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Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker
An entertaining and eye-opening biography of America's most memorable first daughterFrom the moment Teddy Roosevelt's outrageous and charming teenage daughter strode into the White House—carrying a snake and dangling a cigarette—the outspoken Alice began to put her imprint on the whole of the twentieth-century political scene. Her barbed tongue was as infamous as her scandalous personal life, but whenever she talked, powerful people listened, and she reigned for eight decades as the social doyenne in a town where socializing was state business. Historian Stacy Cordery's unprecedented access to personal papers and family archives enlivens and informs this richly entertaining portrait of America?s most memorable first daughter and one of the most influential women in twentieth-century American society and politics.
866 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2007
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About the author
Stacy A. Cordery
11 books34 followersHistorian Stacy A. Cordery is the author of five books, including the bestselling biography Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker and the authoritative biography of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low. The recipient of several teaching awards, she is a professor in the History Department at Iowa State University in Ames, where she teaches courses on First Ladies, the Gilded Age, and modern America. She held an endowed chair in Roosevelt Studies and worked with the Theodore Roosevelt Center in North Dakota, is president-elect of SHGAPE (the Society for Historians of the Gilded Age & Progressive Era), and on the board of FLARE (the First Ladies Association for Research and Education). A popular public speaker, Cordery’s public appearances include NPR’s Weekend Edition, the History Channel, CNN, Smithsonian TV, the Diane Rehm Show, and C-SPAN. For more information, please see www.stacycordery.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
January 11, 2014
I can be President of the United States, or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both--Teddy Roosevelt.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884 1981), eldest child of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, was known throughout her long life for her wide-ranging intelligence, piercing insights, love of mischief, fascination with politics, passionate loyalty, and sharp cutting wit, all of which is well captured in this entertaining biography, as interesting for its history as it is for its personalities. Those personalities include both sides of the politically active but sometimes divisive Roosevelt family, the Oyster Bay faction with Teddy and Alice, and the Hyde Park Roosevelts with Franklin and Alice’s cousin Eleanor--there could not be a larger contrast in temperaments than that between wild Alice and staid Eleanor.
Alice was a teenager when her father became president after McKinley’s assassination in 1901, and the country was fascinated with her and her daring exploits as she ran around Washington and then traveled the world as an ambassador for her father, charming everyone but ignoring social conventions and breaking boundaries proscribed for women in that pre-feminist time. Her While House wedding in 1906 was the social event of the season, and even after her father left the presidency Alice stayed connected and involved with politics, in part by being friends or frenemies with most of the presidents through Richard Nixon.
She never received much of a formal education but read so widely, including books of literature and science, that she educated herself. Alice had first hand experience of many of the important events of the last century, and it’s fascinating to read about The Great Depression, the pre-WWII America First movement, the McCarthy Cold War interrogations, and the Civil Rights era with regard to her informed but opinionated perspectives. Characteristically, she was playful even on her death bed. One of her final acts was teasingly sticking out her tongue.
This is a lengthy book, 483 pages of text and almost another 100 of notes, but time flew while I was reading it. It makes a great follow up volume to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. After reading that book I really wanted to know more about Alice, a craving this book by author and historian Stacy Cordery went a long way towards satisfying.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth (1884 1981), eldest child of President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt, was known throughout her long life for her wide-ranging intelligence, piercing insights, love of mischief, fascination with politics, passionate loyalty, and sharp cutting wit, all of which is well captured in this entertaining biography, as interesting for its history as it is for its personalities. Those personalities include both sides of the politically active but sometimes divisive Roosevelt family, the Oyster Bay faction with Teddy and Alice, and the Hyde Park Roosevelts with Franklin and Alice’s cousin Eleanor--there could not be a larger contrast in temperaments than that between wild Alice and staid Eleanor.
Alice was a teenager when her father became president after McKinley’s assassination in 1901, and the country was fascinated with her and her daring exploits as she ran around Washington and then traveled the world as an ambassador for her father, charming everyone but ignoring social conventions and breaking boundaries proscribed for women in that pre-feminist time. Her While House wedding in 1906 was the social event of the season, and even after her father left the presidency Alice stayed connected and involved with politics, in part by being friends or frenemies with most of the presidents through Richard Nixon.
She never received much of a formal education but read so widely, including books of literature and science, that she educated herself. Alice had first hand experience of many of the important events of the last century, and it’s fascinating to read about The Great Depression, the pre-WWII America First movement, the McCarthy Cold War interrogations, and the Civil Rights era with regard to her informed but opinionated perspectives. Characteristically, she was playful even on her death bed. One of her final acts was teasingly sticking out her tongue.
This is a lengthy book, 483 pages of text and almost another 100 of notes, but time flew while I was reading it. It makes a great follow up volume to Doris Kearns Goodwin’s dual biography of Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft. After reading that book I really wanted to know more about Alice, a craving this book by author and historian Stacy Cordery went a long way towards satisfying.
April 10, 2012
I am a serious reader of biography, especially of American women. This was the first full-length biography I have read about Alice Longworth, and my appetite for this book was whetted by the many, many anecdotes about her that I have read about in works about her family and other contemporaries. Alice certainly was an interesting character, though not entirely likable character,especially in view of her nearly total lack of formal education. (She was an autodidact and an insatiable reader throughout her life). I was disappointed by the uneven writing and the author's tendency to repeat herself. The book could have used more careful editing.
August 16, 2011
At first, I was really enjoying this biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. She was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and cousin to both Franklin Delano and Eleanor Roosevelt. In her teenaged and early adult years, nicknamed "Princess Alice" by the press, she was an interesting iconoclast who made her own rules and set trends. But by the 1910s, she morphs into a dreadful hate-monger, and she only gets worse. She played a rather key role in keeping the U.S. out of the League of Nations, mostly because she hated Woodrow Wilson so much. She became even more malevolent during FDR's administration because he was a Democrat and because she wanted her husband to be president instead. The biography ends up being a tedious attempt at making a hate-monger sound interesting. Cordery's admiration of her seems stretched at times, or maybe it was just my brain that was stretching in disbelief. Cordery writes well, but the subject of this biography is not someone I can admire.
January 11, 2009
This book is filled with more about Alice's political life than any other bio of her I've read, but the author seems to have lost interest with Alice's story after Nick Longworth's death. The author is very vague on Alice's relationship with her granddaughter -- there is a deeper story there that should be explored -- and not a single mention that Jimmy Carter was the first/only president since McKinley to her death in 1980 who did not welcome her to the White House, again something to explore. The last quarter of the book was disappointing.
November 17, 2015
I enjoyed this book immensely, but it is one long read, packed with a lot of history. If you want to learn about the life of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, this is a must-read.
January 10, 2009
Pretty heavy going. . . poor poor Alice. At least she wasn't working at the Triangle Factory. I guess I wasn't too sympathetic. Do they still have salons in DC? Who are the great host/hostesses today?
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April 16, 2011How the last forty years of her life gets compressed into 50 pages, I have no idea. But an excellent work.
January 24, 2019
In mid-January of last year, I was reading all about the obelisk-like structure that can’t be missed in the heart of DC, Washington’s Monument by John Steele Gordon. At the same time this year, I was reading of “the other Washington Monument,” standing equally erect, at least as hard to miss, and even more impervious: Alice Roosevelt Longworth.
Stacy Cordery has done a masterful job of presenting the rebellious girl-turned political power player, a woman who determinedly made a name for herself—several, in fact—that rivaled those of her famous father and cousin. Alice’s story is compelling, quite literally, from day one. The first-born child of one of America’s most popular presidents, her entry into this world was immediately marked by tragedy and followed by great absence. But the life Alice made for herself ensured she would never be truly alone or forgotten.
I have a found a new favorite book (at least one of my top favorites) in Cordery’s Alice, due to some extent to the author’s relatable storytelling with just enough recondite words to keep me riveted to her prose. This also tied in splendidly with my presidential biography mission, as her life spans nearly a hundred years, and since young adulthood she interacted with most of the presidents and their families. Her wit and wisdom continued to develop over time, and she always turned heads, even amongst world leaders.
A Goodreads reader gave up about a third of the way through the book, saying they couldn’t take Alice anymore. I understand, and admit she may not be for everybody. As a young lady she claimed to be poor and alone, a loathing of self and circumstance that many a girl encounters. But she comes off instead as a spoiled brat—but spoiled with wealth and fame, definitely not with love; in her youth, at least. Her marriage to Nicholas Longworth is both unexpected and hard to comprehend. The couple has a Rhett- and Scarlett-like relationship: I was never sure what they saw in each other, or if they ever really loved each other. Theirs was undoubtedly a marriage of convenience.
The problem with becoming a nonagenarian is that you have to see a lot of people you love die before you; sometimes even children. Alice was no stranger to death, but she took each one in stride, as she did everything else in her remarkable life.
I was moved by this biography more than I have been since reading David McCullough’s John Adams in 2016, and was captivated by its details more than any other since Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals in 2017. To experience the changing of American politics and life in a broader sense in the twentieth century, or to learn about a fascinating woman both ahead of her time and fighting against it, find a copy of this book. If you can get past her incorrigible youth, I am sure that, like me, you will fall in love with Alice Roosevelt.
Stacy Cordery has done a masterful job of presenting the rebellious girl-turned political power player, a woman who determinedly made a name for herself—several, in fact—that rivaled those of her famous father and cousin. Alice’s story is compelling, quite literally, from day one. The first-born child of one of America’s most popular presidents, her entry into this world was immediately marked by tragedy and followed by great absence. But the life Alice made for herself ensured she would never be truly alone or forgotten.
I have a found a new favorite book (at least one of my top favorites) in Cordery’s Alice, due to some extent to the author’s relatable storytelling with just enough recondite words to keep me riveted to her prose. This also tied in splendidly with my presidential biography mission, as her life spans nearly a hundred years, and since young adulthood she interacted with most of the presidents and their families. Her wit and wisdom continued to develop over time, and she always turned heads, even amongst world leaders.
A Goodreads reader gave up about a third of the way through the book, saying they couldn’t take Alice anymore. I understand, and admit she may not be for everybody. As a young lady she claimed to be poor and alone, a loathing of self and circumstance that many a girl encounters. But she comes off instead as a spoiled brat—but spoiled with wealth and fame, definitely not with love; in her youth, at least. Her marriage to Nicholas Longworth is both unexpected and hard to comprehend. The couple has a Rhett- and Scarlett-like relationship: I was never sure what they saw in each other, or if they ever really loved each other. Theirs was undoubtedly a marriage of convenience.
The problem with becoming a nonagenarian is that you have to see a lot of people you love die before you; sometimes even children. Alice was no stranger to death, but she took each one in stride, as she did everything else in her remarkable life.
I was moved by this biography more than I have been since reading David McCullough’s John Adams in 2016, and was captivated by its details more than any other since Doris Kearns Goodwin’s Team of Rivals in 2017. To experience the changing of American politics and life in a broader sense in the twentieth century, or to learn about a fascinating woman both ahead of her time and fighting against it, find a copy of this book. If you can get past her incorrigible youth, I am sure that, like me, you will fall in love with Alice Roosevelt.
November 3, 2013
I finally finished the Alice Roosevelt Longworth bio. It took me quite a long time, (500 pgs) but it was very interesting.
Two passages i posted in a women's issues discussion on SeniorLearn book discussions and thought i would share here.
One is about TR at Harvard. His ungraduate thesis was - are you ready for this - "The Practicality of Equalizing Men and Women Before the Law"!!! " It considered the topic of women's rights, including property ownership, and argued that women ought to keep their birth names upon marrying." !!! You go TR! (Alice didn't take her father's advice on that issue.)
The second passage is a quote from the New Yorker in the mid-20s "....an invitation to the Longworths is more prized by the discriminating than an invitation to the White House............Heavy politics are played at the Longworth house and Alice sits in.....She knows men, measures and motives; has an understanding grasp of their changes......It is too bad for the Roosevelt political dynasty that Alice wasn't a boy. She is the smartest Roosevelt there is left - the old Colonel's daughter in more ways than one. She has a quick, inquiring, original and penetrating mind especially equipped to cope with political situations for which she has an instinctive liking."
Apparently that was the opinion of many throughout her life until her death in 1980. She was friends with many names you would know: the Alsops, John. L. Lewis, the whole Kennedy clan, supported Jackie's marriage to Onassis, Buckminister Fuller, all the presidents and their families from FDR to the Fords, and people in their administrations, interestingly especially Nixon from his time as vp to his resignation, reporters, Ruth McCormick, Kay Graham.
She was invited to all the White House weddings and many state dinners into the Ford administration. Her last one was when Queen E visited the Fords, " they exchanged pleasantries about the diamond-rimmed purse that Mrs L. carried.....a wedding gift from King Edward VII in 1906........ When dinner was over.....a WH employee tapped (her escort) on the shoulder . 'We have someone who worked in the WH when Mrs Longworth lived here.' Hearing this Alice turned to greet a tall, distinguished, silver-haired African-American man who asked if she remembered him. She did. (There was many comments about her phenomenal memory. ) They launched into tales of WH life....she responded to his laughter with peals of her own. When they were through, he inquired gravely if he might escort her to her car. She gave him her elbow, and the two walked slowly away. That was her last visit to the White House."
Isn't that a lovely scene? Stacy Cordery wrote a lovely book , keeping it interesting throughout most of the 500 pgs.
Two passages i posted in a women's issues discussion on SeniorLearn book discussions and thought i would share here.
One is about TR at Harvard. His ungraduate thesis was - are you ready for this - "The Practicality of Equalizing Men and Women Before the Law"!!! " It considered the topic of women's rights, including property ownership, and argued that women ought to keep their birth names upon marrying." !!! You go TR! (Alice didn't take her father's advice on that issue.)
The second passage is a quote from the New Yorker in the mid-20s "....an invitation to the Longworths is more prized by the discriminating than an invitation to the White House............Heavy politics are played at the Longworth house and Alice sits in.....She knows men, measures and motives; has an understanding grasp of their changes......It is too bad for the Roosevelt political dynasty that Alice wasn't a boy. She is the smartest Roosevelt there is left - the old Colonel's daughter in more ways than one. She has a quick, inquiring, original and penetrating mind especially equipped to cope with political situations for which she has an instinctive liking."
Apparently that was the opinion of many throughout her life until her death in 1980. She was friends with many names you would know: the Alsops, John. L. Lewis, the whole Kennedy clan, supported Jackie's marriage to Onassis, Buckminister Fuller, all the presidents and their families from FDR to the Fords, and people in their administrations, interestingly especially Nixon from his time as vp to his resignation, reporters, Ruth McCormick, Kay Graham.
She was invited to all the White House weddings and many state dinners into the Ford administration. Her last one was when Queen E visited the Fords, " they exchanged pleasantries about the diamond-rimmed purse that Mrs L. carried.....a wedding gift from King Edward VII in 1906........ When dinner was over.....a WH employee tapped (her escort) on the shoulder . 'We have someone who worked in the WH when Mrs Longworth lived here.' Hearing this Alice turned to greet a tall, distinguished, silver-haired African-American man who asked if she remembered him. She did. (There was many comments about her phenomenal memory. ) They launched into tales of WH life....she responded to his laughter with peals of her own. When they were through, he inquired gravely if he might escort her to her car. She gave him her elbow, and the two walked slowly away. That was her last visit to the White House."
Isn't that a lovely scene? Stacy Cordery wrote a lovely book , keeping it interesting throughout most of the 500 pgs.
February 7, 2008
Maybe I would have given this book another star (at least one of those 1/2 stars we're always wishing GoodReads would induct) if Alice Roosevelt Longworth hadn't made me feel bad about myself. I'm SORRY, Alice, if I can't be as magnificent as you--Gibson girl, world traveler, political persuader, salon mistress, power magnet. Hmph.
October 3, 2015
Fascinating look at a memorable woman, whose life & personality were shaped by the death of her mother.
March 1, 2017
Biography of America's most memorable First Daughter, Teddy Roosevelt's outrageous and charming eldest daughter. Outspoken, Alice was the social doyenne in D.C. for 8 decades. Long but interesting. I knew nothing about her before reading this biography. Quite the character! Okay, 2 stars.
May 21, 2011
Teddy Roosevelt's daughter Alice was a character. Rebellious in spirit, outspoken, and a strong woman in a world filled with strong men.
Stacy Cordery's biography of this most famous of first daughters sadly pales in comparison to the picture book What to Do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. Cordery's gossipy tone and armchair analysis (there are too many variations of "perhaps Alice was thinking..." or "this must have been terrible for her...") make for a quick and entertaining read, but I never felt the true character of Alice, and felt mostly as if I was seeing her through others' eyes.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a conservative for most of her life, and in her later years she lamented the comparatively amiable style of politics as compared to the pre-World War I years. I wonder what she would make of the vitriol of the Tea Partiers? Although she was alternately an apologist for and frustrated by Richard Nixon, she loved the Kennedys, and spoke out in favor of the rights of African-Americans, women, and homosexuals.
This is a two-and-a-half-star book, with an extra half-star for the wonderful, incomparable Alice.
Stacy Cordery's biography of this most famous of first daughters sadly pales in comparison to the picture book What to Do about Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!. Cordery's gossipy tone and armchair analysis (there are too many variations of "perhaps Alice was thinking..." or "this must have been terrible for her...") make for a quick and entertaining read, but I never felt the true character of Alice, and felt mostly as if I was seeing her through others' eyes.
Alice Roosevelt Longworth was a conservative for most of her life, and in her later years she lamented the comparatively amiable style of politics as compared to the pre-World War I years. I wonder what she would make of the vitriol of the Tea Partiers? Although she was alternately an apologist for and frustrated by Richard Nixon, she loved the Kennedys, and spoke out in favor of the rights of African-Americans, women, and homosexuals.
This is a two-and-a-half-star book, with an extra half-star for the wonderful, incomparable Alice.
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April 23, 2010I’ve been fascinated by Theodore Roosevelt’s flamboyant eldest daughter since my high school days and was delighted by this study of how, over the course of her very long life, she constantly reinvented herself — from teenaged White House rebel to behind-the-scenes political operator to finish at last as ‘Washington’s other Monument’. She was a brilliant wit and a champion hater specializing in (as she herself put it) “detached malevolence”, with a particular talent for making her Democrat Roosevelt cousins miserable. And yet whenever she chose to she could be absolutely and utterly enchanting. I find I like her best both as the beautiful and wayward First Daughter and as the indomitable dowager only made stronger by personal tragedies and disappointments (such as an initially charming husband who turned out to be an old-fashioned Victorian cad).
She was both the grandest of grande dames and utterly original — “herself and no one else” as someone described her. I enjoyed the final chapters most of all. Of how many of us could it be said that to a great degree our best years were our 70s and 80s? I think her life is a lesson in how to age with vigor and panache. Oscar Wilde wrote that “One’s style is one’s signature always.” Her life was a spectacular demonstration of this.
-Alan
She was both the grandest of grande dames and utterly original — “herself and no one else” as someone described her. I enjoyed the final chapters most of all. Of how many of us could it be said that to a great degree our best years were our 70s and 80s? I think her life is a lesson in how to age with vigor and panache. Oscar Wilde wrote that “One’s style is one’s signature always.” Her life was a spectacular demonstration of this.
-Alan
March 25, 2008
Long referred to as “the other Washington Monument” Alice Roosevelt Longworth, the eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, was a powerful political force and icon of the 20th century, When Alice was born on February 12, 1884 in the family home, Teddy Roosevelt was then a recently elected New York Assemblyman. Tragically, two days after her birth TR’s wife and his mother died in the same house.
Roosevelt had assumed the Presidency after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 and from that time forward Alice strove to become a relentless Washington DC mover and shaker. She was married in the White House in 1906 to Nick Longworth, an Ohio representative, who later went on to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. Alice’s political acumen, wit and complex intelligence were legendary; she knew all the Presidents and their spouses from Benjamin Harrison to Gerald Ford and was considered a confidant and friend to many of them.
This book is replete with fascinating information and material and although it does lose pace and direction from time to time is nevertheless a brilliant read from a perspective not often covered in history books or in similar biographies.
Roosevelt had assumed the Presidency after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901 and from that time forward Alice strove to become a relentless Washington DC mover and shaker. She was married in the White House in 1906 to Nick Longworth, an Ohio representative, who later went on to become Speaker of the House of Representatives. Alice’s political acumen, wit and complex intelligence were legendary; she knew all the Presidents and their spouses from Benjamin Harrison to Gerald Ford and was considered a confidant and friend to many of them.
This book is replete with fascinating information and material and although it does lose pace and direction from time to time is nevertheless a brilliant read from a perspective not often covered in history books or in similar biographies.
July 9, 2012
I read Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker. I don't think it was very well done. There was a lot of time spent on Alice's adolescence and her angst about being so well known, but not being as rich as her friends or not getting the boy she wanted or her parents being disappointed in her (which is typical for teens), but very little about why she was a Washington Power House. The last 40 years of her life were covered in 100 pages, whereas the first 25 or so were covered in 250 pages. She seemed to have a fantastic intellect, was something of a wit, but was so mean and personal that it seemed to be a case of a Mean Girl bullying the newcomers and less a political disagreement. I felt like the author said a lot, but ended up not telling me anything about this woman.
January 30, 2017
I enjoyed the book. It was an education in back room politics and her role. There are many things to be impressed with regarding this historical figure and I am not sure which I like the most. Let's start with the fact she had no formal education. She was taught the basics at home. Afterward she spent a life time reading. Her thirst for knowledge was extraordinary on a variety of subjects. Next lets talk about her ability to rise above her childhood problems and make something of herself. She pushed her way into a male dominated world through her intelligence, wit and ability to read people and situations. Good book. Could it have been shorter? Sure. Are there holes in the story? Absolutely. But I feel in powered to continue with my quest for knowledge through books.
May 4, 2012
I really enjoyed this book.
For all the talk of her Theodore Roosevelt and how important he was in her life. It does not delve deeply into his death at all.
I was surprised because he was such a major part of her story.
I think there was maybe one or two sentences devoted to his dying.
It would have been interesting to know more about what it did to her.
It goes more in depth when talking about the deaths of the other men in her life. Which I found odd.
This is a book I would buy for my bookshelves.
January 3, 2015
Before reading this book I knew very little about Alice Roosevelt. I found that she was an amazing woman who led an amazing life. Alice could be charming, loved to entertain, and loved being center of attention ingeneral. The not so admirable traits of Alice, especially in her childhood, was a spoiled brat who whined when it wasn't her way, signing her diary, "No hope for Alice." She could also be just plain out rude. I get the impression though, that those who were lucky enough to call her friend enjoyed her company and were content to sit and bask in her glory.
April 13, 2020
It's not easy to take the life of a colorful, exuberant, full-bodied figure, who lived at the center of dramatic historical events, and turn it into dull reading, but Stacy Cordery somehow manages to do so. Reading this book became a tedious chore and was something like listening to someone read a 500 page diary in a monotone. Not a single photo or illustration in this thick tone broke the tedium. The writing lacked the energy and joie de vivre of its subject. I look forward to a shorter and more dynamic account of this fascinating figure.
September 19, 2014
Intriguing woman who danced to her own drum. Her story makes more sense to me after watching Ken Burns' film on the Roosevelts--I could see her in the context of the two Roosevelt tribes (Oyster Bay and Hyde Park).
January 4, 2023
Alice Roosevelt was the eldest daughter of President Theodore Roosevelt and Alice Hathaway Lee Roosevelt. Her mother died not long after her birth, breaking her father's heart so much that he refused to allow her name to be mentioned in the house. She had a strained relationship with her stepmother, Edith, but did eventually concede that they shared the same sense of humor and interest in literature. Alice was very independent, and extremely outspoken. I love that about her. Despite the fact that she was the daughter of a President and a socialite in a wealthy society, she was her own person. She had a controversial and fiery spirit that makes me love her immediately. She eventually married Nicholas Longworth, who would eventually become Speaker of the House. Their politics differed, she was loyal to her father and campaigned against her husband and his cohorts. This caused a rift in their marriage. She had an affair with another politician, who is openly reported to be the true father of her daughter. (Her daughter eventually died from an overdose of sleeping pills.) She made a lot of interjections into the world of politics and rubbed elbows and influenced some really big names. She was also cantankerous enough to live to the age of 96, which I think is wonderful.
I didn't know much about Alice, other than a few comments that President Roosevelt made about her. Namely, "I can tend to Alice, or I can run the country. I cannot possibly do both." This book was well written and well researched, and really conveyed a lot of information about Alice and her life. You really can get a sense of her personality through this book. I was left with the distinct impression that I would have really liked this woman, and I wish that I could have met her. It's also very interesting to me that she was the daughter of President Roosevelt and lived long enough to become acquainted with the Kennedy family, meet Queen Elizabeth II, and a host of other big names. She lived an action packed life in the world of politics. This was a really good book.
I didn't know much about Alice, other than a few comments that President Roosevelt made about her. Namely, "I can tend to Alice, or I can run the country. I cannot possibly do both." This book was well written and well researched, and really conveyed a lot of information about Alice and her life. You really can get a sense of her personality through this book. I was left with the distinct impression that I would have really liked this woman, and I wish that I could have met her. It's also very interesting to me that she was the daughter of President Roosevelt and lived long enough to become acquainted with the Kennedy family, meet Queen Elizabeth II, and a host of other big names. She lived an action packed life in the world of politics. This was a really good book.
May 28, 2024
I listened to the audio version . I enjoyed the writing style of the author it made me feel like Alice was right by my side. W h at a lady! Her antics made me chuckle. The things she went through broke my heart. I am in awe of the length of her life! All the changes decade after decade that she experienced!
November 22, 2022
What an incredible woman - she was way ahead of her time. Absolutely fascinating
April 5, 2017
I gravitate to any strong woman (I am unapologetically a feminist). However, give me a strong woman who is also a smart-ass and you have alighted in me pure hero worship. Alice Roosevelt Longworth would never have classified herself as a feminist. She honestly disavowed any formal identity whatsoever besides as a member of the Republican/Bull Moose party of her father. Yet, Gloria Steinem was one of her admitted heroines (Cordery, 2007, p. 463). Her lack of identification was fully explained in that "Alice told a reporter that her lifelong preference as a nonjoiner kept her away from the women's liberation movement [of the 1960s] -- and the fact that she "feels she has been treated by men as an equal"" (Cordery, 2007, p. 463). Indeed, she was not only treated as an equal, she was an equal.
Alice was the only daughter of TR's first marriage. Her mother died due to complications from childbirth. TR concentrated on his political career, never fully giving Alice the attention she needed. TR then married Edith, a long-time family friend. Although Alice and her stepmother eventually became good friends, Edith was never outwardly affectionate toward Alice. This did not give Alice excuse to behave as she did in terms of her independent antics that just bordered on scandal; however, it did mold her into the person she became who was at the center of Washington, D.C., politics no matter the administration in place.
Alice was an equal because she never saw herself as anything but. She studied (was a voracious reader) and educated herself in a wide range of subjects, displaying a keen sense of curiosity nurtured by a willingness to learn. She despised self-pity, and despised anyone who displayed such nonsense. She was not overly-affectionate, but a tremendously funny, sarcastic, quick wit with a penchant for adventure and laughter. Alice lived her life on her own terms, even when life did not turn out as she expected. She made chicken soup out of chicken shit and ate it with relish. It was a life well lived and lived without regrets.
I have her autobiography "Crowded Hours" -- unfortunately I am between residences and it is packed away in storage. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Alice was not as brilliant a writer as she was a social speaker (social meaning 'informal' in that she was extremely shy and rarely gave official speeches). Her mannerisms and wit did not come through well on the written page. To know her personally was to delight in her.
This biography concentrates marvelously on Alice's position as THE go-to person in D.C. politics. She influenced more than a few national and international leaders. She WAS the D.C. political scene surpassing the clout of her husband, Nick Longworth (R-OH, Speaker of the House), and brother Ted (the only Roosevelt offspring to enter a political career). Socially, Alice did exactly what she wanted and displayed independence long before the ERA. If you condemned her, she did not care. If you fawned over her, she lost interest. If you could speak intelligently on any matter, you had her ear and her attention. She was a progressive Republican...my favorite kind. She has also long captured my admiration, esteem, and imagination.
Alice was the only daughter of TR's first marriage. Her mother died due to complications from childbirth. TR concentrated on his political career, never fully giving Alice the attention she needed. TR then married Edith, a long-time family friend. Although Alice and her stepmother eventually became good friends, Edith was never outwardly affectionate toward Alice. This did not give Alice excuse to behave as she did in terms of her independent antics that just bordered on scandal; however, it did mold her into the person she became who was at the center of Washington, D.C., politics no matter the administration in place.
Alice was an equal because she never saw herself as anything but. She studied (was a voracious reader) and educated herself in a wide range of subjects, displaying a keen sense of curiosity nurtured by a willingness to learn. She despised self-pity, and despised anyone who displayed such nonsense. She was not overly-affectionate, but a tremendously funny, sarcastic, quick wit with a penchant for adventure and laughter. Alice lived her life on her own terms, even when life did not turn out as she expected. She made chicken soup out of chicken shit and ate it with relish. It was a life well lived and lived without regrets.
I have her autobiography "Crowded Hours" -- unfortunately I am between residences and it is packed away in storage. I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Alice was not as brilliant a writer as she was a social speaker (social meaning 'informal' in that she was extremely shy and rarely gave official speeches). Her mannerisms and wit did not come through well on the written page. To know her personally was to delight in her.
This biography concentrates marvelously on Alice's position as THE go-to person in D.C. politics. She influenced more than a few national and international leaders. She WAS the D.C. political scene surpassing the clout of her husband, Nick Longworth (R-OH, Speaker of the House), and brother Ted (the only Roosevelt offspring to enter a political career). Socially, Alice did exactly what she wanted and displayed independence long before the ERA. If you condemned her, she did not care. If you fawned over her, she lost interest. If you could speak intelligently on any matter, you had her ear and her attention. She was a progressive Republican...my favorite kind. She has also long captured my admiration, esteem, and imagination.
October 22, 2015
I wouldn't recommend this book unless you:
a) are really into Alice Roosevelt
b) are interested in the details of high society life at the turn of the 20th century
c) like biographies.
I was curious about Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, and luckily my curiosity sustained me through this long book. Alice really led a fascinating life, and I agree with her bits of wisdom such as: "Having a baby is like trying to push a grand piano through a transom." I also learned that her husband, Speaker Longworth, composed operas and played the violin really well! That gave him major cool points in my book. She also very probably had a baby by another man when she was married to Rep. Longworth (so scandalous!)
What I suppose I sometimes didn't like about this bio was the author's tone at times -- it seemed too gossipy or speculative. For example, on page 309, she writes: "Bill in the White House! And Alice would be there with him--but how? ... Was this simply an idle lover's dream? Had they discussed divoring their spouses and remarrying? If that were the case, surely as realists both knew that a divorced and remarried man would never be elected... Could Alice have been content with the position of backstage paramour?"
I confess that I don't read bios often, but do authors typically peek out from behind the objective stance of biographer to use exclamation marks?
But it's really fun to read about all the crazy personalities in Washington, DC, back in the day -- like Flo Harding, aka "the Duchess," who kept a book of slights against her and her husband, and Evalyn McLean, who spent 60K on flowers during the great depression.
a) are really into Alice Roosevelt
b) are interested in the details of high society life at the turn of the 20th century
c) like biographies.
I was curious about Teddy Roosevelt's daughter, and luckily my curiosity sustained me through this long book. Alice really led a fascinating life, and I agree with her bits of wisdom such as: "Having a baby is like trying to push a grand piano through a transom." I also learned that her husband, Speaker Longworth, composed operas and played the violin really well! That gave him major cool points in my book. She also very probably had a baby by another man when she was married to Rep. Longworth (so scandalous!)
What I suppose I sometimes didn't like about this bio was the author's tone at times -- it seemed too gossipy or speculative. For example, on page 309, she writes: "Bill in the White House! And Alice would be there with him--but how? ... Was this simply an idle lover's dream? Had they discussed divoring their spouses and remarrying? If that were the case, surely as realists both knew that a divorced and remarried man would never be elected... Could Alice have been content with the position of backstage paramour?"
I confess that I don't read bios often, but do authors typically peek out from behind the objective stance of biographer to use exclamation marks?
But it's really fun to read about all the crazy personalities in Washington, DC, back in the day -- like Flo Harding, aka "the Duchess," who kept a book of slights against her and her husband, and Evalyn McLean, who spent 60K on flowers during the great depression.
January 25, 2013
To review an autobiography can feel like two things. A review of the author and a review of the subject.
The author in this case is inconsistent as a storyteller and solid as a writer. She devotes ten pages to the end of Alice's life and seemingly 10,000 to the start (but not the end) of her romance with Bill Borah. Alice's life deserved a better pace and a much more solid analysis of her relationship with Paulina, her barely mentioned daughter, and Joanna, her highly important granddaughter. If there was nothing more to tell, then nothing could be more important to a biographer to point out, analyze, account for. I know much more about the menu at Alice Longworth's dinners then I do about her daughter. Period.
As for Alice Roosevelt Longworth herself, she provides serious front row seats to a huge amount of Washington D.C. and Presidential seachange. Not just front row seats, but frequently she was a pivotal (though mostly offstage) player. Her life was so long that whatever romance and heartache you find in it, especially in the "Edwardian" beginning, diminishes. I finished the book liking her, respecting her, but quite confident she got a lot wrong. And not sure just how much of her celebrity, intellect and opportunity was squandered - at least a portion.
There is real meat to her story - both in the living and in this author's telling - and I'm very very glad I read it. Criticisms et al.
The author in this case is inconsistent as a storyteller and solid as a writer. She devotes ten pages to the end of Alice's life and seemingly 10,000 to the start (but not the end) of her romance with Bill Borah. Alice's life deserved a better pace and a much more solid analysis of her relationship with Paulina, her barely mentioned daughter, and Joanna, her highly important granddaughter. If there was nothing more to tell, then nothing could be more important to a biographer to point out, analyze, account for. I know much more about the menu at Alice Longworth's dinners then I do about her daughter. Period.
As for Alice Roosevelt Longworth herself, she provides serious front row seats to a huge amount of Washington D.C. and Presidential seachange. Not just front row seats, but frequently she was a pivotal (though mostly offstage) player. Her life was so long that whatever romance and heartache you find in it, especially in the "Edwardian" beginning, diminishes. I finished the book liking her, respecting her, but quite confident she got a lot wrong. And not sure just how much of her celebrity, intellect and opportunity was squandered - at least a portion.
There is real meat to her story - both in the living and in this author's telling - and I'm very very glad I read it. Criticisms et al.
January 17, 2025
Before coming across this biography about Alice Roosevelt Longworth, I knew very little about this woman who was once a major American icon and known around the world as Princess Alice. I knew she was Theodore Roosevelt's daughter, that her mother had died shortly after giving birth to her and that she married a congressman from Cincinnati in a fancy White House wedding but that was about as far as my knowledge went. It turns out there was a lot to learn.
Details, details, details! This book was jammed packed full of them. While I was fascinated by much of what I was reading the book took on an almost time line effect at times. Lists of dinner guests, who Alice met with, when and where filled page after page. There were so many facts and details but I still felt this book was just skimming the surface when it came to who Alice was. I came away from this very lengthy biography feeling like I still had so much to learn but that I knew every detail about Alice's life. Like many biographies there was a lot of going back in forth in time that often got confusing and left holes in the story that were either filled in much, much later or never at all.
An ambitious and very well researched biography that just seemed to be missing something. Don't read unless you are very interested in the subject or you'll be bored by the many tedious details concerning Alice.
Details, details, details! This book was jammed packed full of them. While I was fascinated by much of what I was reading the book took on an almost time line effect at times. Lists of dinner guests, who Alice met with, when and where filled page after page. There were so many facts and details but I still felt this book was just skimming the surface when it came to who Alice was. I came away from this very lengthy biography feeling like I still had so much to learn but that I knew every detail about Alice's life. Like many biographies there was a lot of going back in forth in time that often got confusing and left holes in the story that were either filled in much, much later or never at all.
An ambitious and very well researched biography that just seemed to be missing something. Don't read unless you are very interested in the subject or you'll be bored by the many tedious details concerning Alice.
May 7, 2008
p. 3 "Victorian morality was synonymous with honorable men, demure women, and docile children."
P. 4 "...charities like Mrs. Slattery's Night School for Little Italians."
p. 5 Diary entry by TR after death of his father, "...Christianity gave us, on earth, rest in trouble, not from trouble."
p. 418 "People forget that such wit is possible only when upheld by a broad intellect, insider status, and years of political and legislative expertise."
"On the whole, he acted like two idiots."
This supremely readable biography is a gift to readers. While aware of her status in social circles, I am awed by her intellectual abilities as a truly gifted person across the spectrum of knowledge. At the same time, her salon personifies the maxim "power corrupts".
Written with the cooperation of Alice's family, this book definitely tilts toward accentuating the positive about this controversial, often mean-spirited lady.
Noted: The frequent use of the word "averred"
Liked phrasing in reference to Alice's advancing years: "her later decades"
refer to: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/boo...
P. 4 "...charities like Mrs. Slattery's Night School for Little Italians."
p. 5 Diary entry by TR after death of his father, "...Christianity gave us, on earth, rest in trouble, not from trouble."
p. 418 "People forget that such wit is possible only when upheld by a broad intellect, insider status, and years of political and legislative expertise."
"On the whole, he acted like two idiots."
This supremely readable biography is a gift to readers. While aware of her status in social circles, I am awed by her intellectual abilities as a truly gifted person across the spectrum of knowledge. At the same time, her salon personifies the maxim "power corrupts".
Written with the cooperation of Alice's family, this book definitely tilts toward accentuating the positive about this controversial, often mean-spirited lady.
Noted: The frequent use of the word "averred"
Liked phrasing in reference to Alice's advancing years: "her later decades"
refer to: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/boo...
March 11, 2013
A weighty tome about the eldest daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. She actually was his daughter by his first wife, who died shortly after childbirth. The rest of his 4 other children (3 boys and a girl) were from his 2nd wife, Edith. Edith was loving and maternal towards Alice but definitely within the Edwardian parenting style of the time: a bit more arms-length. Moreover, before TR married Edith, Alice lived the first 3 years of her life with TR's sister, Anna, known to the family as "Auntie Bye," and then had to leave Auntie Bye to go live with TR and Edith. These early experiences definitely shaped Alice's life and personality. She was known for being rather a hellion, pushing boundaries, etc. but she did mature into an extremely erudite, thoughtful, political-loving woman. She outlived all of the other siblings and died in 1980. Her life was extremely interesting but this book does get a bit lost "in the weeds" (too detailed) at times, in my humble opinion. Nevertheless, that was the author's fault, not Alice's (!), so I still found the topic to be extremely interesting and I am glad I learned more about her.
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