| |
| |
|
Book Reviews Information |
|
|
|
Washington Historian Remembers Harriet Lane, the Greatest First Lady
Washington Historian Remembers Harriet Lane, the Greatest First Lady WASHINGTON DC: She was the first White House Hostess to be called "First Lady." Enough said. "Harriet Lane was a century ahead of her time," says Washington Historian and Biographer Milton Stern. "She used her intelligence, political skills, charm and beauty to push legislation through Congress when she was only twenty-seven years old." She was the niece of America's Bachelor President and his official hostess in Lancaster, London and Washington. Anyone who met her was instantly enamored. Queen Victoria bestowed upon her the title "Honorary Ambassadress." The Washington press corps proclaimed her "Our Democratic Queen," and the Chippewa named her "the Great Mother of the Indians." U.S. Naval and Coast Guard ships were named after her and still are. Songs were written about her, and women dressed like her. She was the most admired woman in the country and established a style of entertaining never before seen in the White House. She was the first of her kind to be an advocate for social causes: hospital and prison reform and the plight of the American Indians. And only she could get away with beating the Prince of Wales at bowling, which she taught him in the first place! Her world was guided by tragedy and death, yet she lived every day to the fullest. She conducted herself with grace and dignity and dedicated her life to the perpetuation of the memories of those dearest to her heart and the social welfare of all Americans, especially children. Although no monument has been dedicated in her memory, her legacy and generosity live on in Baltimore and Washington through the establishment of the Johns Hopkins Pediatric and Teaching Hospital, St. Albans School for Boys, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and the President James Buchanan Monument in Meridian Hill Park. No Washington guest list was complete without her, as a society columnist wrote, "There is no more elegant figure in the official and social gatherings during the social season than the niece of President James Buchanan." More than twenty years after her death, she was named one of the most memorable women in American History, but more than 100 years after her death, few remember America's greatest First Lady. Milton Stern is the author of "Harriet Lane, America's First Lady" (www.harrietlane.net), the first extensive biography of President James Buchanan's niece. Due to his thorough research of Harriet Lane's life, he has been interviewed on numerous radio programs and is considered the definitive expert on the life of Harriet Lane. "Unfortunately for Lane, she was the niece of a chief executive who was wrongfully blamed for events that had been unfolding since the drafting of the Constitution," Stern says. "His position as the fifteenth President, who was followed by America's greatest President, Abraham Lincoln, made him the scapegoat. Few realize that Lincoln supported Buchanan's policies in regard to South Carolina's secession from the Union until Fort Sumter was attacked, and Buchanan supported Lincoln's during the entire Civil War." When asked why he wrote Harriet Lane's biography, Stern said, "She was an inspiration not only to American women, but also all Americans, as she devoted her entire life to social causes and for the betterment of this great country. Americans still benefit from her generosity." Milton Stern is also the author of "America's Bachelor President and the First Lady" and the Executive Editor of "SelfPublisher News" (www.selfpublishernews.com). He resides in Washington, DC, with his toy parti-poodle, Serena Rose Elizabeth Montgomery. His next book, "On Tuesdays, They Played Mah Jongg" (www.mahjongg.us), will be released in the fall. Harriet Lane, America's First Lady,
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Pausing To Catch My Breath - Book Review "Debra Warren has appropriately titled her book of poetry 'Pausing to Catch My Breath'. The pages depict this mother and grandmother as someone who I would personally love to sit across from at a kitchen table with a huge pot of tea and talk for hours. The Road of Silk: Book Review "The Road of Silk is an adventure fantasy, with mystical and magical elements and a high energy feel to it that any reader will enjoy. Although this novel is written for an adult audience, I believe anyone over the age of 10 could easily become immersed in its pages. Book Excerpt: Give Me a Home Where the Dairy Cows Roam -- 5 May-Day!The school bus had long since disappeared over the last hill toward the main road one afternoon when I set my books on the kitchen table and hurried into the living room to talk to my mother.Mom was sitting in her favorite easy chair by the picture window, and her crutches were laid neatly on the floor next to the chair where she could reach them. Book Review: What Color Is Your Parachute? What Color is Your Parachute? Reviewed by: Matt Keegan © 2003, Matthew C. Keegan, LLCFinding a job today presents unique challenges that did not exist five years ago. The Inspired Heart: A Book Review Spiritual food for the soul: Allow Jerry to take you on his magical and enlightening soul pilgrimage. As he invites you to accompany him along his life adventures, he introduces you to selfless acts of deep, human spirit and his fascinating relationships. Fire in the Ice: Book Review "An excellent novel that will wring tears of frustration and pain and then tears of joy from the reader.'Fire in the Ice' is a perfect title for this book. Undercurrent Blues Has A Rhythm of Its Own - Poetry Book Review On July 17, 2005 Cahuenga Press released Undercurrent Blues by James Cushing (Cahuenga is a cooperative press and Undercurrent Blues is the 14th book they have published since their inception in 1989). The collection includes poems written from 1989 through 1991 and 1997 through 2002. The World is Flat - This Book by Thomas L Friedman has Taken the Online Entrepreneurs by Storm The New York Times' columnist visits India often. I read about his new book The World is Flat in his interview with a leading Indian National newspaper. Amapola - Book Review Alan Heywood writes a stimulating, though sometimes improbable, adventure novel in Amapola. What I mean by this is that the characters are seemingly very lucky or were simply at the right place, at the right time. Giving Feedback or Writing Reviews of Bad Stuff Some book reviewers say that when they don't like a book, they simply don't review it. I'd love to take the easy way out, but when I think about it from a reader's perspective? I want to know when a book sucks. The Storyteller - Fiction Books! Review by Jessica Dearborn Tolucan Times / Canyon Crier - California"The Storyteller, Volume I" by Martha Whittington AuthorHouse, Paperback, 514 Pages, $24When inspiration hits, it is usually followed closely by desire. A willingness to do whatever it takes to explain your inspiration, to create a picture. FISH! Tales - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review FISH! Tales: Real-Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your Life by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen, Philip StrandIf you're reading this book review, you have at least heard about the book from which FISH! Tales evolved. Do You Know How to Buy and Read eBooks! Now, I know what you're probably thinking, "Reading and eBook is just like reading an ordinary book." I disagree. The Power of 2 - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review The Power of 2: Win Big with People in Your Work and in Life by Anthony C. ScireHere is another in a growing number of "mini-books," 170 pages in this case, which seem to be taking over book store shelves from coast to coast. Story Structure - Three Heroes Three Heroes Story Structure follows the Hero's Journey mould but distinguishes itself by making both the hero and the shape shifter both likeable and deserving of the final prize.The Classic Hero's Journey also makes the shape shifter likeable and deserving of the prize but in Three Heroes, we get more of the Shape Shifter's back-story and surprisingly little of the Hero's. Humor Just Got A Whole Lot Funnier With Juggin Joe Author Joseph Yakel presents his own blend of humor and melodrama in this country boy comedy. Offered as a light-hearted, fun adventure with a feel-good edge, Yakel said he was looking to amuse his audience with something a little different. Create Your Own Future - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review Create Your Own Future: How to Master 12 Critical Factors of Unlimited Success by Brian TracyCreate Your Own Future is another example of what Brian Tracy does best. Over the years he has studied success techniques, theories, and processes and then re-framed them with personal insights to pass on to more than 500 corporations and more than two million people in 23 countries via his books, audio tapes, seminars and keynotes. The Rich Jerk - A Study in Anti-Marketing I've always been fascinated by "anti-marketing", and how powerful its effect can be if done properly, so when I stumbled upon The Rich Jerk salesletter, I was immediately intrigued.I'll admit, I'm one of those people who *never* reads a salesletter when I am considering buying something (I do read them when researching techniques, but that's another story), but from the moment I read The Rich Jerk's headline, I couldn't keep from reading the entire thing. The Leadership Pill - AchieveMax® Top Ten Book Review The Leadership Pill is another volume for those of you anxious to add to your library of "mini-books." Ken Blanchard, a veritable self-help book-writing machine, partners with co-author Marc Muchnick to create this 112-page parable that every leader will want to read and share with those he/she mentors. Albany, NY Family History Reference Now Available Thanks To Author Joseph Yakel "Personal research references, especially for families who once lived in the South End area of Albany, are very difficult to come by", said Yakel. "Lower Albany had a very strong mix of European immigrants, especially Germans, throughout the 19th century.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
