Upstairs at the White House Book Review and more

4/26/2017

Book review of Upstairs at the White House

A unique look into the lives of the First Ladies

When I was a young reader I owned a trivia book called, The Last Cow on the White House Lawn. Inside it contained interesting true stories and funny facts about the U.S. Presidents as they lived and served in the White House for almost 200 years. Entertaining details and sometimes over the top tales that not everyone knew about which is why I'm excited to talk about a somewhat adult version of the childhood book I loved so much.

'Upstairs at the White House', a memoir, is an inside look into the lives of the First Ladies and their families through the eyes of Chief Usher, J.B. West.

My review of Upstairs at the White House and book club ideas

J.B. West with First Lady Jackie Kennedy and her son JFK Jr.

J.B. West, Chief Usher (description of the usher job here) served during the Roosevelt period and Nixon era shares with us intimate details of his beloved job and what life was like as head of the household duties in the White House. Known as, 'The Budget Taskmaster', by the First Ladies Mr. West seems to be agreeable, resourceful and very devoted to his position knowing full well that his first dedication is to the White House and second to the First Ladies. His duties include answering their phone calls, seeing to their personal needs and otherwise doing his utmost best to make it all happen within his power and budget.

When a newly elected presidential family arrives that is when the real work begins. The First Ladies, like clockwork, will quickly make changes to their new home by bringing in their own taste and style as this seems to be Mr. West's main job. The story tends to go (a tad too much in my opinion) into every detail of the decorating of the rooms and even into the infamous White House renovation during the Truman era but that is how the reader gets to know Mr. West and what his job entails. Sandwiched in between the pages are several interesting facts that the Chief Usher divulges that will make you sit up and take notice.

Spoilers - darn those interesting facts!

Eleanor Roosevelt's intimate 'mannish' female friend (per West) was a permanent White House guest
On his White House visits, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, wore no clothing most of the time in his room
The Truman's bed needed repairing from a night of passion
Mamie Eisenhower's last controversial request as First Lady to Mr. West regarding Jackie Kennedy
Lyndon B. Johnson's verbal abuse towards Lady Bird Johnson seen by West

These tidbits of inside information told by the Chief Usher come through loud and clear and make this memoir a worthwhile read but overall Upstairs at the White House is a mild account of the comings and goings of the First Ladies, the Presidents and their children but an excellent book club read nonetheless.

*Get your fun presidential facts with this newer release! T he Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia or Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents: Strange Stories and Shocking Trivia from Inside the White House
on Amazon.com

Trouble in Camelot

After finishing 'Upstairs at the White House' I came across a memoir released several years ago called, Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath. The story is based on young intern Mimi Alford and her 18 month affair with JFK in and out of the White House before an assassination took his life. Reading this memoir together with Upstairs at the White House made me wonder if Mr. West truly knew or at the very least had an inkling of what was going on under his watch as Chief Usher and if he played his own part in protecting the Kennedy legacy.

Nothing is implied or hinted by West but the one thing that does stand out in the book is his favoritism and loyalty to President Kennedy and especially for the First Lady Jackie Kennedy. He writes with kid gloves in describing the First Lady's decorating style, the way she spoke, her immense love for her children and the tragic death of her newborn unlike the other presidents and their wives that were openly criticized in his memoir with whom he served.

If Mr. West indeed knew about JFK's well known infidelities we can only speculate as to why he was silent in his book. Maybe West wanted only to highlight the things he admired most about Jackie Kennedy and leave out any scandal that would tarnish his and the family name. In all, there is very little mention of President Kennedy in his memoir compared to the detailed information on the other Presidents and that was the kind of reading I wished Mr. West showed the reader more of.

Jackie Kennedy once said that J.B. West was, "One of the most extraordinary men I have ever met" and as she said goodbye to Mr. West upon leaving the White House she whispered to him, "Mr. West, will you be my friend for life?"

Mr. West left behind a legacy as a dependable, steadfast, honorable Chief Usher and I truly think he accomplished just that.