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Lincoln's White House: The People's House in Wartime
Lincoln’s White House is the first book devoted to capturing the look, feel, and smell of the executive mansion from Lincoln’s inauguration in 1861 to his assassination in 1865. James Conroy brings to life the people who knew it, from servants to cabinet secretaries. We see the constant stream of visitors, from ordinary citizens to visiting dignitaries and diplomats. Conroy enables the reader to see how the Lincolns lived and how the administration conducted day-to-day business during four of the most tumultuous years in American history. Relying on fresh research and a character-driven narrative and drawing on untapped primary sources, he takes the reader on a behind-the-scenes tour that provides new insight into how Lincoln lived, led the government, conducted war, and ultimately, unified the country to build a better government of, by, and for the people.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
March 29, 2022
I really liked Conroy’s more recent book Jefferson's White House: Monticello on the Potomac, which revealed a side of Jefferson not often seen and related stories not often told about his time in the White House. This earlier effort of Conroy’s aimed to do the same for Lincoln and his time in the White House.
But when it comes to Lincoln, there are few sides of him that are not often seen and few stories about him that are not often told. So while this book is a fine collection of anecdotes, many of them familiar ones, it doesn’t quite live up to Conroy’s goal of “revealing Lincoln’s character and tracking his growth.”
In describing the purpose of his work on Lincoln’s White House, Conroy notes that “no book had ever captured in one place how it looked, felt, and smelled… its servants, guards, and aides… what Lincoln was like to work for… his wife’s lavish refurbishments and entertainments; the shady company she kept… the mobs of persistent job seekers,” and more. Until now, he writes, “no one had woven them together to bring Lincoln’s White House to life.”
That may be true, though William Seale did a pretty good job of it in the 50+ pages he devoted to Lincoln in his The President's House. Conroy’s book-length treatment is able to devote more time and attention to stories about, and told by, Lincoln’s aides and other White House staffers. There are plenty of interesting details about Mary Lincoln’s overspending and creative accounting with her White House accomplices. Stories are told about the famous visitors to the White House - everyone from Sojourner Truth to P.T. Barnum. And Conroy offers several revealing details about the workaday world of a wartime White House, whether describing Lincoln’s office with maps strewn around, or the cavalier lack of security that allowed just about any shady character to wander about.
There are also details that a reader probably could have done without. "The elegant White House stationery was made of fine stock,” Conroy tells us at one point. “Long letters were written on a single sheet of paper in a choice of two sizes, folded in half to make four pages of 8 by 10 or 5 by 8 inches, ruled with light blue lines like a school examination book..." Descriptions like this are certainly thorough, but not all that captivating.
The best parts of the book are the descriptions of Lincoln himself, who Conroy writes was "rarely interested in his surroundings," so he wasn’t overly impressed with the grandeur of living in the White House. And as "kind as Lincoln was, manufactured cheer was not in him" when he was forced to deal with swarms of visitors and office seekers.
Mostly, though, Lincoln is something of a supporting character in this story. We hear others’ perceptions of him, but Lincoln himself remains somewhat removed, as though we’re observing him from a distance. And the book’s chronological approach makes the narrative seem somewhat haphazard and discontinuous, as we flit from one unrelated anecdote to the next, whereas a more thematic approach might have been somewhat less dizzying and more digestible.
In the end, Conroy does succeed in his goal to compile these disparate stories into a single book that “brings Lincoln’s White House to life.” But there’s little that truly “reveals Lincoln’s character and tracks his growth.” It’s like pouring yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and only picking out the marshmallows to eat - you end up getting all the color and flavor that’s enjoyable in the moment, and if that’s what you like, go for it. But if you want something with more nutritional value, you’ll need to make sure you supplement those marshmallows by seeking out some heartier fare elsewhere.
But when it comes to Lincoln, there are few sides of him that are not often seen and few stories about him that are not often told. So while this book is a fine collection of anecdotes, many of them familiar ones, it doesn’t quite live up to Conroy’s goal of “revealing Lincoln’s character and tracking his growth.”
In describing the purpose of his work on Lincoln’s White House, Conroy notes that “no book had ever captured in one place how it looked, felt, and smelled… its servants, guards, and aides… what Lincoln was like to work for… his wife’s lavish refurbishments and entertainments; the shady company she kept… the mobs of persistent job seekers,” and more. Until now, he writes, “no one had woven them together to bring Lincoln’s White House to life.”
That may be true, though William Seale did a pretty good job of it in the 50+ pages he devoted to Lincoln in his The President's House. Conroy’s book-length treatment is able to devote more time and attention to stories about, and told by, Lincoln’s aides and other White House staffers. There are plenty of interesting details about Mary Lincoln’s overspending and creative accounting with her White House accomplices. Stories are told about the famous visitors to the White House - everyone from Sojourner Truth to P.T. Barnum. And Conroy offers several revealing details about the workaday world of a wartime White House, whether describing Lincoln’s office with maps strewn around, or the cavalier lack of security that allowed just about any shady character to wander about.
There are also details that a reader probably could have done without. "The elegant White House stationery was made of fine stock,” Conroy tells us at one point. “Long letters were written on a single sheet of paper in a choice of two sizes, folded in half to make four pages of 8 by 10 or 5 by 8 inches, ruled with light blue lines like a school examination book..." Descriptions like this are certainly thorough, but not all that captivating.
The best parts of the book are the descriptions of Lincoln himself, who Conroy writes was "rarely interested in his surroundings," so he wasn’t overly impressed with the grandeur of living in the White House. And as "kind as Lincoln was, manufactured cheer was not in him" when he was forced to deal with swarms of visitors and office seekers.
Mostly, though, Lincoln is something of a supporting character in this story. We hear others’ perceptions of him, but Lincoln himself remains somewhat removed, as though we’re observing him from a distance. And the book’s chronological approach makes the narrative seem somewhat haphazard and discontinuous, as we flit from one unrelated anecdote to the next, whereas a more thematic approach might have been somewhat less dizzying and more digestible.
In the end, Conroy does succeed in his goal to compile these disparate stories into a single book that “brings Lincoln’s White House to life.” But there’s little that truly “reveals Lincoln’s character and tracks his growth.” It’s like pouring yourself a bowl of Lucky Charms and only picking out the marshmallows to eat - you end up getting all the color and flavor that’s enjoyable in the moment, and if that’s what you like, go for it. But if you want something with more nutritional value, you’ll need to make sure you supplement those marshmallows by seeking out some heartier fare elsewhere.
January 20, 2022
This is a fantastic book. I've learned more about Lincoln, and what his life would have been like in the White House, from this singular book than many others. The author draws on an array of personal accounts, and his description of the White House is the right balance of imagining what it was like without drowning in minor detail. I was afraid it would be 1) boring 2) repetitive of other Lincoln works and 3) more architecture and WH history than Lincoln. I couldn't have been more wrong. I feel like I was there, and loved learning about his secretaries, the other characters that came in and out of the White House. Conroy also strikes a good balance with Mary Lincoln--calls out her grave and embarrassing behavior but doesn't dwell too much; rather, she's just one more piece of all the woes Lincoln managed so beautifully. I wish I hadn't finished it so fast, guess I'll read it again.
July 17, 2017
2 1/2-3 stars. I read this book because it won the Gilder Lehrman Lincoln Prize, and the subject matter sounded interesting. The book does contain fascinating material, but Conroy seems unsure what to do with it all. In spite of the author's grandly stated intention to portray the Executive Mansion as "a rallying point for the war, a sounding board for the people, a platform for social change, and an engine for racial progress p. 5)," the book reads more like a compiled collection of amusing anecdotes than a work of substantive Lincoln scholarship. "Life in the White House" encompasses everything from mundane descriptions of office furniture and White House stationery to rather extensive biographical material on John Nicolay, John Hay, and Mary Todd Lincoln. Again, an absorbing read, but ultimately too unfocused for my tastes.
January 1, 2018
If you have an interest in what life in Lincoln's White House was like during the Civil War, James B. Conroy's book is the definitive word. Using over two hundred primary and secondary sources, he weaves a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of the lives of Abraham Lincoln, his family, his staff and visitors in the Executive Mansion. Lincoln's accomplishments become nobler, and his wife's schemes plainer, in this well-written narrative life at the top in wartime.
January 14, 2026
James B. Conroy’s 2017 book, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘯’𝘴 𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦, reimagines Lincoln’s presidency through the vibrant and often chaotic life of the Executive Mansion during the Civil War. Conroy’s narrative is a richly textured and deeply human portrait of life inside the worn walls of the White House, allowing readers to experience how it looked, felt, and functioned as both a domestic space and a wartime nerve center. The end result is a political history that is unique to itself, an exploration of leadership through the personal, social, and physical dimensions of the People's House.
That term serves as a central theme of the book — Lincoln’s home was unusually accessible: citizens from all walks of life, ranging from soldiers, civilians, dignitaries, hopeful office‑seekers, entertainers, and even curious onlookers streamed through its doors. Lincoln’s open levees and casually democratic approach to visitors reflected his belief that the presidency belonged to the people who elected him. This openness, while a source of some chaos, reinforced a sense of shared national purpose at a time of deep division.
In what I found to be especially moving, Conroy explores the interplay between personal grief and public duty, focusing on the interior of the White House at critical junctures during Lincoln's time in office. In the wake of the death of his son Willie in 1862, the rooms were draped in black for mourning, becoming a backdrop where Lincoln’s private sorrow and national crisis overlapped. This juxtaposition reinforces how personal loss shaped Lincoln’s empathy and resilience as a leader.
Conroy reminds us that history is lived as much in everyday interactions and ordinary settings as in grand speeches or strategic decisions. His meticulous attention to the routines, disputes, and personalities that animated the wartime White House reminds us that history’s great moments are shaped as much by human texture as by headline events.
A meaningful quote that captures this spirit of the book is captured in one particularly vivid phrase. Upon his arrival to the White House for the first time, Lincoln remarked that it possessed "too much decay under too many coats of paint." It was a striking metaphor for the nation at a critical point in history — worn, layered, and in desperate need of renewal.
That term serves as a central theme of the book — Lincoln’s home was unusually accessible: citizens from all walks of life, ranging from soldiers, civilians, dignitaries, hopeful office‑seekers, entertainers, and even curious onlookers streamed through its doors. Lincoln’s open levees and casually democratic approach to visitors reflected his belief that the presidency belonged to the people who elected him. This openness, while a source of some chaos, reinforced a sense of shared national purpose at a time of deep division.
In what I found to be especially moving, Conroy explores the interplay between personal grief and public duty, focusing on the interior of the White House at critical junctures during Lincoln's time in office. In the wake of the death of his son Willie in 1862, the rooms were draped in black for mourning, becoming a backdrop where Lincoln’s private sorrow and national crisis overlapped. This juxtaposition reinforces how personal loss shaped Lincoln’s empathy and resilience as a leader.
Conroy reminds us that history is lived as much in everyday interactions and ordinary settings as in grand speeches or strategic decisions. His meticulous attention to the routines, disputes, and personalities that animated the wartime White House reminds us that history’s great moments are shaped as much by human texture as by headline events.
A meaningful quote that captures this spirit of the book is captured in one particularly vivid phrase. Upon his arrival to the White House for the first time, Lincoln remarked that it possessed "too much decay under too many coats of paint." It was a striking metaphor for the nation at a critical point in history — worn, layered, and in desperate need of renewal.
December 1, 2023
Really a solid book that does exactly what it set out to do: Show you what Lincoln was like at home, his day-to-day routine and that of his closest staff, his challenges, and all the major tribulations of his presidency.
I picked up this book on a whim and was really pleased at all I learned: Lincoln was truly a kind, fair, and clever man; His closest assistants were hard working and devoted; his kids were funny and mischievous; and his wife a scoundrel that he endured with grace. You sense his understandable depression, the trials of the civil war, and learn the depths of Mary Todd’s misdeeds — but none of these subjects overshadows the main characters of the book, which are Lincoln and the White House itself.
I was not a Lincoln admirer before reading this book, but I am now for sure. Enjoyable, packed with interesting history, and easy to read.
I picked up this book on a whim and was really pleased at all I learned: Lincoln was truly a kind, fair, and clever man; His closest assistants were hard working and devoted; his kids were funny and mischievous; and his wife a scoundrel that he endured with grace. You sense his understandable depression, the trials of the civil war, and learn the depths of Mary Todd’s misdeeds — but none of these subjects overshadows the main characters of the book, which are Lincoln and the White House itself.
I was not a Lincoln admirer before reading this book, but I am now for sure. Enjoyable, packed with interesting history, and easy to read.
December 11, 2023
American history is a persisting passion and study of mine, and I have found myself recently wanting to learn more about Abraham Lincoln, the politics of the 1860s, and the Civil War as a whole: battle tactics, philosophy, and the persons involved (why am I such a middle-aged man already?!). This compilation of White House staff during the time of Lincoln’s presidency offers a look into the functions and atmosphere of the White House during his terms. Lincoln is seen here in both positive and negative lights, and it is a revealing read into the mighty man who helped bring about the end of the war and the beginning of freedom for millions of slaves.
7.3/10
7.3/10
January 31, 2021
I bought this book to help me with research for the writing of my third book in my historical-fiction series. It did not disappoint! It was not only an entertaining read for this enthusiast of all things related to the American Civil War, but it provided me with every exciting little morsel I needed to describe the interior and inner workings of the White House (or People's House as Abraham Lincoln liked to call it) during President Lincoln's entire stay there.
March 17, 2017
An antidote to the current White House and its odious occupant. Conroy vividly recreates the White House of 1861-65, attempting to give the reader a sense of what it was like to live and work there, and to wander through its halls (as the general public was free to do).
Although her image has been somewhat resurrected in recent years, Mary Lincoln comes off very poorly- vain, petty, venal, self-centered, etc. Lincoln was supposedly drawn to her by her interest in politics and shrewd political instincts. If that was the case, judging by her obliviousness to the optics of her behavior, these instincts must have deserted her by the time she became First Lady. I suspect Herndon, who knew her well and detested her, had it right.
Lincoln, on the other hand, while all too human, is seen as the unaffected, humane, highly intelligent man he undoubtedly was.
Conroy's research is first rate. He has unearthed details and anecdotes which I have encountered for the first time.
Although her image has been somewhat resurrected in recent years, Mary Lincoln comes off very poorly- vain, petty, venal, self-centered, etc. Lincoln was supposedly drawn to her by her interest in politics and shrewd political instincts. If that was the case, judging by her obliviousness to the optics of her behavior, these instincts must have deserted her by the time she became First Lady. I suspect Herndon, who knew her well and detested her, had it right.
Lincoln, on the other hand, while all too human, is seen as the unaffected, humane, highly intelligent man he undoubtedly was.
Conroy's research is first rate. He has unearthed details and anecdotes which I have encountered for the first time.
January 22, 2020
I am always profoundly interested in non fiction history that is fresh and interesting. This investigation of Washington and the White House during Lincoln’s time in office is fun, informative, and well written. It moved quickly and, if a history buff can find some new tidbits to learn, I consider that a success!
September 9, 2017
Good read on what the White House was like during Lincoln's presidency
Well-constructed book, drawn from first- hand account source material, on what the White House was like, including how the president and staff conducted business, during the Lincoln presidency.
Well-constructed book, drawn from first- hand account source material, on what the White House was like, including how the president and staff conducted business, during the Lincoln presidency.
September 19, 2017
In Lincoln's White House James Conroy has recreated the atmosphere in and physical layout of the civil war era White House. Unceasing office seekers and endless streams of visitors plagued Lincoln for all four years of his tenure.
January 2, 2018
a good read on life in the White House during the Civil War.
It does go into details on the various schemes used by hiss wife to pad her expenses and the fudging of accounts.
It gives a very honest history of life before assassinations became normal.
It does go into details on the various schemes used by hiss wife to pad her expenses and the fudging of accounts.
It gives a very honest history of life before assassinations became normal.
June 16, 2018
Very interesting anecdotal account of life in the White House during Lincoln’s tenure, with an emphasis on the staff and family.
June 12, 2019
Clear and well ordered
The look behind the curtain of Lincoln’s White House makes the Lincoln family more accessible and real. Not just statuary or photos.
The look behind the curtain of Lincoln’s White House makes the Lincoln family more accessible and real. Not just statuary or photos.
January 20, 2026
Lots of fun little factoids here for anyone curious about how a nation in wartime and creative accounting.
January 24, 2017
Liked was well written.
January 16, 2017
A remarkable look at chaos and clarity in the White House during Lincoln's time. I had an ancestor who visited Lincoln and I wanted to see what that must have been like. She caught him on a good day and with a letter of introduction from Lincoln to Blair she got a job in the Government. An absolute fascinating time which Conroy's book does it justice.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews