The White House: An Illustrated Tour

by Bill Harris

The Rose Garden. The Blue Room. The State Dining Room. The China Room. These terms are as familiar to Americans as their own homes. In fact, the White House is America's own house, home to the mightiest leader on earth and his family. This grand symbol of the power and strength of an entire nation grew from the efforts of many colorful and fascinating personalities. Both Democrats and Republicans, first families and social guests, have graced the halls of the White House and made their respective marks on the unique and unusual history of the building. The history that lies beyond the doors has remained a secret until now. Tours gave some insights, but they are no longer available to the public. What has been missing is a comprehensive visual and historical tour, not only of the halls of the White House but also of the history of this magnificent building. The White An Illustrated Tour takes the reader on an exclusive tour of the halls of the White House and details the history of the architects, planners, and engineers responsible for it. State rooms like the Red Room, adorned with a portrait of Martin Van Buren's daughter; relics like the Gingerbread House, a replica of the White House as it looked when John Adams first moved in; and the Diplomatic Reception Room that is the site of the secret deals and pacts of political history. These are but a few of the physical sites the reader visits. Written by best-selling author Bill Harris, a leading expert on historical landmarks and architecture, The White An Illustrated Tour lets the reader see, feel, and taste political history in the making.

Genres: Nonfiction

96 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2002

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

For a thrift store find, this book was worth its price, the first of its kind to grace my shelves. But it stopped very short of meeting my expectations, serving as a history of the White House much more than an actual tour of the place.

I tend to be put off by the poor editing in books of this nature, but they are, after all, about the pictures and not the words. I also turned to a nonexistent bibliography to find the source of an unusual claim that I had never heard before.

The tour of rooms comprised only the last few pages, and it was mostly old photos of rooms a person sees on the public White House tours. For someone who has been fortunate enough to take that tour, it does not offer very much.

Published less than a year after 9/11, this book likely filled a need and served its time well. But in this digital age, I am sure more exciting, cleanly edited, and sourced information can be found online.

[Barb Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an insteresting book , filled with lots of historical information about the Whitehouse. It included good photos. I just wish it had alot more current photos.