Wish List 5: Presidential Mistresses–Nonfiction & Memoir

Once a month I am planning on sharing with you all 5 of my biggest wish list books broken up by theme.  I know that you all need more on your TBR!!!  One thing that you find when reading about the Presidents is that there were quite a few that had mistresses!  There is a new fashion for novels being released about these ladies, but I wanted to read some nonfiction about them – and there are a few that are even memoirs!

Past Forgetting: My Love Affair With Dwight D. Eisenhower by Kay Summersby Morgan

Here, at long last, is the true story of the passionate, moving secret love affair between General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, and Kay Summersby, the beautiful English fashion model who became his driver in wartime London, his staff aide, by his side through every crisis and high-level meeting of the war -- and the woman he loved.

Written by Kay Summersby Morgan herself, Past Forgetting is the intimate account of a relationship that began, haltingly, in 1942, when Kay was assigned to drive the then unknown two-star general, and ended in heartbreak when Ike, victor and war hero, returned home to face a disapproving General Marshall, the adoring American public, Mrs. Eisenhower -- and the possibility of becoming President of the United States.

Yet Past Forgetting is never a bitter or malicious book; it is the story of two people deeply in love, sharing together the great experiences of the Second World War. Here are intimate accounts of Ike at play and at work; raging against Field Marshal Montgomery; displaying his famous temper against Patton; occasionally revealing to Kay the lonely responsibility of a commander who must send his men into battle to die, and sharing the tense hours before D-Day in intimacy with Kay. Here too are portraits and memories of the great men whom Kay met at Ike's side -- Churchill, Roosevelt, King George VI and De Gaulle. Kay Summersby Morgan has a perfect gift for intimate detail, an eye for men, places and events, total recall and a marvelous wit.

Above all, this is the true story of two people in love, snatching a few moments of happiness in the midst of the cares of war and command. The Eisenhower who emerges from these pages is a man of charm, wit and passion, deeply affectionate and loving, torn between his loyalties at home and his love for Kay. More than a document, this is a beautiful, powerful love story.

The President's Daughter by Nan Britton

The President's Daughter, America's first major kiss-and-tell political biography, caused a sensation when it was published in 1928. Nan Britton described her six-year affair with the late Warren G. Harding, most famously including trysts in a White House coat closet. President Harding's paternity of Britton's daughter Elizabeth Ann, born in 1919, was proved by DNA testing in 2015.

Once Upon a Secret: My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath by Mimi Alford

In '62, Mimi Beardsley was a naive teen, a product of her class & time. She'd attended the same exclusive girls' school as Jackie Bouvier, now installed in the White House as the first lady. Which is also where Mimi found herself, as an 18-year-old intern. JFK's White House was a place for which she wasn't remotely prepared, dominated by the charismatic & sexually rapacious figure of the president. Within four days, they'd started a relationship.

There are several extraordinary things about Mimi's story. One is that she'd evaded notice from any of the biographers of JFK & other chroniclers of the heady days & sexual shenanigans of Camelot. Only by chance did a reporter in 2006 follow up a mention of her name in a JFK book, & doorstep her--a married NY grandmother--to find out whether she was the Mimi Beardsely mentioned in a passing reference. This is all the more surprising given the length of the affair--18 months--& the fact that it was ended only by his death.

Mimi Beardsley Alford has decided, after decades of silence & reflection, to tell her story. This is not just a memoir of a young woman of her generation & class coming of age in the 60s, & her relationship with JFK. She also examines the significance it had in her life & relationships since, why she chose to be silent for so long & why she feels this is the time to speak out.

A Very Private Woman: The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer by Nina Burleigh

In 1964, Mary Pinchot Meyer, the beautiful, rebellious, and intelligent ex-wife of a top CIA official, was killed on a quiet Georgetown towpath near her home. Mary Meyer was a secret mistress of President John F. Kennedy, whom she had known since private school days, and after her death, reports that she had kept a diary set off a tense search by her brother-in-law, newsman Ben Bradlee, and CIA spymaster James Jesus Angleton. But the only suspect in her murder was acquitted, and today her life and death are still a source of intense speculation, as Nina Burleigh reveals in her widely praised book, the first to examine this haunting story.

The Harding Affair: Love and Espionage During the Great War by James David Robenalt

Warren Harding fell in love with his beautiful neighbor, Carrie Phillips, in the summer of 1905, almost a decade before he was elected a United States Senator and fifteen years before he became the 29th President of the United States. When the two lovers started their long-term and torrid affair, neither of them could have foreseen that their relationship would play out against one of the greatest wars in world history--the First World War. Harding would become a Senator with the power to vote for war; Mrs. Phillips and her daughter would become German agents, spying on a U. S. training camp on Long Island in the hopes of gauging for the Germans the pace of mobilization of the U. S. Army for entry into the battlefields in France.

Based on over 800 pages of correspondence discovered in the 1960s but under seal ever since in the Library of Congress, The Harding Affair will tell the unknown stories of Harding as a powerful Senator and his personal and political life, including his complicated romance with Mrs. Phillips. The book will also explore the reasons for the entry of the United States into the European conflict and explain why so many Americans at the time supported Germany, even after the U. S. became involved in the spring of 1917.

James David Robenalt's comprehensive study of the letters is set in a narrative that weaves in a real-life spy story with the story of Harding's not accidental rise to the presidency.

If you are looking to add more books to your list, here are some of the wishlists from a few of my friends this month: (to be updated as they go live)

• Magdalena @ A Bookaholic Swede –
• Colleen @ A Literary Vacation –
• Erin @ Flashlight Commentary –
• Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books –
• Stephanie @ Layered Pages –

Copyright © 2018 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Beneath the Heart of the Sea by Owen Chase

Beneath the Heart of the Sea by Owen Chase

ARC, e-book, 112 pages

Hesperous Press

April 1, 2015

★★★☆☆

Genre: Memoir

Source: Received from Publisher via Netgalley

A tragic yet riveting narration of life and death and man against the elements, this is an extreme account of shipwreck survival. On the morning of November 20, 1820, in the Pacific Ocean 2,000 miles from the coast of South America, an enraged sperm whale rammed the Nantucket whaleship Essex. As the boat began to sink, her crew of 20, including first mate Owen Chase, grabbed what little they could before piling into frail boats and taking to the open seas. So began their four-month ordeal and struggle for survival. This is a bleak story, only eight men survived having endured starvation and dehydration, giving in to cannibalism, murder, and insanity. Owen Chase recorded the extraordinary account in his autobiography, originally published in 1821.

When I read on a subject, especially if it is about some type of disaster, I like to try to read books that approach the subject from different angles if possible: non-fiction, fiction, memoir, film, etc. I had my eye on reading In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick and knew that there was a film of the same name that was being released – but until seeing this one while browsing the Netgalley shelves, I had no idea that anyone who had survived wrote about the events surrounding the wreck (there are actually 2, the other is Thomas Nickerson a survivor in the same boat with Owen Chase).

I approach this review in the same manner that I approach one of the classics because they share the similarity that they were written in another time and in a very different style than we expect today. Additionally, it being a memoir, I do not feel comfortable judging the style of the retelling as this is a man recounting what was the worst experience of his life – it just doesn’t feel proper. However, I do have a few thoughts.

This book cuts right to the chase – there are two short chapters about the events of the trip leading up to the sinking of the ship and their subsequent struggle for survival. Even during the chapter of the sinking and survival, there are no frills or tangents – just the facts, so it can be a little dry at times. Even when he recounts how afraid or ecstatic the crew were, you don’t feel the emotion. But I got through this with the fact that it was a man of the 19^th century writing this and of course wanting to show himself in a certain way – however it never felt like he was trying to paint himself the hero.

The one thing that did bug me throughout the read was how he recounted what happened on each day and recounted the longitude and latitude measurements of certain things happening when they were at sea. Chase tells the reader early on after they escaped in the whale boats that he had paper and pen, but did not record the events because it would have been too difficult with the nature of the sea and that the paper and ink would have been ruined by the water. I’m sure that there would have had to have been a loss of track of time during 90+ days being stranded at sea with the effects of hunger/thirst/and exposure constantly upon them. So I think the inclusion of the dates and measurements was a little overstepping and I took them all with a grain of salt.

I found this to be a well detailed account of the events that these men experienced without added flourishes or color commentary. A quick, straightforward, read if you are looking to round out your experience before or after reading In the Heart of the Sea. Also, for the record, if you are interested in the account by Thomas Nickerson, it is titled The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale published by Penguin Books. It would have been interesting to see the ordeal told from a man in one of the other rescued boats, since the two had been separated, but at least this way you can compare how two people who had the same experience saw the events.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Reet Champion Book Reviews

 
Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

 


Copyright © 2016 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: My Days With Princess Grace of Monaco by Joan Dale

My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco by Joan and Grace Dale
ARC, e-book, 352 pages
IN-LIGHTENING
September 4, 2014
★★★½☆☆

Genre: Memoir

Source: Received for review from publisher via Netgalley

“Get to know the real Princess Grace, from the first years of her marriage to the last days of her life. "My Days with Princess Grace of Monaco: Our 25-Year Friendship, Beyond Grace Kelly" chronicles what it was like to be best friends with an iconic princess, with 70 never-before-seen personal photos, letters and diaries that give a behind-the-scenes look at Grace Kelly's life after she became Princess Grace. Gain rare insight into her final days through a detailed account of her last family vacation the month before her tragic death. This is also the true story of the historic events depicted in "Grace of Monaco," in which Grace Kelly was to return to Hollywood at a time when Prince Rainier almost lost his crown and country.”

This memoir is of Joan Dale’s life, but focusing on her time spent with and intimately knowing Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. Joan did not know Grace during her Hollywood glamour days, so if you are looking for that perspective, you will be disappointed. But if you are looking to know Grace the princess you will become deeply acquainted with her in this memoir. Joan often references how she was referenced as “unknown woman” in all of the photos that she appeared in with Princess Grace – she was always there, but entirely unknown. Joan’s husband was Prince Rainier’s closest advisor and accordingly they were frequently present with the Prince and Princess.

We get all of the details of the balls, dinners, and other fabulous events that they attended – including extensive explanations of what EVERYONE was wearing (it almost felt like an awards style episode at times). At the same time, we are treated to the intimate moments when the families were just alone by themselves.

Much of this book is comprised of and composed from letter from Joan Dale’s collection – there are letters to and from Grace, Joan’s parents, her husband, Prince Rainier, and others. It is a great writing strategy to include these intimate peeks into Joan’s life. Additionally, there was an extensive collection of personal photos from Joan Dale providing a visual peek into the Dale and Grimaldi lives.

While I found this book an enjoyable, lighter read, it wasn’t without its issues – which I feel like comes with the territory when the memoir is written by someone who isn’t actually a practicing author. There is A LOT of repetition. Mostly this is involved with the letters. Within the text Joan’s letters are transcribed, but then immediately following each letter the author explains the events that are introduced in the letter. However, the narrative tends to tell exactly the same thing as the letters just with a little more detail – it felt very repetitive. Additionally, while the memoir does focus on Joan’s life with Grace, there is a lot just about Joan’s life as well. While this makes sense, as it is Joan who is writing the book, those portions of the book are much less interesting to the reader – especially if someone is picking up the book to learn about Grace Kelly. Additionally, I frequently felt that Joan was defensively explaining her relationship with Grace – as in, she feels the need to make it clear that she was actually one of Grace’s closest friends. She goes to great lengths to make this point and it made it feel a little pushy.

I did learn a lot about the private side of Princess Grace and it was an enjoyable, light read, but it wasn’t exactly what I was hoping the book would be.

This book is the combined works of Joan Dale (friend of Grace Kelly’s) and her daughter, Grace Dale. Joan Dale passed away prior to the publication of the book. You can visit the book’s website for additional information about the book. There are some great videos and documents available on the site that round out the reading experience. If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can also watch the book trailer below.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• The Court Jeweler
• As I Lay Reading

Here are some choices for purchasing the book: Amazon, B&N, RJ Julia (my fav indie bookstore).

 

Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court

Audiobook Review: Titanic: A Survivor’s Story by Colonel Archibald Gracie

Titanic: A Survivor’s Story by Colonel Archibald Gracie

Unabridged, 7 hr. 1 min.

Blackstone Audio, Inc

Frederick Davidson (Narrator)

December 1, 2006

★★★½☆☆

Genre: Memoir, Historical Non-Fiction

Source: Downloaded audio from my local library

“Here is a survivor's vivid account of the greatest maritime disaster in history. The information contained in Gracie's account is available from no other source. He provides details of those final moments, including names of passengers pulled from the ocean and of those men who, in a panic, jumped into lifeboats as they were being lowered, causing injury and further danger to life. Walter Lord, author of A Night to Remember, comments that Gracie's book—written shortly before he died from the exposure he suffered on that night—is "invaluable for chasing down who went in what boat," and calls Gracie "an indefatigable detective."”

We all know the story of what happened to Titanic – the unsinkable ship that happened to strike an iceberg on her maiden voyage and would ultimately sink – but do you know what happened to many of the actual people on board the ship? What they were doing when it struck the iceberg, how they got off (or didn’t), how they were saved? This account by Colonel Archibald Gracie, a passenger on the ship, gives us a look into the details in ways that you don’t get in other accounts.

Colonel Gracie was not just a passive participant in the disaster and, being a man, was not one of those put into the lifeboats. He was one of the first few passengers to know that the ship had struck the iceberg and he put a lot of energy into helping the crew load and deploy the lifeboats. He survived by jumping into the water and clinging to the top of an overturned, unsuccessfully deployed, lifeboat until they were ultimately rescued by the Carapathia. Colonel Gracie succumbed to ailments sustained from exposure to the cold ocean water 8 months following the rescue – so a lot of work was put in by him in those short months to get this story complete.

This book is split into two parts – the first portion is the survivor story. Gracie recounts what he went through from the time he boarded the boat, through the disaster itself, survival in the cold water, and the rescue. The descriptions were very vivid and you got insider details that you wouldn’t get anywhere else. He mentions people he interacted with – and not just the big names – he discusses members of Titanic’s crew, from his gym instructor to the porter who was helping him pack. Some of these people have not been commemorated anywhere else.

The second part focused on what happened to each individual lifeboat – from the loading of the boat, who was on it, and what they did once they were lowered right up to when the boat was rescued. Each account was filled with quotes from the American and British inquiries into the disaster. You get firsthand accounts from Titanic crew members as well as respected passengers. You also get some newspaper accounts and excerpts from private letters. While this section was chock full of information and details it was much more dry that the first section, which read like a disaster movie. I appreciated the information but it required more breaks in my reading and concentration. This could have been improved by tying the accounts of the lifeboats together with some narrative – not just point by point.

One of the most interesting aspects of this book for me was that it was written so close to the disaster itself – within the same year – that the only information they had about the accident was firsthand accounts. Some of the information he relates we know happened differently based on the exploration of the wreck and investigation with technology that didn’t exist at that time. The two areas where this was most blatant was with the analysis of did the boilers explode and did the boat split into two parts. Most people at that time believed that the boilers did explode and the boat did not split into two parts. We now know that the ship did indeed split in two. It was interesting to see how knowledge differs with time.

Overall this was a very informative read and is a must for anyone who is interested in the disaster and really wants to read a well researched firsthand account. Just keep in mind when it was written while you read.

★★★★☆

There isn’t too much to say about the narration of this one. The narrator wasn’t required to voice any characters other than that of the narrator. He kept the narrative of the survivor’s story interesting, while the second portion sounded like listening to an encyclopedia – I’m not sure any different narration would have improved this section.

You can listen to a sample to see how you feel about the narration (links to Audible).

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Pearls Cast Before A McPig

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Copyright © 2011 by The Maiden’s Court

Book Review: Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Summer at Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Paperback, 290 pages

Avon A

March 30, 2010

★★★★★

Genre: Memoir

Source: Picked up in the Book Blogger Con swag bag

“Do you remember the best summer of your life?

New York City, 1945. Marjorie Jacobson and her best friend, Marty Garrett, arrive fresh from the Kappa house at the University of Iowa hoping to find summer positions as shopgirls. Turned away from the top department stores, they miraculously find jobs as pages at Tiffany & Co., becoming the first women to ever work on the sales floor—a diamond-filled day job replete with Tiffany blue shirtwaist dresses from Bonwit Teller's—and the envy of all their friends.

Hart takes us back to the magical time when she and Marty rubbed elbows with the rich and famous; pinched pennies to eat at the Automat; experienced nightlife at La Martinique; and danced away their weekends with dashing midshipmen. Between being dazzled by Judy Garland's honeymoon visit to Tiffany, celebrating VJ Day in Times Square, and mingling with Café society, she fell in love, learned unforgettable lessons, made important decisions that would change her future, and created the remarkable memories she now shares with all of us”

From the moment I saw this book I just knew that I had to read it and would love it. Now, I recently had an experience where I hyped a book that I was looking forward to so much, that when I read it and it wasn’t as good as I expected; I was crestfallen. But that was not the case this time and I loved every minute of it. I spent all day on a beautiful Sunday outside reading this book – it was that engrossing.

I have always been enamored with America in the 1920’s-1940’s – my mother always tells me that I was born at the wrong time. Seeing this world through the eyes of Marjorie was just like being there myself. You really got all of the details about fashion and the celebrities they saw while working at Tiffany, the struggles of daily life in NYC, all of the war efforts on the home front. This story encapsulated so many areas of life at this time that the world came to life around you.

This story was so more than just the story of one young woman’s exploits while on summer break from college, but it was the story of the first women to work on the Tiffany’s floor, as well as a historical snapshot of the summer of 1945 in New York City. You saw more than just how these events affected these two girls’ lives, but how they affected the lives of those around them too. You are party to the Empire State Building being hit by a plane, V-J Day, General Eisenhower’s parade through the city, The Queen Mary docking in NYC to release mass amounts of troops home, and much more.

I don’t know what it is about essentially experiencing the life of a normal American in 1945 that made this such an awesome book, but I loved every minute of it! You will certainly not be disappointed if you pick this one up to read – highly recommended.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not try out this excerpt of the book?

You can watch this conversation with the author, Marjorie Hart, as she describes a little about the book and why she wrote it.

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

• Write Meg
• My Inner French Girl

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | RJ Julia

Find Marjorie Hart: Website | Facebook | Twitter

Copyright © 2010 by The Maiden’s Court