most interesting way that only heightened my interest in the President's House, history and lore. I intend to read William Seale's The President's House at some point, which was used extensively for background history in this book. Recommended!

[Earl Ecklund III · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Paul Brandus goes through the history of the White House via the stories of 21 of its residents from John Adams to Barrack Obama. Each story focuses on a particular area of the White House as it changed over the years from the early building to the restoration from the British burned the building in 1814, the creation of the West Wing under TR, the addition of the third floor for Coolidge, the remodeled Oval Office under FDR & the most extensive renovation under Truman.

Overall a fun read which I enjoyed greatly and would recommend to any history fans.

[Sydney Young]

Interesting but EXTREMELY disappointed with no Lyndon Johnson. Unbelievable.

[Sarah - All The Book Blog Names Are Taken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love books about presidents and the White House. Really interesting, full review to come.

+++++++++++++++++

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I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I learned quite a few interesting tidbits about so many presidents who I thought I knew well. I also learned that the White House might be the most poorly constructed building in the history of the world.

As stated in the title, this book takes a look at 21 different rooms in the White House and the story of that room as relating to a specific president. The stories flow well for the most part, weaving the wider US and/or world events as related to the purpose of the room and the president of the time. The book contained several pictures per chapter which are relevant, though I wish I would have had a physical copy as I would love to see many of these in color. I also wish there had been more pictures of the rooms themselves at least for as far back as pictures would exist. It would have been nice to see reproductions of Jefferson's design plans that are mentioned. I am interested to see if they still exist, as would it be cool if plans by any other presidents exist also.

Not only is this a history of the White House, but a history of some of these presidencies at crucial times in our nation's history. For example, I did not know that it was ever a question as to who would succeed the president, should he pass away while in office. This issue came to light in the case of Harrison and Tyler when the former died after a month in office. I also do not recall ever learning about Wilson's last 18 months in office when he was no longer actually in charge due to the massive stroke he had that rendered him all but helpless and paralyzed on his left side. It is said that his wife essentially became president and made decisions. That is a very interesting but also a scary prospect.

I was pleased to see a section for FDR, though I would have been surprised if he had not been included. If only he could have lived forever and gone on being re-elected. Would he have made the decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Could history have been dramatically different?

There is so much history I do not know about so many of the presidents and it is my goal to read at least one book about each man to hold this office. I appreciated this book piquing my interest in some of these men who I have yet to learn about - incidentally I am far more curious now about Nixon than I was prior to reading, when all I really knew related to Watergate. Interesting that such an intensely private person would seek the highest office in the country. He is intriguing.

I realize this is only an ARC as I have received it, so my only real complaint was the final chapter and how it ended. This final chapter revolved around President Obama and the movie theatre within the house. There was no real end to the chapter though, it just kind of devolved into a brief conclusion without any heading indicating as such, then moved to the author thanking those who assisted him, and finally on to the notes. Hopefully in the final copy, this was resolved.

I've never been to the White House, though I was able to see the building from afar on a class trip to D.C. in 8th grade. I was in awe of the ease in which people could just come and go to call on the president in the infancy of the presidency. Of course this would be impossible to do today, but how awesome would that be to just stroll up the steps and see if the president was available for an evening chat?

Overall, this was an interesting look at the White House and 21 important stories in 21 rooms as related to our country's history and I highly recommend it. I must say though, it is a home I am certainly glad I don't live in - I fear one day it may really fall apart!

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not bad, nor misleading, but I thought I would get more out of this book. Rather disappointed?
Yes, I think I am.

Why? Because it has excellent record of the original features, photos are excellent, modifications to structures finely detailed, even down to redecoration for different usages, BUT. The but encircles the occupants. You know little more about them than you got by studying history as it used to be taught back in the day before teachers were interpreting it for you.

In other words, the events of the Presidencies were more cored than the families who lived there in this book.

I'm absolutely sure, the people who have learned/studied/read American history for and about this building since about 1990 until the present will probably learn things and read of changes and features that will surprise them. But not for those of us who were taught detail of White House property and uses before the '90's. Of course, not all- but most people who have strong interest in the American History study proper. I believe we even got more detail about D. Madison saving the portrait.

Here is a room or addition construction guide, more than a occupant dish of their reality while they lived within it, IMHO.

And what ever possessed Calvin Coolidge to agree to that 3rd Floor when the foundation and walls below were starting to collapse? Maybe that is one of the few details (not explained here either) that I hadn't heard about in past History class, before. Back in the day. And we got a whole lot more about the added swimming pool too than in this book. And how it ended up being used.

My idea of "inside" stories must be different than those that Paul Brandus has.

[Charley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I imagine a good amount of people who don't read non-fiction avoid such books because they tend to be some huge tome that take forever to plod through and drone on and on about a very specific topic.

Well, this is the non-fiction book for those people!

Rather than just detailing a history of the White House from its initial construction though the present day, Paul Brandus basically uses the White House as a framing mechanism to tell stories about: The White House, Presidents, the rise of the political media, movies, telegrams, war, and many many more topics. Basically, the book is a brief history of the United States from politics to pop culture, all compressed into one immensely enjoyable story. Utilizing the White House to bring readers through this journey is just a brilliant move as Brandus basically gets to delve into some wonderful anecdotes about the presidency (like Rutherford B. Hayes secret inauguration in the White House a day before his public "inauguration"; I never knew that story before!)

Honestly, it doesn't even take an interest in the history of the White House itself for this to be a solid book choice for someone. Even if you just have a passive interest in the presidency or U.S. history in general, this is a great read and is likely to tell you some stories you've never heard before.

[Review from an advance copy provided by NetGalley]

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, however it had me longing for more. About one-quarter of the book was directed to the architecture of the book, the rest of the book included tasty tidbits of the presidents and their wives. There were several accumulation of the lesser known facts of the White House. The author has done his best to include the entertaining parts of the White House and its residents. There is no way the entire history could have been include an a complete text - it would be volumes. He did organize the book chronologically, which I appreciate.
The book is easy to read and progress through it is quick - primarily because it is so interesting. The book is refreshing because the author chose to include lesser known history. I didn't give this book more than 3 stars because it could have been longer and included more.

[Wesley Roth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy following Paul Brandus on Twitter as a member of the White House Press Corps and his reporting as West Wing Reports. I was really was looking forward to his book, "Under This Roof". He did not disappoint. Brandus brings his wealth of knowledge of presidential history to the table and is a masterful storyteller. He really makes history come alive. I have read a lot about our presidents and l earned so much more in his book. The chapter on Polk was laugh out loud funny and the chapters on Adams, Jackson, TR and Harding were my favorites. Each chapter can be a jumping off point to further learn about our country's chief executives. "Under This Roof" is the kind of history book that should be read by all. Hoping there are more history books to come from Mr. Brandus.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

👎🏼
Not a book about fun White House stories... just a poorly written book about random historical events.... this book seems to repeat itself at least three times in each chapter, maybe the author was just trying to make it longer??

[Riq Hoelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a pretty brilliant idea. By talking about individual rooms it can talk about how the White House changed over the years as well as tell interesting stories about the people who lived there. I had been hoping that each chapter would feature a different room. Too much to ask I guess. The same room is often reused. Some chapters even have more than one room. But it's interesting enough that they're forgiven.

It was interesting to learn that Jefferson refused to move in for a month, seeing the presidential palace as too monarchical. He ran the entire government out of just two rooms during that time. But eventually, just as we can all be resistant to something new but learn better after we just give it a try, he liked it. Mirroring what he was doing with the government, he was seduced by the creative challenge of making architectural improvements, and added the first versions of the east and west wings. I also loved his idea for his office. As no rooms had specific purposes yet, he set up his office and globes and maps and very high bookshelves in the southwest corner of what is now the State Dining Room, with its floor to ceiling windows and great light streaming in the afteroons.

The book is a little weaker describing external political events. While this is understandable because they're not the focus, often with just a few more or slightly different words it could characterize these events more precisely and educate and intrigue the reader a bit more.

Am also finding some odd word choices. When you want to crush a certain type of talk and make it stop, I believe you "quash" it, since talk is not a physical object. But here people are said to "squash" it, which is the word one uses for something that exists physically.

Asserts that Andrew Jackson was born in Tennessee. Actually he was born close to border shared by North and South Carolina.

States that Theodore Roosevelt was McKinley's Secretary of the Navy, but actually he was only the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Ike Hoover's book on the White House is called a biography, implying it's of President Wilson. Actually, Hoover's only book is an autobiography.

It was fun to learn, in the Reagan chapter, which movies each president preferred to screen.

Interesting that Obama and his aides played the card game Spades to distract themselves while waiting for the results of the bin Laden attack.

[Jays · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wish this book could have gone further in its structure than it ultimately did. I liked the idea of looking at different presidencies from the lens of the White House itself and to the book's credit, that is the approach that it at least nominally takes, but the connections often feel tenuous. Each chapter is really more a survey of one particular presidency, talking about a particular event (or events) that were formative for that president. Sometimes that tied into the room the chapter was nominally about, often it didn't. I suspect part of that is because the President isn't actually that often associated with specific locations in the White House outside of key locations like the Oval Office or the Situation Room; most of what makes the White House itself iconic comes from the history that comes from other members of the First Families or guests.

To the author's credit, some chapters reflect that. JFK's framing through the Situation Room is interesting and given some space, but the majority of that chapter is devoted to Jackie Kennedy's redecorating and restoration efforts, which made me feel like that should have been the focus to begin with. I wondered if maybe the author was trying to force the Presidents into his chosen framing technique when he should have just kept to the rooms of the White House itself.

The end result is a nice book that unpacks the highlights of several presidents and even, on occasion, manages to get into some rarer details that may not be as generally well-known. This is a great book for someone not terribly well-versed in presidential history that would like to know more about how the office has evolved and how the physical building has evolved alongside it. Folk who are looking for a more in-depth examination of the White House or deeper insights into various presidential administrations will probably not find as much new here.

[Dionne · Rating 5 out of 5]

"But Reagan's observation was true: Politics and movies do share a great deal in common. Both require an understanding of public desire, both involve strangers projecting their lives onto yours, and both require narratives to hold the audience's interest and sympathy."~pg. 228

I loved this book!!

As someone who has made a lifelong study of the presidents and their wives I found this book fascinating for several reasons.

It is a great snapshot of 21 presidents, their families and their presidency and what was going on inside the actual White House while they were there. It also chronicles all the changes to the White House itself.

There was one thing I did find strange, though. He mentions every president's infidelities except for one, FDR. Even stranger, he mentions a thoroughly unsubstantiated claim about Eleanor having an affair. I've read a lot on Eleanor Roosevelt and we have access to a lot of her private letters and papers and that claim has never been proven. Whereas, it is a proven fact that FDR had numerous affairs.

[Erik Snell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one. I won’t receive any awards or be used in any big scholarly research, but it was an easy enjoyable read. I’ve always found the history of the White House building itself interesting, and this book in its many stories touched just enough of the changes where I felt like I did get a little glimpse of its overall history. I’ve already read a lot about the White House itself, but I still found some new nuggets of information in this book. While everything wasn’t new, it was still entertainingly written and had just enough new things to keep me from feeling like it was just all recycled and not worth my time.

[Lauren Sasser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gave great insights into the development of the White House as the home of the President. It has plenty of stories about the Presidents and the First Ladys who have walked the halls of history.

[Colin Cerniglia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible history book for presidential buffs! The author does an excellent job of mixing stories that are known (but with more detail) with those that aren't. You'll want to read this one over and over!

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting. The purist in me wished they'd covered ALL the presidents (nothing on Clinton, Johnson, Eisenhower....). I would have like more info about how life actually *works* in the private part of the house, but I guess that's asking a bit much for the recent residents.

[Gisela · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a political/history buff, I loved this book. What a wonderful way to learn about a historical treasure and the people who lived there.

[JOSE MIRANTES · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante

Supongo que por lo extenso del tema se tuvo que limitar mas o menos la mitad de los períodos presidenciales, muy hubiera gustado que abarcara a todos los presidentes

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about the history of President's House and the men & women who made it the White House, we know and love today.

[Eli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty light on content. It's a quick read and provides lots of interesting anecdotes, but it doesn't go much deeper than what you'd get by browsing Wikipedia.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent stories on the character of the White House and first families . For a better look inside the White House as a home, The Residence would be a great place to start.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyable and interesting

[Kathie Stork · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Some things you know somethings you never knew. The inside stories of the presidents, their wives, the rooms they occupied, and the rooms they created.

[Janie A. Hutchison · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book I happened upon. Twenty-one Presidents with brief but encapsulating chapters of their historical significance in office and legacies left upon the White House.

[STEPHEN W MOORE]

A great read!

Behind the scenes in the White house is history that you don't get to live. This book makes it possible.

[Hannah Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not comprehensive but an enjoyable read!

[Sara Goldenberg · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it!

[Pop Bop · Rating 4 out of 5]

If These Walls Could Speak...

I like books that poke around the nooks and crannies of American history. Sarah Vowell is the master of such books, as evidenced by works like "Assassination Vacation" and "The Wordy Shipmates". Tony Horwitz's "A Voyage Long and Strange..." is another good example. In those sorts of books we tend to wander around the U.S., with the author pointing out sites of historical interest and consequence as we go. This book tacks in a different direction. We stay at the White House and America comes to us. We watch Washington as a design is chosen. We are with Jefferson as he plans the Corps of Discovery Expedition with Meriwether Lewis. Poor James Madison just escapes from the British, and the House burns, only ultimately to be gussied up by, of all people, Andrew Jackson. In all, twenty-one Presidents have bits of their stories told. The War of 1812 sits comfortably next to Dolly Madison's choice of drapes. Andrew Jackson contemplates the looming Civil War while enjoying the White House's first running water.

This sounds silly, but it is done very well. The tone is lively but considered, and we move from U.S. history to White House history seamlessly and almost with a sense that the two are on equal footing. Maybe the little tweaks offered by each President illuminate some aspect of their personality, (Nixon removed Jackie's little commemorative plaque from the Kennedy living quarters), and that may also shed some light on the larger issues. However you explain it, the effect is entertaining and to some extent illuminating. I do think the book is at its best covering the 1800's. As we approach the modern era the individual bits, (Nixon's press room, the Reagans in the Family Movie Theater), seem small and mostly inconsequential.

This is more than a bathroom trivia book, but less than a history. There is probably nothing of architectural significance to be learned from its study. But, as the White House grows and expands, so does America, and that amusing figurative approach works very well in this author's hands. This is a very entertaining work.

Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just ok...

The author did a good job with his material. There was some interesting information about the white house but I wanted more. I guess the mundane things; meals,staff, state dinners, things like that.
The short biography of the presidents and their time in office helped with the changing times.
All in all, a nice read...