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Hissing Cousins: The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth
A lively and provocative double biography of first cousins Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth, two extraordinary women whose tangled lives provide a sweeping look at the twentieth century.
When Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, his beautiful and flamboyant daughter was transformed into "Princess Alice," arguably the century's first global celebrity. Thirty-two years later, her first cousin Eleanor moved into the White House as First Lady. Born eight months and twenty blocks apart from each other in New York City, Eleanor and Alice spent a large part of their childhoods together and were far more alike than most historians acknowledge.
But their politics and temperaments couldn't have been more distinct. Do-gooder Eleanor was committed to social justice but hated the limelight; acid-tongued Alice, who became the wife of philandering Republican congressman Nicholas Longworth, was an opponent of big government who gained notoriety for her cutting remarks (she famously quipped that dour President Coolidge “looked like he was weaned on a pickle”). While Eleanor revolutionized the role of First Lady with her outspoken passion for human rights, Alice made the most of her insider connections to influence politics, including doing as much to defeat the League of Nations as anyone in elective office.
The cousins themselves liked to play up their oil-and-water relationship. “When I think of Frank and Eleanor in the White House I could grind my teeth to powder and blow them out my nose,” Alice once said. In the 1930s they even wrote opposing syndicated newspaper columns and embarked on competing nationwide speaking tours. Blood may be thicker than water, but when the family business is politics, winning trumps everything.
Vivid, intimate, and stylishly written, Hissing Cousins finally sets this relationship center stage, revealing the contentious bond between two political trailblazers who short-circuited the rules of gender and power, each in her own way.
When Theodore Roosevelt became president in 1901, his beautiful and flamboyant daughter was transformed into "Princess Alice," arguably the century's first global celebrity. Thirty-two years later, her first cousin Eleanor moved into the White House as First Lady. Born eight months and twenty blocks apart from each other in New York City, Eleanor and Alice spent a large part of their childhoods together and were far more alike than most historians acknowledge.
But their politics and temperaments couldn't have been more distinct. Do-gooder Eleanor was committed to social justice but hated the limelight; acid-tongued Alice, who became the wife of philandering Republican congressman Nicholas Longworth, was an opponent of big government who gained notoriety for her cutting remarks (she famously quipped that dour President Coolidge “looked like he was weaned on a pickle”). While Eleanor revolutionized the role of First Lady with her outspoken passion for human rights, Alice made the most of her insider connections to influence politics, including doing as much to defeat the League of Nations as anyone in elective office.
The cousins themselves liked to play up their oil-and-water relationship. “When I think of Frank and Eleanor in the White House I could grind my teeth to powder and blow them out my nose,” Alice once said. In the 1930s they even wrote opposing syndicated newspaper columns and embarked on competing nationwide speaking tours. Blood may be thicker than water, but when the family business is politics, winning trumps everything.
Vivid, intimate, and stylishly written, Hissing Cousins finally sets this relationship center stage, revealing the contentious bond between two political trailblazers who short-circuited the rules of gender and power, each in her own way.
332 pages, Hardcover
First published March 17, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
September 5, 2015
It's hard out there for a Roosevelt, but oh my Lord, does Eleanor deserve to be on the ten dollar bill. Heck, put her on the twenty and don't make her share. What an amazing...everything: woman, humanitarian, thinker, social worker, human being.
June 6, 2015
THIS is the kind of book that should be used in classrooms. Forget the textbooks; they're dry, uninspiring, etc. THIS book is wonderful as it teaches American Political history in the first half of the 20th century. The political climate of each election, the squabbling within the two factions of the Roosevelt clan, the country's socio-economic problems, the details of the New Deal, and gossip from the upper classes, create a solid representation of our country's leadership at work.
It's entertaining to learn about the private grudges and quarrels among the relatives. And the reports of contentious activity through their writings and other sources, cement the belief that Alice and Eleanor were often at odds in their political beliefs as well as in their differing views of propriety and of the world in general.
It's a most enjoyable, informational, and entertaining read!
It's entertaining to learn about the private grudges and quarrels among the relatives. And the reports of contentious activity through their writings and other sources, cement the belief that Alice and Eleanor were often at odds in their political beliefs as well as in their differing views of propriety and of the world in general.
It's a most enjoyable, informational, and entertaining read!
June 28, 2015
I have read a great deal about these two women. I have read more about Eleanor as she is one of my Heroes. The authors point out that as cousins both women were friendly but in their politics they were enemies. Alice was a republican and Eleanor a democrat. Alice was famous as the key Washington hostess and Eleanor first as the spokesperson for FDR and then as a humanitarian. Both women wrote a newspaper column, My Day and What Alice Thinks. Both women had philandering husbands; both offered a divorce; both men refused. Unusual for their era both women had more money, and influence than their husbands.
There is no new information in this book; other authors over the years have covered this information and more. What the authors did was present it in a unique way, in fact a most inventive delightful way. The writing is often oddly anachronistic and there are a surprising number of mistakes, for example, the authors confused FDR’S youngest son, John, with his oldest son James. The authors claim that they pronounced their names differently but they both said “Rose-vult.”
The book presents itself in a gossipy style; overall it is an easy interesting read about two great women of the 20th century. I wish the authors had stayed focus on the dual biography of the two women and stop wandering so much into the lives of TR and FDR. For people like me who are knowledgeable about these two women the book is an easy read to refresh the facts, but for someone that has no knowledge of the two it makes a great introduction into the lives of these two women.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Suzanne Toren narrated the book.
There is no new information in this book; other authors over the years have covered this information and more. What the authors did was present it in a unique way, in fact a most inventive delightful way. The writing is often oddly anachronistic and there are a surprising number of mistakes, for example, the authors confused FDR’S youngest son, John, with his oldest son James. The authors claim that they pronounced their names differently but they both said “Rose-vult.”
The book presents itself in a gossipy style; overall it is an easy interesting read about two great women of the 20th century. I wish the authors had stayed focus on the dual biography of the two women and stop wandering so much into the lives of TR and FDR. For people like me who are knowledgeable about these two women the book is an easy read to refresh the facts, but for someone that has no knowledge of the two it makes a great introduction into the lives of these two women.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. Suzanne Toren narrated the book.
April 10, 2015
Interesting dual biography that hits the high (and low) spots in the personal and political lives of two important American women, connected by family but divided by political affiliations. Especially important, and usually overlooked: the competition between the cousins in the writing/publication of their columns ("What Alice Thinks" and "My Day") and memoirs, as well as on the Washington social scene. This is a fairly balanced presentation of ARL's life; those who have studied ER may disagree with some of the interpretations. The breezy, accessible style will be welcome to some readers, while may find it somewhat glib and annoying. Overall, recommended as an introduction. If you want more of Alice, you'll want to read Stacy A. Cordery's Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker. For Eleanor, the best source is Blanche Wiesen Cook's Eleanor Roosevelt, Vol 1, 1884-1933 and Eleanor Roosevelt: Vol 2, The Defining Years, 1933-38 We're all waiting eagerly for Vol. 3!
February 13, 2015
Hissing Cousins is an irresistible title, but as the authors point out many times, Eleanor Roosevelt and her cousin, Alice Roosevelt Longworth were very close as children and continued to be close as adults even though their politics were completely opposite. They disagreed profoundly on many issues, but they were close throughout their lives. Newspapers, however, found it made better copy to exaggerate the cousins' differences, and paint the relationship as one big catfight.
Hissing Cousins is a double biography of two women who had rather more political influence than most women or men during the first half of the 20th century and beyond. Alice, as Theodore Roosevelt's oldest child, and Eleanor, the daughter of Theodore's older brother, practically grew up together, and their shared losses (Alice's mother died shortly after giving birth to her, Eleanor was an orphan at ten) brought them even closer.
The book is an enjoyable look at American politics during the cousins' lifetimes, during which the Roosevelt family had an already outsized influence. Alice, who was politically astute, advised many men in Washington. Eleanor was also politically savvy and advised Franklin on personnel and policy. Franklin, hardly a political slouch, always listened to her counsel and usually agreed with her analysis.
It's fun to imagine what kind of careers the women may have had if they had been able to run for political office. Although they could have run for office in later years, it's amazing to think that they were in their thirties before women even had the right to vote.
Hissing Cousins is a double biography of two women who had rather more political influence than most women or men during the first half of the 20th century and beyond. Alice, as Theodore Roosevelt's oldest child, and Eleanor, the daughter of Theodore's older brother, practically grew up together, and their shared losses (Alice's mother died shortly after giving birth to her, Eleanor was an orphan at ten) brought them even closer.
The book is an enjoyable look at American politics during the cousins' lifetimes, during which the Roosevelt family had an already outsized influence. Alice, who was politically astute, advised many men in Washington. Eleanor was also politically savvy and advised Franklin on personnel and policy. Franklin, hardly a political slouch, always listened to her counsel and usually agreed with her analysis.
It's fun to imagine what kind of careers the women may have had if they had been able to run for political office. Although they could have run for office in later years, it's amazing to think that they were in their thirties before women even had the right to vote.
June 2, 2015
The book's subtitle -- The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth -- is a little misleading. Eleanor Roosevelt has been the subject of innumerable biographies in which her first cousin, Alice, will have been, at the very least, mentioned in passing. Alice Roosevelt Longworth hasn't been completely ignored by historians, either; Stacy Cordery published a good, scholarly biography of Alice a few years ago, and there have been several other, lighter books over the decades. Longworth even published her memoirs in 1933, though she went on to live for another forty-seven years, and her own account of her life is surprisingly dull for so notoriously colorful a character. Hissing Cousins does appear, however, to be the first to examine the relationship between the two cousins in one volume.
If the reader has just a passing interest in the Roosevelt family or in American history, this book might be an appropriate choice. That said, I can't stay that I found here very much in the way of new information about either Eleanor or Alice. The quality of the writing is passable, though there are some unfortunately cliché turns of phrase that could have been avoided. The authors seem to rely most heavily on previously published material, which is well-sourced, but not particularly obscure.
Though Eleanor and Alice were born in the same year -- 1884 -- Alice outlived Eleanor by nearly twenty years; Alice died in 1980, aged ninety-six. Alice knew every president from Benjamin Harrison to Gerald Ford, as well as many other notable figures of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As an example, the authors note that men who attended Lincoln's funeral also attended Alice's wedding -- forty years later. Alice Longworth was one of those figures who enjoyed so long a life that she acted as a sort of historical bridge. (I'm reminded here of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who, when a young boy, met an elderly John Quincy Adams, who was born in 1767; later in life, Holmes met also a very young JFK!) The authors are particularly good at framing Alice's life in this historical perspective.
Hissing Cousins is a good choice for a popular library, and you won't go wrong here if you're only going to read one book about the Roosevelt cousins. If you want a more in-depth exploration of the their lives, however, you could consult Cordery's biography of Alice, Blanche Wiesen Cook's biographies of Eleanor, Doris Kearns Goodwin's dual biography of Eleanor and FDR during the war years, or Eleanor Roosevelt's own autobiography.
If the reader has just a passing interest in the Roosevelt family or in American history, this book might be an appropriate choice. That said, I can't stay that I found here very much in the way of new information about either Eleanor or Alice. The quality of the writing is passable, though there are some unfortunately cliché turns of phrase that could have been avoided. The authors seem to rely most heavily on previously published material, which is well-sourced, but not particularly obscure.
Though Eleanor and Alice were born in the same year -- 1884 -- Alice outlived Eleanor by nearly twenty years; Alice died in 1980, aged ninety-six. Alice knew every president from Benjamin Harrison to Gerald Ford, as well as many other notable figures of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As an example, the authors note that men who attended Lincoln's funeral also attended Alice's wedding -- forty years later. Alice Longworth was one of those figures who enjoyed so long a life that she acted as a sort of historical bridge. (I'm reminded here of Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., who, when a young boy, met an elderly John Quincy Adams, who was born in 1767; later in life, Holmes met also a very young JFK!) The authors are particularly good at framing Alice's life in this historical perspective.
Hissing Cousins is a good choice for a popular library, and you won't go wrong here if you're only going to read one book about the Roosevelt cousins. If you want a more in-depth exploration of the their lives, however, you could consult Cordery's biography of Alice, Blanche Wiesen Cook's biographies of Eleanor, Doris Kearns Goodwin's dual biography of Eleanor and FDR during the war years, or Eleanor Roosevelt's own autobiography.
November 18, 2021
I grew up at time with black and brown were not yet understood to also be beautiful. So I appreciated Eleanor Roosevelt who showed me that external beauty is not everything, that beauty is something that comes from inside and shines out, that a life of service could be the way to find worthiness . . . . . Don't worry I know my value and my beauty today. I learned in my life journey. I hope Eleanor Roosevelt also learned these lessons in her journey.
My mother remembered a socially and politically active Alice Roosevelt Longworth. I heard stories of a risqué young woman who liked cars, ciggies and publicity. My mother also named Alice smiled that quiet turned-inside smile. Oh my what was my mother wishing she had done!
The Roosevelt century was not the Roosevelt century just because of TR and FDR and their sons. These two women contributed to national and international fields as well. In this intertwined biography, we get a different feminist view of their social and political realms. Instead of having male-centric biographies, we have more female-centric biographies. Because these two women were male-identified as daughters, wives, mothers, and ER as a grandmother, it is impossible to make this intertwined bio completely women-centric, but it shows the great efforts of the writers.
Together these cousins expanded gender roles. As someone ahead of the social curve, Alice expanded everyday possibilities for women's smoking in public, having a variety of suitors, running an American-style salon. Eleanor engaged in public service partnership with husband so that her marriage was something of a proto power couple arrangement. And when her husband died, she continued her own work as a person of service, contributing to the writing of the International Bill of Human Rights.
Today we remember Eleanor Roosevelt even if it often is as the wife of FDR and now sometimes as partner of Lorena Hickok. She was her own person with partnerships she fully contributed to.
It is Alice Roosevelt Longworth we now often forget. She is becoming a footnote. Maybe because what she did so many now do that we forget/find no need to remember what we too often do as being worthy being of note, rememberance.
My mother remembered a socially and politically active Alice Roosevelt Longworth. I heard stories of a risqué young woman who liked cars, ciggies and publicity. My mother also named Alice smiled that quiet turned-inside smile. Oh my what was my mother wishing she had done!
The Roosevelt century was not the Roosevelt century just because of TR and FDR and their sons. These two women contributed to national and international fields as well. In this intertwined biography, we get a different feminist view of their social and political realms. Instead of having male-centric biographies, we have more female-centric biographies. Because these two women were male-identified as daughters, wives, mothers, and ER as a grandmother, it is impossible to make this intertwined bio completely women-centric, but it shows the great efforts of the writers.
Together these cousins expanded gender roles. As someone ahead of the social curve, Alice expanded everyday possibilities for women's smoking in public, having a variety of suitors, running an American-style salon. Eleanor engaged in public service partnership with husband so that her marriage was something of a proto power couple arrangement. And when her husband died, she continued her own work as a person of service, contributing to the writing of the International Bill of Human Rights.
Today we remember Eleanor Roosevelt even if it often is as the wife of FDR and now sometimes as partner of Lorena Hickok. She was her own person with partnerships she fully contributed to.
It is Alice Roosevelt Longworth we now often forget. She is becoming a footnote. Maybe because what she did so many now do that we forget/find no need to remember what we too often do as being worthy being of note, rememberance.
September 22, 2021
Very interesting!!
I am forever headcanoning Eleanor as bi and aspec and NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND!
This book just makes me appreciate how much Eleanor Roosevelt did and how little I actually knew about it. Pretty sure the only thing I knew about her before this book was that she married FDR and did a bunch of things as the First Lady. But like damn, this girl was busy! I wish I'd known more about her in school, because she would've been such a role model.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth bothered me at times, but more because of her political views than anything she did in particular. In fact, the whole bad girl image greatly amused me and I loved how she did what she wanted and damn the consequences. Alice is also a freaking icon and she had a huge impact in the political world.
The most surprising fact to me was that neither of these women were suffragettes and never really questioned the whole "women shouldn't vote" before.
Rep: possibly bisexual female MC, disabled male side character (wheelchair user), lesbian female side characters, WLW couples, Black side characters.
CWs: Abandonment, ableism, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, antisemitism, biphobia/bimisia, body shaming, child death, death, death of parent, drug use, fatphobia, forced institutionalization of alcoholic/addicted side character, grief, homophobia/homomisia, incest (first cousins), infidelity, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia/lesbomisia, medical content, misogyny, pregnancy, racism, sexism, suicide attempt, suicide, war.
I am forever headcanoning Eleanor as bi and aspec and NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY MIND!
This book just makes me appreciate how much Eleanor Roosevelt did and how little I actually knew about it. Pretty sure the only thing I knew about her before this book was that she married FDR and did a bunch of things as the First Lady. But like damn, this girl was busy! I wish I'd known more about her in school, because she would've been such a role model.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth bothered me at times, but more because of her political views than anything she did in particular. In fact, the whole bad girl image greatly amused me and I loved how she did what she wanted and damn the consequences. Alice is also a freaking icon and she had a huge impact in the political world.
The most surprising fact to me was that neither of these women were suffragettes and never really questioned the whole "women shouldn't vote" before.
Rep: possibly bisexual female MC, disabled male side character (wheelchair user), lesbian female side characters, WLW couples, Black side characters.
CWs: Abandonment, ableism, alcohol consumption, alcoholism, antisemitism, biphobia/bimisia, body shaming, child death, death, death of parent, drug use, fatphobia, forced institutionalization of alcoholic/addicted side character, grief, homophobia/homomisia, incest (first cousins), infidelity, injury/injury detail, lesbophobia/lesbomisia, medical content, misogyny, pregnancy, racism, sexism, suicide attempt, suicide, war.
June 12, 2022
Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt Longworth were first cousins. There were sometimes in competition with each other.
As they grew older their ideas for life were very different. Eleanor wanted to all she could for the poor and woman's rights.
Alice was a carefree spirit always in the spotlight and living on the edge. Her father Teddy Roosevelt could not control her. Alice 's mother and grandmother died on the same day when she was an infant.
Alice's Aunt Bye was tried to be influential to her development.
Eleanor had her mother -in law close by all the time. Sara tried to control her but Eleanor chose her own path.
A very interesting book about the whole Roosevelt family and the political agenda of the time.
As they grew older their ideas for life were very different. Eleanor wanted to all she could for the poor and woman's rights.
Alice was a carefree spirit always in the spotlight and living on the edge. Her father Teddy Roosevelt could not control her. Alice 's mother and grandmother died on the same day when she was an infant.
Alice's Aunt Bye was tried to be influential to her development.
Eleanor had her mother -in law close by all the time. Sara tried to control her but Eleanor chose her own path.
A very interesting book about the whole Roosevelt family and the political agenda of the time.
May 24, 2016
Fast and flippant, Peyser and Dwyer examine the lives of Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt through their differences and similarities. I was led to this by a section in Doris Kearns Goodwin's The Bully Pulpit: Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and the Golden Age of Journalism about Theodore's oldest daughter, Alice. Beyond a general idea that she was witty and rebellious I knew nothing about her, and having also read Goodwin's No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II and wanting to know a bit more about Eleanor too, this combined biography seemed the perfect fit. And it was!
I had no idea before reading this that these two women were born in the same year and within blocks of each other in New York City. Their evolving relationship, and the alliances and conflicts among the members and branches of this family, so involved in the history of this country during the first half of the 20th century, makes a compelling story.
The authors conclude the book by observing how the political conflicts represented by these intensely political cousins have carried on and still divide the country in the 21st century.
Noting that the women both claimed to be carrying on ideas propounded by their father/uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, the authors point out that...
As another acrimonious presidential election looms, this portrayal of cousins, with their passionate and often bitter differences of opinion, who still managed to maintain at least a degree of affection and sympathy, was a welcome reminder that, despite election year predictions of apocalypse should the “wrong” side win, the American republic has, so far, continued to tick along. May the trend continue!
I had no idea before reading this that these two women were born in the same year and within blocks of each other in New York City. Their evolving relationship, and the alliances and conflicts among the members and branches of this family, so involved in the history of this country during the first half of the 20th century, makes a compelling story.
The authors conclude the book by observing how the political conflicts represented by these intensely political cousins have carried on and still divide the country in the 21st century.
”And yet despite their social, political, and personal handicaps, their passions have proven to be both resilient and timeless. The issues they fought over so fiercely – the role of government in helping the poor or righting the economy, the role of America on the world stage – have reclaimed the debate with a force not seen since Franklin's administration. Many of Alice's rants against the New Deal would sound utterly current in twenty-first century America; so would Eleanor's laments about social and economic inequality. In fact, their feuding itself seems of the moment, right down to the multimedia mudslinging that is a bitter hallmark of America's deeply divided, red-blue political landscape. Bickering politicians often seem like a big dysfunctional family. Given that the Roosevelts were a big dysfunctional family, the hissing cousins may offer valuable lessons for today.”
Noting that the women both claimed to be carrying on ideas propounded by their father/uncle, Theodore Roosevelt, the authors point out that...
”Roosevelt's views on war and peace, regulating corporate America, protecting the environment, social justice, government, government spending, and more were complex and at times confounding enough that both his daughter and his niece could legitimately claim to be carrying on his legacy, even as they followed it along vastly different paths. Maybe that's why Alice and Eleanor fought like kids on the school yard yet never forgot they were playing for the same American team. They could still occasionally eat dinner together or attend a wedding – or a funeral. In times of crisis – whether it was Pearl Harbor or the death of Pauline – they managed to call a truce, at least for a time... And when the crisis had passed or the dinner was done, in the true spirit of TR, the battle was joined anew.”
As another acrimonious presidential election looms, this portrayal of cousins, with their passionate and often bitter differences of opinion, who still managed to maintain at least a degree of affection and sympathy, was a welcome reminder that, despite election year predictions of apocalypse should the “wrong” side win, the American republic has, so far, continued to tick along. May the trend continue!
December 30, 2014
The intertwined lives of Eleanor Roosevelt and her Republican cousin, Alice Lee Roosevelt Longworth, have long been fodder for gossip and discussion. On the surface, the two women could not have been more dissimilar, Eleanor committed to public service and civic improvement and Alice, whose philosophy was, "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me." Authors Peyser and Dwyer, however, flesh out the family battles and trace the disharmony to its source: the two were in close competition for the affection of Alice's father and Eleanor's uncle, President Theodore Roosevelt. What is more fascinating is the number of similarities between the cousins which may have extended to competition for the interest of FDR. Alice, known in her day as a dilettante with a viperish tongue frequently skewered her awkward, homely cousin. However, in the long haul, Eleanor triumphed through hard work and good will. The two shared similar losses of loved ones. Both the Oyster Bay and Hyde park Roosevelts had an inordinate number of loss of children and siblings. They both suffered under the hand of neglectful or missing parents. Ultimately, Eleanor became "First lady of the world," while Alice was a mean-spirited if politically savvy side woman to the powerful Washington elite. In the concluding chapter, the author's make one very astute observation: in another era, with the advent of women's rights and fractured glass ceilings, each might have achieved more in her own right than riding the coattails of parents or spouses. In any case, the love/hate relationship of the cousins Roosevelt makes for fascinating reading for the historical or political minded. Excellent book.
March 14, 2018
3.5 rounded down. I didn't know much about either Roosevelt cousins of Alice and Eleanor, so it was a great story about the family, presidents and history. If someone knows more than an introductory nod to either, then I think this book wouldn't offer much.
Man, that family tree at the beginning of the book is hard to read on a Kindle!
The beginning of their lives were the most interesting to me. All those deaths! And all those aunties who took in orphans.
I didn't know Theodore was Republican. There was a footnote near the beginning that explained American politics to me clearly--during Theodore Roosevelt's time, the ideals of the Republicans and Democrats were almost reversed to what they are today. So as Franklin "turned" Democratic, he was really aligning himself more to Theodore's ideals. Alice, Theodore's daughter, stayed Republican so the two branches of the Roosevelt family (not just the girls) were hissing at each other.
Playing nice with Mrs. Churchill.
Man, that family tree at the beginning of the book is hard to read on a Kindle!
The beginning of their lives were the most interesting to me. All those deaths! And all those aunties who took in orphans.
I didn't know Theodore was Republican. There was a footnote near the beginning that explained American politics to me clearly--during Theodore Roosevelt's time, the ideals of the Republicans and Democrats were almost reversed to what they are today. So as Franklin "turned" Democratic, he was really aligning himself more to Theodore's ideals. Alice, Theodore's daughter, stayed Republican so the two branches of the Roosevelt family (not just the girls) were hissing at each other.
Playing nice with Mrs. Churchill.
May 2, 2021
Review to come
December 8, 2018
I don't give five stars very often, and here I am with two books very close together that seem to me to be worthy. A good month of reading, I guess. In this case, I was pleasantly surprised because so much has been written about the Roosevelts that it must be difficult to come up with anything new. The authors of this book managed to do just that in this dual biography of two Roosevelt women - Alice and Eleanor - cousins born months apart who had an impact throughout the 20th century. Eleanor's impact was more obvious and had repercussions worldwide, especially during her work with the United Nations. But Alice, who married a prominent congressman did much behind the scenes in Republican politics to influence policy in the party. One of the things I appreciated in this book was the fact that the authors did not hesitate to point out stories that are more myth than fact, whether the subject was Eleanor, Alice, Teddy or Franklin. A well-balanced tale.
June 22, 2015
A good book about two of the most interesting women ever in American politics. And they happen to be related and to have had a lot in common despite being on opposite sides politically. I think a few things were left out, like how Alice supposedly spit at her television when Nixon resigned and quoted her father. This should not be the first or the last book one reads about the Roosevelts. On a sidenote, I am hoping that it is Eleanor who was selected to be on the $10 bill.
December 23, 2024
4.5
I was talking with a colleague who loves reading as much as I do. When two readers get to talking about books, it's likely that a large variety will be discussed in snippets. That's how I came to this book. My colleague got to talking about Eleanor Roosevelt and her cousin Alice Roosevelt Longworth and I got interested. I believe my colleague talked about a biography devoted just to Alice but I was more interested in finding a book that compared the cousins.
So I read this one.
I already knew quite a bit about Eleanor - most people do. At the end of this dual-bio, we're told:
And there was more. We learn near the conclusion that Alice had developed a crush on FDR as well. As one aunt is quoted:
The first part has to do with the cousins' early days, growing up in the spotlight of Washington DC. This section is more of an overview of the political climate of the time, with more 'characters' flying in and out than can be found in a Russian novel.
Halfway-through, the hissing begins, with Alice's viper-tongue being more prominent behind-the-scenes than publicly. But the venom on her part was still much more than an open secret, and the press apparently enjoyed any opportunity to pit the two as rivals... which they never really were. On her part, though Eleanor was quite aware of Alice's 'candor', she chose (by all accounts) to be civil about it, occasionally alluding to 'disagreements' - and never failing in attempts to make Alice feel included in her life (by way of invitations, etc.).
The uneasiness, however, continued to Eleanor's death, with Alice outliving her cousin by a few decades, going on with her habit of becoming allies with those more suited to her bad-girl character - including Nixon, whom she supported even through Watergate (!).
I mentioned to my colleague that, as a result of this book, I wasn't all that enamored of Alice, preferring the selfless Eleanor. My colleague - who hadn't read 'Hissing Cousins' - felt that perhaps the authors weren't sympathetic enough to Alice (!). (She and I agreed that, to an extent, Alice could easily have been a 'victim' of her time, with all that women had to deal with then. ... Still, a conscience comes in there somewhere... unless it never nags you for any reason.)
I thought that, while handling their material with a great deal of humor (thus making history more like a movie you could eat popcorn through), the biographers seemed to be doing their best to give both cousins a fair shake, while withholding judgment.
I can't say I much enjoyed the 'hissing' - such as it was. But I did appreciate the better sense I gained of Eleanor (there's fascinating though still shadowy info on her deeper 'friendships' with women) ... as well as the solidly detailed overview of what went on in DC throughout. If only high school history class had been approached with this much flair!
I was talking with a colleague who loves reading as much as I do. When two readers get to talking about books, it's likely that a large variety will be discussed in snippets. That's how I came to this book. My colleague got to talking about Eleanor Roosevelt and her cousin Alice Roosevelt Longworth and I got interested. I believe my colleague talked about a biography devoted just to Alice but I was more interested in finding a book that compared the cousins.
So I read this one.
I already knew quite a bit about Eleanor - most people do. At the end of this dual-bio, we're told:
Eleanor is historic. Alice is receding into a footnote.At the outset, we're also told the main reason for the cousins' friction:
To her cousin Eleanor, Alice was a childhood playmate, a teenage confidante, and, in adulthood, a relentless rival. Their relationship had taken a sharp turn for the worse thirty years earlier, when Franklin Roosevelt was elected President, a job Alice believed rightly belonged to her favorite brother, Theodore Roosevelt Jr.Of course, Alice's father, Teddy, had already been POTUS - but it seems Alice wanted to keep closer, more personal dibs on who ran the country. But, since she couldn't, she opted for a lifelong grudge, ever on the lookout for a chance to speak out against (or foil) her cousin.
And there was more. We learn near the conclusion that Alice had developed a crush on FDR as well. As one aunt is quoted:
"She was angry because she didn't catch him."This portrait by Marc Peyser and Timothy Dwyer can be split into two parts: pre-'hissing' and 'hissing' proper. (It was humorist Will Rogers who coined the term about them, 'Hissing Cousins'.)
The first part has to do with the cousins' early days, growing up in the spotlight of Washington DC. This section is more of an overview of the political climate of the time, with more 'characters' flying in and out than can be found in a Russian novel.
Halfway-through, the hissing begins, with Alice's viper-tongue being more prominent behind-the-scenes than publicly. But the venom on her part was still much more than an open secret, and the press apparently enjoyed any opportunity to pit the two as rivals... which they never really were. On her part, though Eleanor was quite aware of Alice's 'candor', she chose (by all accounts) to be civil about it, occasionally alluding to 'disagreements' - and never failing in attempts to make Alice feel included in her life (by way of invitations, etc.).
The uneasiness, however, continued to Eleanor's death, with Alice outliving her cousin by a few decades, going on with her habit of becoming allies with those more suited to her bad-girl character - including Nixon, whom she supported even through Watergate (!).
I mentioned to my colleague that, as a result of this book, I wasn't all that enamored of Alice, preferring the selfless Eleanor. My colleague - who hadn't read 'Hissing Cousins' - felt that perhaps the authors weren't sympathetic enough to Alice (!). (She and I agreed that, to an extent, Alice could easily have been a 'victim' of her time, with all that women had to deal with then. ... Still, a conscience comes in there somewhere... unless it never nags you for any reason.)
I thought that, while handling their material with a great deal of humor (thus making history more like a movie you could eat popcorn through), the biographers seemed to be doing their best to give both cousins a fair shake, while withholding judgment.
I can't say I much enjoyed the 'hissing' - such as it was. But I did appreciate the better sense I gained of Eleanor (there's fascinating though still shadowy info on her deeper 'friendships' with women) ... as well as the solidly detailed overview of what went on in DC throughout. If only high school history class had been approached with this much flair!
February 3, 2021
This book was okay. I think that it was well written and well researched. I learned a few things that I hadn't already read in other books and some things that I knew but told from a different perspective. I wouldn't say that this was my favorite book but some of the little known facts were very interesting.
March 6, 2017
Once upon a time there were two little girls, both born in 1884, both named Roosevelt, both part of a huge family that spanned two different political parties. As first cousins, Alice and Eleanor were close as children and remained so throughout their lives. But as is the case with many famous people, the press decided to make more of a supposed feud between Mrs Democrat (Eleanor) and Mrs Republican (Alice) than there really was.
Both girls shared a lot in terms of heartache from a very young age. Two days after her birth, both Alice's mother and grandmother passed away. Her father, Theodore Roosevelt, could not deal with such a crushing blow, so he never again mentioned Alice's mother. She was raised by both TR and his new wife, but she was always made to feel that she was outside that nuclear family, especially once her stepmother started to have her own children. Eleanor's mother died when she was 8 from diphtheria, which also took her younger brother Elliott the following year. The year after that, Eleanor's father Elliott, TR's older brother, died after throwing himself out of a window due to his alcoholism. While Alice still had her father, she still seemed to feel as much an orphan as Eleanor truly was, since TR was so busy with his political career and her stepmother so busy with her own children. And as alike as their lives were, these two women could not be more different.
With her marriage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1905, Eleanor switched her allegiance from the Oyster Bay Roosevelts, who pronounced their name "Roose-eh-velt" and who were die-hard Republicans, into which she was born, to the Hyde Park Roosevelts, who pronounced it "Rose-eh-velt" and followed the Democratic party. The Oyster Bay Roosevelts saw FDR as an upstart, as they had hoped that Ted Roosevelt Jr would follow in his father's huge footsteps and regain the White House for their branch of the family. When FDR became President, his Oyster Bay relatives were incensed.
Alice spent most of her life as a "gadfly," the word that's marked in the "occupation" box of her death certificate. As a teenager in the White House, she caused her father much heartburn with her wild antics, setting the stage for the rest of her life. She loved parties and get-togethers, and chose her guests not for compatibility but for the exact opposite to foment disagreement between them. Her tongue was sharp, but she was incredibly intelligent and had her finger on the pulse of Washington, DC, for most of her long life. From behind the scenes, she influenced candidates and their policies, and she could never resist letting loose cutting jabs at everyone around her, including her own family.
Eleanor was in many ways quite the opposite, a woman who devoted her life to duty and service to her country, even well after her husband passed away during his 3rd term as President. But these ladies also had a lot in common. They both flouted the expectations for women in the early 20th century, even though they each said they had very little influence. Neither could vote until they were in their 30s, but they were definitely movers and shakers in Washington, DC. And the feud that seemed to push these ladies apart was mostly a creation of the media. Granted, Alice seemed to snub Eleanor at times, but it was simply the way Alice dealt with grief. She wasn't intentionally cutting Eleanor because of malice.
This book is a fascinating look at the lives of these two very different yet incredible women from both sides of the political spectrum. It also gives a very interesting look at politics in the early 20th century, something that had put me to sleep in my 10th grade American History class. The writing is accessible and engaging, and I felt more like I was listening to the authors discuss someone I knew instead of reading a well-researched book. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in 20th century politics or the Roosevelt family.
Both girls shared a lot in terms of heartache from a very young age. Two days after her birth, both Alice's mother and grandmother passed away. Her father, Theodore Roosevelt, could not deal with such a crushing blow, so he never again mentioned Alice's mother. She was raised by both TR and his new wife, but she was always made to feel that she was outside that nuclear family, especially once her stepmother started to have her own children. Eleanor's mother died when she was 8 from diphtheria, which also took her younger brother Elliott the following year. The year after that, Eleanor's father Elliott, TR's older brother, died after throwing himself out of a window due to his alcoholism. While Alice still had her father, she still seemed to feel as much an orphan as Eleanor truly was, since TR was so busy with his political career and her stepmother so busy with her own children. And as alike as their lives were, these two women could not be more different.
With her marriage to Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1905, Eleanor switched her allegiance from the Oyster Bay Roosevelts, who pronounced their name "Roose-eh-velt" and who were die-hard Republicans, into which she was born, to the Hyde Park Roosevelts, who pronounced it "Rose-eh-velt" and followed the Democratic party. The Oyster Bay Roosevelts saw FDR as an upstart, as they had hoped that Ted Roosevelt Jr would follow in his father's huge footsteps and regain the White House for their branch of the family. When FDR became President, his Oyster Bay relatives were incensed.
Alice spent most of her life as a "gadfly," the word that's marked in the "occupation" box of her death certificate. As a teenager in the White House, she caused her father much heartburn with her wild antics, setting the stage for the rest of her life. She loved parties and get-togethers, and chose her guests not for compatibility but for the exact opposite to foment disagreement between them. Her tongue was sharp, but she was incredibly intelligent and had her finger on the pulse of Washington, DC, for most of her long life. From behind the scenes, she influenced candidates and their policies, and she could never resist letting loose cutting jabs at everyone around her, including her own family.
Eleanor was in many ways quite the opposite, a woman who devoted her life to duty and service to her country, even well after her husband passed away during his 3rd term as President. But these ladies also had a lot in common. They both flouted the expectations for women in the early 20th century, even though they each said they had very little influence. Neither could vote until they were in their 30s, but they were definitely movers and shakers in Washington, DC. And the feud that seemed to push these ladies apart was mostly a creation of the media. Granted, Alice seemed to snub Eleanor at times, but it was simply the way Alice dealt with grief. She wasn't intentionally cutting Eleanor because of malice.
This book is a fascinating look at the lives of these two very different yet incredible women from both sides of the political spectrum. It also gives a very interesting look at politics in the early 20th century, something that had put me to sleep in my 10th grade American History class. The writing is accessible and engaging, and I felt more like I was listening to the authors discuss someone I knew instead of reading a well-researched book. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in 20th century politics or the Roosevelt family.
December 12, 2020
4.5 rounded up. I learned soooooo much about the Roosevelt family and their great influence in this book. While not the best written book I have read this year, it was definitely the book I learned the most from. I think each time I read a part I shared something "interesting" with my husband. Spoiler alert if you know me well- he did not always find the tidbits interesting. I also had to look up a few words and phrases to expand my vocabulary.
January 21, 2015
HISSING COUSINS is a most appropriate title for this dual biography of first cousins; plain Jane First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and willful, vain and politically astute Alice Longworth Roosevelt as it delves into the on again-off again rivalry that peppered the lives of these two strong women, cousins whose circumstances in their childhood initially brought them together. Perhaps their early attachment had more to do with the similarity in their parentless backgrounds than familial love.
Two people in this telling appear to be the glue that held this dynasty together - their "Aunt Bye" whose home was the central meeting place for the young members of the family and Theodore Roosevelt whose solution to most uncomfortable family situations appears to have been rallying the family with giant "bear hugs".
If genetics and behavior come into play at all in determining the fate of the members of any family, then the amount of alcoholism, unfaithfulness, political in-fighting and inter-marriage in this clan, make one wonder how the Roosevelt family as a whole turned out as well as it did.
What is really evident is that most of the women in this family, from Franklin's mother Sara to the two ladies who occupy center stage in this telling are strong willed, powerful, independent and opinionated women who operated behind the scenes in the political arena quietly wielding their power to advance their individual beliefs and goals and who, in stressful times, stuck together like glue. (Sort of makes one wonder if Alice and Eleanor's perceived rivalry was in reality just a performance guaranteed to generate press).
What is evident is that politics have not changed much over the last 100 years. There are several other clans whose family business, much like the Roosevelt's', is politics. (The Kennedys, Clintons, Bushes, and Rockefellers are just a few that come to mind). Also evident is that the deception and in-fighting within the parties as well as the perpetuation of outright lies is, and always has been, the order of the day in a game where winning is all that matters.
Readers will find the handy family tree located in the front of the book helpful and absolutely necessary in keeping track of all the like-named family members who occupy both branches of this particular tree. This book is not only informative, it is entertaining as well......a feat not easily accomplished when it comes to biographical history.
Two people in this telling appear to be the glue that held this dynasty together - their "Aunt Bye" whose home was the central meeting place for the young members of the family and Theodore Roosevelt whose solution to most uncomfortable family situations appears to have been rallying the family with giant "bear hugs".
If genetics and behavior come into play at all in determining the fate of the members of any family, then the amount of alcoholism, unfaithfulness, political in-fighting and inter-marriage in this clan, make one wonder how the Roosevelt family as a whole turned out as well as it did.
What is really evident is that most of the women in this family, from Franklin's mother Sara to the two ladies who occupy center stage in this telling are strong willed, powerful, independent and opinionated women who operated behind the scenes in the political arena quietly wielding their power to advance their individual beliefs and goals and who, in stressful times, stuck together like glue. (Sort of makes one wonder if Alice and Eleanor's perceived rivalry was in reality just a performance guaranteed to generate press).
What is evident is that politics have not changed much over the last 100 years. There are several other clans whose family business, much like the Roosevelt's', is politics. (The Kennedys, Clintons, Bushes, and Rockefellers are just a few that come to mind). Also evident is that the deception and in-fighting within the parties as well as the perpetuation of outright lies is, and always has been, the order of the day in a game where winning is all that matters.
Readers will find the handy family tree located in the front of the book helpful and absolutely necessary in keeping track of all the like-named family members who occupy both branches of this particular tree. This book is not only informative, it is entertaining as well......a feat not easily accomplished when it comes to biographical history.
March 5, 2018
I have been a groupie of Eleanor Rosevelt most all of my adult life. I think she is an amazing woman and hadn't even heard of this cousin Alice Roosevelt Longworth. The story of their relationship and how they interacted together. This Alice was a woman that had many affairs and was very unfaithful to her family.
This book is a lively and provocative double biography of first cousins Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth, two extraordinary women whose tangled lives provide a sweeping look at the
twentieth century. As Theodore Roosevelt's beautiful and flamboyant daughter, "Princess Alice" became arguably the century's first global celebrity when her father entered the White House in 1901.
Thirty two years later, her first cousin Eleanor moved into the White House as First Lady. Born eight months and twenty blocks apart from each other in New York City, Eleanor and Alice spent a large part of their childhoods together and were far more alike than most historians acknowledge. But their politics and temperaments couldn't have been more distinct. Do-gooder Eleanor was committed to social justice but hated the limelight; acid-tongued Alice , who became the wife of philandering Republican congressman Nicholas Longworth, was an opponent of big government who gained notoriety.
Franklin died a very quiet death, and Eleanor and their children took very gracious care of their father's body and burial. The service was very lovely. President Truman was a darling when it came to Eleanor. He kept a very special friendship with him, and put her to work for him. They did really well together and the friendship was treasured. There are some very interesting details that they close the book with. I really enjoyed it and the writing and narrating. Highly recommend.
This book is a lively and provocative double biography of first cousins Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth, two extraordinary women whose tangled lives provide a sweeping look at the
twentieth century. As Theodore Roosevelt's beautiful and flamboyant daughter, "Princess Alice" became arguably the century's first global celebrity when her father entered the White House in 1901.
Thirty two years later, her first cousin Eleanor moved into the White House as First Lady. Born eight months and twenty blocks apart from each other in New York City, Eleanor and Alice spent a large part of their childhoods together and were far more alike than most historians acknowledge. But their politics and temperaments couldn't have been more distinct. Do-gooder Eleanor was committed to social justice but hated the limelight; acid-tongued Alice , who became the wife of philandering Republican congressman Nicholas Longworth, was an opponent of big government who gained notoriety.
Franklin died a very quiet death, and Eleanor and their children took very gracious care of their father's body and burial. The service was very lovely. President Truman was a darling when it came to Eleanor. He kept a very special friendship with him, and put her to work for him. They did really well together and the friendship was treasured. There are some very interesting details that they close the book with. I really enjoyed it and the writing and narrating. Highly recommend.
April 29, 2015
After reading books about both women, this is a good way to tie their lives together.
Both women were Roosevelts with Eleanor from the Hyde Park side and Alice from Oyster Bay. Eleanor married her fifth cousin and became First Lady while Alice was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and became a sort of first advisor to politicians and the hostess of salons for the rich and famous.
Each struggled with parents who had little time for them. In Eleanor's case, her mother found her too serious and plain. In Alice's case, her mother and grandmother died when she was born and Theodore knew only to deposit his new daughter with relatives and take off on a wild trip through the wilderness to deal with his grief. Both women tried to capture the attention of their inattentive parent.
While Alice's mother had died, Eleanor's father and favorite died early of alcoholism.
Both women married men who were unfaithful and found themselves carving out lives for themselves. Eleanor became the eyes and ears and spokeswoman for her Presidential husband and sincerely caring for the poor and disenfranchised. Alice's realm was with the wealthy and influential.
As their paths cross and cross again so are the swords crossed, but mostly from Alice's side while Eleanor seemed to excuse or ignore her brash cousin.
These are interesting women at an interesting time in history. How they coped and how Eleanor, the quiet one, became an icon of American politics and Alice, one of the most talked about women in the political scene, is very much worth the read. This is a favorite, although I can't make Goodreads list it like that.
Both women were Roosevelts with Eleanor from the Hyde Park side and Alice from Oyster Bay. Eleanor married her fifth cousin and became First Lady while Alice was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and became a sort of first advisor to politicians and the hostess of salons for the rich and famous.
Each struggled with parents who had little time for them. In Eleanor's case, her mother found her too serious and plain. In Alice's case, her mother and grandmother died when she was born and Theodore knew only to deposit his new daughter with relatives and take off on a wild trip through the wilderness to deal with his grief. Both women tried to capture the attention of their inattentive parent.
While Alice's mother had died, Eleanor's father and favorite died early of alcoholism.
Both women married men who were unfaithful and found themselves carving out lives for themselves. Eleanor became the eyes and ears and spokeswoman for her Presidential husband and sincerely caring for the poor and disenfranchised. Alice's realm was with the wealthy and influential.
As their paths cross and cross again so are the swords crossed, but mostly from Alice's side while Eleanor seemed to excuse or ignore her brash cousin.
These are interesting women at an interesting time in history. How they coped and how Eleanor, the quiet one, became an icon of American politics and Alice, one of the most talked about women in the political scene, is very much worth the read. This is a favorite, although I can't make Goodreads list it like that.
March 5, 2016
This book intrigued me. I knew Eleanor Roosevelt who hasn't heard of her, but barely knew Alice. Only vague mentions of her as a daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and that she was known as Princess Alice. Though slow to start as I often find biographies to be, after the first chapter I often found it hard to put down. While admiring of Eleanor's many good works, I found Alice spoiled, selfish and rather shallow. However there was a certain charm about her that also warmed me toward her. Her caustic wit and comments often reminiscent to the fictional dowager on Downton Abbey. Both women suffered tremendous tragedy in their lives from loss of parents,not children. While Alice was always outspoken and a rebel Eleanor slowly grew into her confidence. Neither women was perfect both were bad mothers, Alice was cold and mean, Eleanor also capable of being mean after the singing teapot episode. But ultimately and best of all despite the press portraying them as bitter rivals, despite their opposite political views they were still able to treat each other with love and respect and avoided putting each other down in public, much. Something missing in the politics of today. Overall and very enjoyable dual biography of two exceptional and very different women who had more in common than either would've ever admitted.
May 17, 2019
Based on the provocative and sensationalistic title, I assumed this book would be a gossipy, tabloid soap opera tale. Boy, was I ever wrong!
Surprisingly well researched and well written, the book presents an interesting, understanding and balanced look at cousins Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt. On the surface, both would seem to have little in common. In fact, however, both were strong, opinionated women who willingly lived their lives in the national spotlight and who had troubled childhoods and marriages. Each also experienced tragic problems with their children. Neither was capable of being a good mother, which isn’t surprising due to their own stunted emotional lives. Alice’s mother died as a result of giving birth to her, an event that so devastated her father, Theodore Roosevelt, that he forever after had to distance himself emotionally from her. Eleanor’s father was an alcoholic, and her mother a cruel and thoughtless beauty who seemed to despise her homely child and treat her with cruelty.
The experiences Eleanor and Alice had as children continued to color their motivations, desires and needs throughout their adult lives. That both became strong and independent women made them unique in their lifetimes and testified to their gritty self determination and will.
Surprisingly well researched and well written, the book presents an interesting, understanding and balanced look at cousins Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt. On the surface, both would seem to have little in common. In fact, however, both were strong, opinionated women who willingly lived their lives in the national spotlight and who had troubled childhoods and marriages. Each also experienced tragic problems with their children. Neither was capable of being a good mother, which isn’t surprising due to their own stunted emotional lives. Alice’s mother died as a result of giving birth to her, an event that so devastated her father, Theodore Roosevelt, that he forever after had to distance himself emotionally from her. Eleanor’s father was an alcoholic, and her mother a cruel and thoughtless beauty who seemed to despise her homely child and treat her with cruelty.
The experiences Eleanor and Alice had as children continued to color their motivations, desires and needs throughout their adult lives. That both became strong and independent women made them unique in their lifetimes and testified to their gritty self determination and will.
December 28, 2020
This is a really fun read. Peyser and Dwyer provide an overview of the lives of first cousins Eleanor and Alice Roosevelt; enough about their lives to provide context, but not a lot of depth. The authors do provide plenty of anecdotes that give life to these women the way that many biographies don't. Despite the title of Hissing Cousins, the hypothesis of the authors is that Eleanor and Alice were never the enemies the press and the people of Washington made them out to be. The two were close as children and young women, and spent their adult lives needling each other, but there always seemed to be an underlying respect and affection between the two.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I knew a lot about Eleanor, but didn't know a number of the personal stories that were included here. And though I'd seen references to Alice many times, I knew little of her life. The authors seem most affectionate toward Teddy Roosevelt, and this book did make me want to read more about him. The authors have a breezy style that make this fun to read. It manages to be both gossipy and educational.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I knew a lot about Eleanor, but didn't know a number of the personal stories that were included here. And though I'd seen references to Alice many times, I knew little of her life. The authors seem most affectionate toward Teddy Roosevelt, and this book did make me want to read more about him. The authors have a breezy style that make this fun to read. It manages to be both gossipy and educational.
February 16, 2015
I was impressed that the author was able to tell the stories of these two women basically from birth to death within one book. It never seemed too long and actually I could have read more because it read mostly like a story and didn't get bogged down with dry facts. To me this is a great way to learn about history. Because it was an overview of the entire lives of two people, it definitely leaves the door open for lots more reading and learning about Eleanor, Alice, and the whole Roosevelt family.
June 18, 2016
♥ loved.
November 17, 2015
Originally published at Reading Reality
A fascinating dual biography of the first two female power-brokers in the U.S., along with a peek inside one of the longest-running First Families in U.S. history, and with a look at the way the rich and famous lived in what has often been called “the American Century”.
We think of them as being from two different eras, but they were not. While Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S., and Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the U.S., Alice and Eleanor were not just cousins, but they were born in the same year – 1884.
And for two women who on the surface seem to be exact opposites, there are a surprising number of similarities – and some absolutely fascinating differences.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a lot like Princess Di or the Kardashians. She was famous because of who she was, not what she did. When her father Teddy Roosevelt became president she was 15 years old and rebellious into the bargain. And she loved the publicity brought by her rebelliousness. The press loved her, she made great copy, and they dubbed her “Princess Alice”.
A color was named for her, Alice Blue, and a hit Broadway song was named for that color, “Alice Blue Gown” in the musical Irene. While Alice was famously everywhere, her cousin Eleanor was shy, retiring and still far from growing into the woman and the reformer that she would later become.
And it’s entirely possible that both girls “set their caps” for their cousin Franklin, but Eleanor caught him. Alice married Nicholas Longworth, a Congressman from Ohio who eventually became Speaker of the House. Longworth was the first in a long line of older, politically powerful men that Alice loved, and whose careers she both nurtured and skewered.
In her old age, Alice became famous for the saying, “If you can’t say something good about someone, sit right here by me.” Alice was often viciously malicious throughout her long life, and her cousin Eleanor was a frequent target. Alice enjoyed being bad, and Eleanor was always frightfully good.
Eleanor Roosevelt could easily have been just like Alice – famous for being the President’s wife (instead of his daughter) and not known for much else. Instead, Eleanor Roosevelt became one of the most famous American women of the 20th century. FDR’s polio in 1921 forced Eleanor to become the more active political campaigner, while FDR ran for Governor of New York, and after two terms, President of the United States. It was impossible to be shy and retiring on the campaign trail, even in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Eleanor was forced out of her shell, and she found the confidence to not only campaign for her husband, but to champion the reform causes that were near and dear to her own heart, even if her husband disagreed with them. Eleanor became the quintessential upper class do-gooder, but unlike many of her type, she didn’t just pay causes lip-service, she got stuff done.
Alice and Eleanor were like the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz – always on opposite sides, but still very much family.
Mrs. Democrat (Eleanor) and Mrs. Republican (Alice) wielded their very real power in completely different ways. But they were alike in their background, in their tragedies, and in being the first women to have so much power at their own fingertips.
Reality Rating A: Eleanor Roosevelt is a historical figure that everyone thinks they know about. Alice Roosevelt Longworth, on the other hand, at the beginning of the 20th century was much more famous (and infamous), than her cousin Eleanor ever thought of being.
That the situation reversed had a lot to do with the different ways that these women wielded power, and their often divergent paths in life, in spite of, or perhaps because of, their very similar beginnings.
We often forget that Eleanor Roosevelt was Franklin Roosevelt’s cousin as well as his wife. Roosevelt was both her maiden name and her married name! And in our current era of political dynasties, the Kennedys, the Bushes,, and the Clintons, we sometimes forget that the Roosevelts got there first. Between 1900 and FDR’s death in 1945, there were 12 presidential elections, and either TR or FDR was on the ballot 8 of those 12 times. Only 1908, 1916, 1924, 1928 lacked a Roosevelt on one ticket or the other. Not even the Bushes have been that dominant, whether in success or failure.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Roosevelts were always in the news.
The story in Hissing Cousins isn’t just the news that they made, but how both women achieved their fame (or notoriety) and what they did with it.
While they both became power-brokers, they went about it entirely differently. Sharp and sparkling (and often maliciously vicious) Alice always worked behind the scenes. Her whispers were like a knife in the dark to many a political career, including on her own side. Eleanor was a public-minded and public-spirited reformer, she came out from behind her husband’s shadow and held office in her own name and for her own causes. Eleanor emerged from her own shyness to hold forth confidently in the sunshine. Alice liked publicity for herself, but she worked for her party behind the scenes.
Which of them was more truly influential is a bit hard to tell. While every President from TR to Gerald Ford met with Alice Roosevelt Longworth, what was said, what advice she gave, was not recorded. It was not intended to be. Although Richard Nixon was a favorite of Alice’s, it’s a pity that she didn’t meet with him in the White House, we might have recordings. But “Princess Alice” made the politicians court her, not the other way around.
Alice’s power was a kind of soft power, and the type that women historically held. Her power was the power of influence and gossip. She had good political instincts, and she used them to help those she favored, but it wasn’t the kind of power that led to speechmaking or officeholding of her own. She worked best from the shadows.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s use of power is the model we see today. She held offices of her own, admittedly mostly after FDR died. But she worked in her own name, particularly for the United Nations. What she said, what she did, was recorded as hers. Her successes and failures were also publicly hers.
But seeing their lives laid out side by side, as they each struggled for the limelight, and struggled with their children and their especially domineering mothers in law, we see how alike they are amongst their differences. And it makes for a fascinating story.
A fascinating dual biography of the first two female power-brokers in the U.S., along with a peek inside one of the longest-running First Families in U.S. history, and with a look at the way the rich and famous lived in what has often been called “the American Century”.
We think of them as being from two different eras, but they were not. While Alice Roosevelt Longworth was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S., and Eleanor Roosevelt was the wife of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the U.S., Alice and Eleanor were not just cousins, but they were born in the same year – 1884.
And for two women who on the surface seem to be exact opposites, there are a surprising number of similarities – and some absolutely fascinating differences.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a lot like Princess Di or the Kardashians. She was famous because of who she was, not what she did. When her father Teddy Roosevelt became president she was 15 years old and rebellious into the bargain. And she loved the publicity brought by her rebelliousness. The press loved her, she made great copy, and they dubbed her “Princess Alice”.
A color was named for her, Alice Blue, and a hit Broadway song was named for that color, “Alice Blue Gown” in the musical Irene. While Alice was famously everywhere, her cousin Eleanor was shy, retiring and still far from growing into the woman and the reformer that she would later become.
And it’s entirely possible that both girls “set their caps” for their cousin Franklin, but Eleanor caught him. Alice married Nicholas Longworth, a Congressman from Ohio who eventually became Speaker of the House. Longworth was the first in a long line of older, politically powerful men that Alice loved, and whose careers she both nurtured and skewered.
In her old age, Alice became famous for the saying, “If you can’t say something good about someone, sit right here by me.” Alice was often viciously malicious throughout her long life, and her cousin Eleanor was a frequent target. Alice enjoyed being bad, and Eleanor was always frightfully good.
Eleanor Roosevelt could easily have been just like Alice – famous for being the President’s wife (instead of his daughter) and not known for much else. Instead, Eleanor Roosevelt became one of the most famous American women of the 20th century. FDR’s polio in 1921 forced Eleanor to become the more active political campaigner, while FDR ran for Governor of New York, and after two terms, President of the United States. It was impossible to be shy and retiring on the campaign trail, even in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Eleanor was forced out of her shell, and she found the confidence to not only campaign for her husband, but to champion the reform causes that were near and dear to her own heart, even if her husband disagreed with them. Eleanor became the quintessential upper class do-gooder, but unlike many of her type, she didn’t just pay causes lip-service, she got stuff done.
Alice and Eleanor were like the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch in The Wizard of Oz – always on opposite sides, but still very much family.
Mrs. Democrat (Eleanor) and Mrs. Republican (Alice) wielded their very real power in completely different ways. But they were alike in their background, in their tragedies, and in being the first women to have so much power at their own fingertips.
Reality Rating A: Eleanor Roosevelt is a historical figure that everyone thinks they know about. Alice Roosevelt Longworth, on the other hand, at the beginning of the 20th century was much more famous (and infamous), than her cousin Eleanor ever thought of being.
That the situation reversed had a lot to do with the different ways that these women wielded power, and their often divergent paths in life, in spite of, or perhaps because of, their very similar beginnings.
We often forget that Eleanor Roosevelt was Franklin Roosevelt’s cousin as well as his wife. Roosevelt was both her maiden name and her married name! And in our current era of political dynasties, the Kennedys, the Bushes,, and the Clintons, we sometimes forget that the Roosevelts got there first. Between 1900 and FDR’s death in 1945, there were 12 presidential elections, and either TR or FDR was on the ballot 8 of those 12 times. Only 1908, 1916, 1924, 1928 lacked a Roosevelt on one ticket or the other. Not even the Bushes have been that dominant, whether in success or failure.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Roosevelts were always in the news.
The story in Hissing Cousins isn’t just the news that they made, but how both women achieved their fame (or notoriety) and what they did with it.
While they both became power-brokers, they went about it entirely differently. Sharp and sparkling (and often maliciously vicious) Alice always worked behind the scenes. Her whispers were like a knife in the dark to many a political career, including on her own side. Eleanor was a public-minded and public-spirited reformer, she came out from behind her husband’s shadow and held office in her own name and for her own causes. Eleanor emerged from her own shyness to hold forth confidently in the sunshine. Alice liked publicity for herself, but she worked for her party behind the scenes.
Which of them was more truly influential is a bit hard to tell. While every President from TR to Gerald Ford met with Alice Roosevelt Longworth, what was said, what advice she gave, was not recorded. It was not intended to be. Although Richard Nixon was a favorite of Alice’s, it’s a pity that she didn’t meet with him in the White House, we might have recordings. But “Princess Alice” made the politicians court her, not the other way around.
Alice’s power was a kind of soft power, and the type that women historically held. Her power was the power of influence and gossip. She had good political instincts, and she used them to help those she favored, but it wasn’t the kind of power that led to speechmaking or officeholding of her own. She worked best from the shadows.
Eleanor Roosevelt’s use of power is the model we see today. She held offices of her own, admittedly mostly after FDR died. But she worked in her own name, particularly for the United Nations. What she said, what she did, was recorded as hers. Her successes and failures were also publicly hers.
But seeing their lives laid out side by side, as they each struggled for the limelight, and struggled with their children and their especially domineering mothers in law, we see how alike they are amongst their differences. And it makes for a fascinating story.
April 15, 2016
Dry at times, but overall, an interesting comparison and contrast of these first cousins.
The brief background provided about the history of the Roosevelt family was very interesting. I had read the companion book to the PBS series on the Roosevelt's, but this was a nice refresher. Also, going back to two brothers, one migrated to Long Island's Oyster Bay (Teddy Roosevelt's branch) and the other found their way to Hyde Park (FDR's side).
While the families had many similarities, their biggest difference was in their politics -- Teddy's side were staunch Republicans, while FDR's side were all die-hard Democrats. It is this division that would divide Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt for most of their lives.
Early in their lives, Alice and Eleanor were extremely close, often inseparable. It was only as they got older and life "interfered" that things changed.
The family dynamics were most intriguing. Everyone sought Teddy's approval and love, including his daughter, Alice and his niece Eleanor. This was a seed of rivalry that proved contentious for both women throughout their lives. Another, was the infamous good girl vs bad girl synopsis. I have said it before (when I read a biography on Alice) and I will say it again, Alice was a woman decades ahead of her time. She was the epitome of the "bad girl" label.
Franklin collected stamps. Alice collected vices: smoking, gambling, gossiping, sleeping past noon; "she was like a Girl Scout in reverse, gathering demerit badges." This information plus the stories afterward may seem a bit comedic, but they were also true. Alice was daring.
One of the surprising facts that I learned was that at one point, during his affair with Lucy Mercer, FDR did want to marry her. Eleanor offered him a divorce, but his mother, Sara (who definitely wore the pants on that side of the family), stepped in, and said absolutely not! The aftermath and what occurred (or didn't) of this debacle between FDR & Eleanor was equally fascinating.
The information regarding Alice's marriage to Nicholas Longworth and the information about his wandering eyes and hands offered nothing new. I had read about this in other books. However, new information was provided on Alice's affair with Senator William Borah, and this I found of great interest. Later, and much like Eleanor and FDR's relationship, Alice and Nicholas's marriage was more of a "business only" arrangement.
The big turning point in Alice's and Eleanor's relationship was when FDR was elected President of the United States. Alice was continuously looking for ways to get back into the White House, and she thought her brother, Teddy, Jr. should have been President (p. 136).
Alice's attempt to school Eleanor in the finer points of being a first lady, although cruel, was laugh out loud hilarious. She really was a pill. Also, I literally guffawed when I read that Alice called the President, Frank.
FDR and his wheelchair (it didn't seem to matter what put him in it) earned him much sympathy, even when people didn't particularly like the man, himself.
The "Singing Teapot" was an interesting thread, as was the hot dog incident that at the time was considered a huge diplomatic no-no. Another interesting thread was in regards to Franklin and Eleanor's second son Elliott and some accusations that were made against him (p. 255) -- these were compared to the Singing Teapot charges against two of Teddy's sons during the Teapot Dome Scandal of 1924.
The comparison between Alice and Eleanor and the facts that each of their husbands died in the presence of their mistresses (instead of their wives) was intriguing.
Another guffaw moment was learning that Alice planted voodoo dolls around the grounds of the White House when she was forced to vacate in 1909.
The 1940's were a sad time for Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Reading about all of the death that surrounded her was heartbreaking.
Reading about the activities just before Eleanor's death was also heartbreaking. Even though she was 77, I think she could have gone on to have another successful career if she hadn't gotten sick. The week after her death, Martin Luther King, Jr. sent a telegram to the family that said, "Eleanor Roosevelt, as does Lincoln, belongs to the ages."
Recently, there was a big stink because President Obama didn't go to Nancy Reagan's funeral. In recent years, the protocol has been for the First Lady to attend, but not the President. In 1962, this was not the case. When Eleanor Roosevelt was laid to rest, Presidents Kennedy, Truman, and Eisenhower traveled to Hyde Park, making this the first time that three presidents attended the funeral of an American woman.
Even though they had sort of started to mend fences, Alice did not attend Eleanor's funeral.
The history surrounding Alice's death was fascinating. Karma.
So, they were born in the same neighborhood, shared the same friends, lived in the same houses (including the White one), married the same types of men, etc. The comparisons continue on and on. In my opinion, they were so much alike, that ultimately, they couldn't get along.
Towards the end of the book, it says, "But focusing on the differences between Mrs. Republican and Mrs. Democrat shouldn't distract from their unique bond. For a country and has so thoroughly embraced a republican form of government, American has produced a surprising number of dynasties. The Adamses, Harrisons, and Bushes each produced two presidents, and the Kennedys filled a remarkable number of elective offices at all levels. By some measure, the Roosevelts were the most successful of them all. In the first half of the 20th century, either Theodore or Franklin was on a national ticket for eight of the twelve presidential elections between 1900 and 1944. What's more, no other political family dominated two political parties - three, if you include TR's short lived Progressives. An no other family produced two women who dominated the national conversation as thoroughly as Alice Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt. Collectively, their names appeared on the front page of the New York Times more than 400 hundred times, on matters trivial to international. Between them, they lived in the White House for more than 20 years. They met countless heads of state, over a span of eight decades and representing countries on every continent save Antarctica. ..."
The brief background provided about the history of the Roosevelt family was very interesting. I had read the companion book to the PBS series on the Roosevelt's, but this was a nice refresher. Also, going back to two brothers, one migrated to Long Island's Oyster Bay (Teddy Roosevelt's branch) and the other found their way to Hyde Park (FDR's side).
While the families had many similarities, their biggest difference was in their politics -- Teddy's side were staunch Republicans, while FDR's side were all die-hard Democrats. It is this division that would divide Alice Roosevelt Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt for most of their lives.
Early in their lives, Alice and Eleanor were extremely close, often inseparable. It was only as they got older and life "interfered" that things changed.
The family dynamics were most intriguing. Everyone sought Teddy's approval and love, including his daughter, Alice and his niece Eleanor. This was a seed of rivalry that proved contentious for both women throughout their lives. Another, was the infamous good girl vs bad girl synopsis. I have said it before (when I read a biography on Alice) and I will say it again, Alice was a woman decades ahead of her time. She was the epitome of the "bad girl" label.
Franklin collected stamps. Alice collected vices: smoking, gambling, gossiping, sleeping past noon; "she was like a Girl Scout in reverse, gathering demerit badges." This information plus the stories afterward may seem a bit comedic, but they were also true. Alice was daring.
One of the surprising facts that I learned was that at one point, during his affair with Lucy Mercer, FDR did want to marry her. Eleanor offered him a divorce, but his mother, Sara (who definitely wore the pants on that side of the family), stepped in, and said absolutely not! The aftermath and what occurred (or didn't) of this debacle between FDR & Eleanor was equally fascinating.
The information regarding Alice's marriage to Nicholas Longworth and the information about his wandering eyes and hands offered nothing new. I had read about this in other books. However, new information was provided on Alice's affair with Senator William Borah, and this I found of great interest. Later, and much like Eleanor and FDR's relationship, Alice and Nicholas's marriage was more of a "business only" arrangement.
The big turning point in Alice's and Eleanor's relationship was when FDR was elected President of the United States. Alice was continuously looking for ways to get back into the White House, and she thought her brother, Teddy, Jr. should have been President (p. 136).
Alice's attempt to school Eleanor in the finer points of being a first lady, although cruel, was laugh out loud hilarious. She really was a pill. Also, I literally guffawed when I read that Alice called the President, Frank.
FDR and his wheelchair (it didn't seem to matter what put him in it) earned him much sympathy, even when people didn't particularly like the man, himself.
The "Singing Teapot" was an interesting thread, as was the hot dog incident that at the time was considered a huge diplomatic no-no. Another interesting thread was in regards to Franklin and Eleanor's second son Elliott and some accusations that were made against him (p. 255) -- these were compared to the Singing Teapot charges against two of Teddy's sons during the Teapot Dome Scandal of 1924.
The comparison between Alice and Eleanor and the facts that each of their husbands died in the presence of their mistresses (instead of their wives) was intriguing.
Another guffaw moment was learning that Alice planted voodoo dolls around the grounds of the White House when she was forced to vacate in 1909.
The 1940's were a sad time for Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Reading about all of the death that surrounded her was heartbreaking.
Reading about the activities just before Eleanor's death was also heartbreaking. Even though she was 77, I think she could have gone on to have another successful career if she hadn't gotten sick. The week after her death, Martin Luther King, Jr. sent a telegram to the family that said, "Eleanor Roosevelt, as does Lincoln, belongs to the ages."
Recently, there was a big stink because President Obama didn't go to Nancy Reagan's funeral. In recent years, the protocol has been for the First Lady to attend, but not the President. In 1962, this was not the case. When Eleanor Roosevelt was laid to rest, Presidents Kennedy, Truman, and Eisenhower traveled to Hyde Park, making this the first time that three presidents attended the funeral of an American woman.
Even though they had sort of started to mend fences, Alice did not attend Eleanor's funeral.
The history surrounding Alice's death was fascinating. Karma.
So, they were born in the same neighborhood, shared the same friends, lived in the same houses (including the White one), married the same types of men, etc. The comparisons continue on and on. In my opinion, they were so much alike, that ultimately, they couldn't get along.
Towards the end of the book, it says, "But focusing on the differences between Mrs. Republican and Mrs. Democrat shouldn't distract from their unique bond. For a country and has so thoroughly embraced a republican form of government, American has produced a surprising number of dynasties. The Adamses, Harrisons, and Bushes each produced two presidents, and the Kennedys filled a remarkable number of elective offices at all levels. By some measure, the Roosevelts were the most successful of them all. In the first half of the 20th century, either Theodore or Franklin was on a national ticket for eight of the twelve presidential elections between 1900 and 1944. What's more, no other political family dominated two political parties - three, if you include TR's short lived Progressives. An no other family produced two women who dominated the national conversation as thoroughly as Alice Longworth and Eleanor Roosevelt. Collectively, their names appeared on the front page of the New York Times more than 400 hundred times, on matters trivial to international. Between them, they lived in the White House for more than 20 years. They met countless heads of state, over a span of eight decades and representing countries on every continent save Antarctica. ..."
September 21, 2024
Alice Roosevelt was cruel. The book helps make sense of Eleanor’s insecurities.
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