Florence Harding: The First Lady, The Jazz Age, And The Death Of America's Most Scandalous President

by Carl Sferrazza Anthony

A major new biography of the politically powerful forerunner of Eleanor Roosevelt and Hillary Clinton. Deeply researched and richly told, Florence Harding reveals the never-before-told story of First Lady Florence Harding's phenomenal rise to power. The daughter of an abusive father in small-town Ohio, mother at a young age to an illegitimate child, Florence Harding saw her escape in Warren Harding, and became the driving force behind his ascent to one of the most scandal-ridden presidencies in United States history.Preeminent First Ladies biographer Carl Sferrazza Anthony not only captures the drama of Florence Harding's personality, but he uses the White House to bring to life Jazz Age America -- a world of speakeasies and Miss America, Babe Ruth, Al Jolson, and the rise of Hollywood. He shows how Florence's friendship with Evalyn McLean, the morphine-addicted owner of the Hope Diamond and The Washington Post was one of the defining bonds in her public life. With newly unsealed medical information, Florence Harding finally unfolds the mystery of whether the First Lady poisoned the President, whose death occurred seventy-five years ago. Florence Harding is a fascinating and informative look at a lost chapter in American history.

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Presidents, Historical, American History, Biography Memoir

672 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1998

Reviews

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our book group members each chose a First Lady for our book selections in September. I didn't want the obvious; I tend to like the obscure. Somehow I ended up settling on Florence Harding, wife of one of America's most scandalous presidents.

Florence was everything I hoped for in a First Lady. She had scandals of her own; she was the daughter of a rich but abusive father, had an illegitimate son early in life, and fell hard for the ladies'-man-of-ladies'-man Warren G. Harding. Florence was brutally ambitious for her man Warren, and it was she more than he who pushed Harding to the White House. Warren couldn't keep his hands off the women, and again and again he found himself lolling in bed (or on the couch or even---believe it or not---in the White House) with ladies who were not his wife. Warren surrounded himself with greedy and unscrupulous people.

Florence was ahead of her time, advising her husband about policy decisions, advocating for women's rights, befriending people of color, working hard to help veterans of WWI. She, like Warren, had shady friends, however, and she was taken advantage of again and again. She sought the guidance of spiritualists and quack doctors rather than more knowledgable and upstanding citizens, and she was greatly condemned after her death for these flaws instead of being remembered for her great achievements.

[Goose · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think George W Bush is a dunderhead; if you think John F Kennedy was a bit of a womanizer; if you think Grant surrounded himself with liars and crooks; if you think Nancy Reagan or Hilary Clinton held too much power when they were first ladies; this is the book for you. More driven than her husband ever thought to be Florence Harding was one unbelievable first lady. Though they never made it thru even one term in the white house due to Harding's bad heart, Mrs. Harding sure made an impact. Even if you don't like historical biographies this is a great read. Harding may always be listed towards the bottom when ranking presidents but Mrs.Harding should always be ranked at the top of first ladies, if you ask me. Read this book and see why.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a portion of this book at a bar and really, there is no other I think that quite screams out "Leave me the hell alone" than this one: not just the snooze worthy subject of Florence Harding, the Mama's Family-esque portrait of her on the cover of this pretty hefty blue (her favorite color) book. Not surprisingly this book was jam packed with ridiculous scenes from history, so love the Manchurian Candidate Lady's Home Gardening Club front piece for what it is.

I really knew nothing about Warren G. Harding other than I guess what everyone basically knows about him: contender for the infamous crown of "worst president", the Teapot Dome Scandal, and love children. Most of this was refreshed watching Boardwalk Empire. Of Mrs. Harding, I knew 100% nothing. But then reading about Eleanor Roosevelt recently I came along a part that said how Mrs. Harding was actually the first president to self-identify as a feminist and was really the first to open up the White House to newspaperwomen, something ER always got credit for.

Then in a book on Alice Roosevelt, read how Mrs. Harding was the true power of the day, and intrigued lo, I ordered this book. And it is a very interesting story--if I was Vicki Lawrence I would be working on my magnum opus--a gritty HBO drama about Florence Harding. (And there is even a scene that could be taken straight out of Ms. Lawrence's own autobiography, a book which bizarrely seemed to feature every time someone walked in on her in the bathroom: where yes, a Secret Service Agent walks in on Mrs. Harding while in the lady's room on a train.) This book cries out for a historical drama--there are just so many grand season finale moments too.

I'm not even 100% sure what my end view of the Hardings is after reading all this. He was obviously impossible, but not an evil man. Just a drunken inept letch. Florence Harding, as many acknowledged the smarter and more capable of the two, is also the more interesting one. The Florence Harding of real life is VERY different than the grumpy, put upon old lady that seems to come across in pictures. She is more radical than politican or politician's wives today. She proudly refused to wear a wedding ring. She had a baby out of wedlock. She was the roller skating town floozy by most accounts, who hung out by the rink and flirted with men. Which is how she met Warren G. Harding.

Rumor had it that he was black and this is another part where LATE BREAKING WARREN G. HARDING!! news has overtaken this book (published in 1999). Many people, including Florence Harding's parents, potentially also hiding the fact that they had Jewish ancestors, thought Warren G. Harding's grandfather was black. Warren G. Harding himself confessed to friends that he wasn't sure. The Harding family either way you looked at it, did have a black wing, and Harding had black first cousins in town, so... she marries the good looking young reprobate (he was 5 years younger than her) mostly to spite her influential but super racist father. DNA evidence from 2015 showed that Harding did not have black ancestry directly.

The waves of rumor worked to inflame the fight between the newly married Hardings and her father, a politician, and this goes into basically open warfare. Harding does not come off very well in this book, but that's a given. We learn that he has three testicles, gonorrhea, and seems to be perpetually loaded, but has zero problems with the ladies. You almost have to wonder the hellish daily life of characters like him--the constant threat of danger and being found out--like an old timey John Edwards. At one point, Republican leaders take him in a room and ask him if there is anything that should embarrass him if he were to run for president. He needed time alone to think about it, and said no, but dear god, the amount of dirt on him.

While Florence ran a newspaper and a pack of Little Rascal-ish newsies (but with lots of spankings) and starting wire services, Warren G. seemed to be after anything that moved, saying to himself thank god he wasn't a woman or he would be pregnant constantly. I was trying to keep count of all the women, giving up around 14 or so, but probably so many more unnamed. Two, probably three children that he never met. Three suicides. One mistress attacked him bad enough for a police report. Another was a fanatical German agent who was the only person to ever successfully blackmail the US government. The amount of agents, money, and help for him to carry on his affairs is mind-blowing.

In a sense the book reads like a perpetual bro comedy--secret codes, signals, phone tapping, intercepting the mail, books banned, people beat up or run out of the country, several House of Cards like mysterious deaths, morphine, alcohol EVERYwhere even though prohibition (Florence herself liked to drink though, and always was the one who made the first round of cocktails.) There is even a rascally monkey. Warren G. Harding just liked to play poker all day, which is what he mostly did in the White House, starting at 7am and going till midnight. You never get the stuffy vibe off of Florence in this biography though. It's noted Warren gave up swearing (though many of his quotes after that pledge still are filled with "damns") but that Florence never made that pledge and swore a blue streak.

Their marriage was odd. They still always shared the same bedroom. She was extremely jealous of him and only seemed to find out the affairs that struck closest to home: aka, her best friends. Which was especially shitty of Warren G. Harding, whose reaction to being found out was always "Aw shucks, I can't help myself! I'm weak!" The betrayal of her friends seemed to hurt her more than the betrayal of her husband, whom she reconciled herself pretty early on was weak. Part of her avowed feminism was the belief that in marriage, that "traditional marriage" roles were not gender specific and that breadwinner could very well be a woman. She foresaw men that might choose to stay at homes, while women earned the keep. Everyone called her Duchess or The Boss and she earned those titles.

She was one of the most popular first ladies of all time. She did not seem to get ANY of the criticism that Eleanor Roosevelt did for being an activist first lady. Reporters LOVED her. It seems it was EXTREMELY well known that she was the more capable of the two, and leaders would go to her over the president, she got twice as much mail, and between mixing cocktails and going to the movies, worked like crazy. Her feminist views about women, education, prisons (she was the one that got the first Federal Women's prison built), nurses (one complaint about nurses getting harassed by hospital higher ups and she had that investigated and punished within the week), she helped promote women in politics and tried to keep the League of Women Voters as a nonpartisan group. She used the reach of her power to rescue refugees, worked with the war wounded, etc.

She called herself the first modern woman in the White House. And it's true. Edith Wilson before her was grossed out by suffrage ("detestable creatures"), and Edith Roosevelt was a snob who wouldn't invite divorced women (aka Florence Harding pretending she was divorced to hide her child). She opened the White House open to everyone, gave tours all day, would pick up people walking on the road to give them lifts, she stood on total informality with people, which is why she was so popular. It’s amazing to think how fast her fall from grace was—due to a completely discredited book written by a murderer & scammer about how she murdered Warren G. Harding. The book was not true (medical malpractice if you want to get technical but I think he was a goner probably no matter what he did) but the specter of more insidious scandal hung over her head.

The interweaving of this book and FH's life with Evalyn Walsh Maclean was also very interesting. She's someone that pops up in history, but I never paid much attention to her before. Now I totally want to read a book on her. MUCH younger than Florence Harding, best friend's with the bitchy Alice Roosevelt, the millionaire heiress from a gold mine & owner of the Washington Post & morphine addict sees Florence all alone at a party.

Feeling sympathy for her, Evalyn goes over to be nice and an intense friendship was born. One so intense, people even wondered if it was romantic. When Florence Harding died, Evalyn spent weeks weeping. The shenanigans between them and Harding also bordered on the absurd--burning 8 foot long crates of incriminating paper on her property, getting them FBI access and codes, the many burglaries and bribes. Intermingled with the constant larceny going around her--she it seems was so busy doing actual work, she didn't catch her husband and his poker buddies creating trouble. So naturally, magic comes in.

I want to read a book on her spiritualist Madame Marcia now. Florence Harding and Evalyn's friendship beyond showing snooty old Washington a thing or two was cemented by their very strong belief in the occult. Every prediction, made weeks, months in advance, seems to come true. Down to the very hour that Madame Marcia made. I see why like all of Washington followed her predictions. Houdini was unable to debunk her and when he tried she laughed and told him he'd be dead by x month, which he was, further bolstering her rep. Evalyn had the cursed Hope Diamond, and tried to exorcise demons from it, during which a dramatic lightning storm popped up. See?! This is made for Prime TV.

I wonder how much of their lives came from the prediction that Harding would be nominated--he was a long shot--by noon on whatever date for the candidacy, which he was. Both FH & WG scared that the predictions were coming true, Florence scared that she had pushed him up (he was basically her puppet) to power he would be unable to fulfill, him scared as hell at having ANY responsibility, personally just wanting to be Ambassador to Italy, so he could drink and have fun. Then the prediction he'd win in a landslide, which happened, but would die during office, which he did. As all the predictions came true, they both fatalistically believed the later ones, Harding knowing he'd die on that trip, and doing ridiculously taxing stunts while incredibly sick a la Clark Gable on Misfits, his outrageous behavior as president, and her meanwhile trying to set up their monuments because she knows in a few years it will all crumble away, which is exactly what happened.

So it's very interesting history. I guess you could say that they both were bad, but they could have been worse. Neither were racist at all. They seemed more progressive on the nature of race than the majority of presidents in the 20th century. They weren't homophobic--since one of their main conspirators Jesse Smith was gay. And it's interesting now to speculate about Harry Daughtery. They liked technology, they loved popular culture, especially jazz. The fact that the soundtrack was so catalogued made it very easy to envision a lot of this book, without the author having to resort to anything hokey. At one dramatic cast off point in the book, Harding beset with blackmailers, Florence trying to maneuver around the conartists they surrounded themselves with, the Navy bands are playing "Yes, We Have No Bananas."

It’s true that their friends destroyed them. If they had a better set of friends would the presidency be remembered today fondly? Probably. If Florence Harding was just president herself? Yes, she would have been a fantastic president. Very glad I read this—if people are interested in more about the politics of the 1910s and 1920s a good reference book. It would have been better served by MORE and better photos. The book references the wedding photo and gives it a close analysis—the best Florence had ever looked, how happy the two of them are, but that photo is NOT in this book. For a book of this size with as many people it references should have like 4 times the amount of photos.

With a book of this size too you start to notice minor editorial problems. For example there is a sentence mentioning how naturally Florence was very upset to hear of someone’s tragic death of driving their car off a highway intentionally. So I said huh to myself and went to the index and only entry for that person was the disjointed death sentence. There’s many times you will have to go to the index by the way or puzzle over the speaker of quotes. It doesn’t help that Ike Hoover, the White House Usher and enemy of Florence Harding, and Herbert Hoover, the future President, were often around at pivotal points. It’s easy to get your Hoovers mixed up.

And the book is a little outdated and because of that could use serious pruning. Beyond all the speculation about being African-American now being officially debunked, DNA testing done in 2000 something proved that Nan Britton's baby WAS Warren G. Hardings, so all the "alleged" and speculation part in the book can be taken out (book is a little repetitive at times). And the aforementioned giant cache of 1,000 letters from Warren G. released a few years ago with a 41 page code book, with a larger store of love letters to be released next decade I think? The man was nuts. 1,000 RECENTLY discovered pages of love letters beyond the tons already out there? Besides making a TV show on them, they should release those in elaborate volumes.

Overall, an appropriate book to read in a bar. Florence Harding might have been one of the best first ladies married to the worst president, but there's one thing for sure after reading this book. Of all the first ladies, she would be the one most fun to have a drink with.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Sferrazza Anthony is one of the very best historical writers of our age. There is so much information and passion in this novel. He even continues with mistress Nan Britton through her long life into her 90s who bore President Harding's only child. Nan must have been a joy to know personally. I discovered too late that she lived not far from me in Oregon until dying there in 1990. I would have loved to have met her; not to reopen the scar of the scandal but because I think she would have been an interesting person to talk with and might have been one of the best human interest stories if I had the skills to write it.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the future, if anyone wants to complain to me about politicians who hire their cronies for important posts, who can't seem to remember that their marriage vows aren't just pretty words, and whose spouses seem to integrate themselves into their work, thus making their election a "buy one, get one free" situation, I will ask that those complainers kindly shut up until they read this book.

Florence Harding was astounding, for lots of reasons. Her husband got into the White House not because he was particularly clever (and not because he particularly wanted it; he was quite happy being a Senator), but because *she* was clever. She knew a good "moment" when she saw it, and she was deeply aware of "the optics" of a situation long before any of the rest of us realized the optics existed. She was involved in a lot of firsts. First First Lady to be able to vote for her husband in a Presidential election (as I write this, less than 100 years ago, and already a disappointing number of my female friends neglect this hard-and-newly-earned right). First First Lady to ride in an airplane with a female pilot. She pushed for women's rights, animal rights, worker's rights and myriad other causes close to her heart, and it was a rare and foolish person who had the temerity to say "No" to Mrs. Harding. She had been a single mother before marrying Warren Harding, which was fairly unheard of in elite circles, back then - at least, for someone who harbored the dream of being a First Lady. Both she and her husband were remarkably forward-thinking when it came to civil rights, as well, something his critics were quick to latch on to when the rumor surfaced that the President had African-American ancestry.

He even had his own aluminum-hatted Donald Trump in the person of some ignatz named Chancellor, who made it his life's work to print every salacious story (some true, some utter fabrications) that he could dream up or find. Unlike Trump who, sadly, hasn't yet been dismissed as the attention-seeking crank that he obviously is, Chancellor made such a pest of himself that he was eventually run out of the country.

Warren G. Harding had numerous flaws (to put it mildly). If Teapot Dome hadn't come to light, my suspicion is that his Presidency would have been viewed by history as uneventful and harmless. He was in ill health long before he took office, and the stresses of the job only weakened him, so it was not surprising that he didn't survive his first term. He was constantly on the prowl for a new ladyfriend, and had at least two "love" children while he was married to Florence. In cars, in hotels, in apartments paid for by a secret account run by his cronies, in a brothel in DC, or among the galoshes in an Oval Office closet - you name the spot, and chances are that Warren Harding got busy with someone other than his wife there. Many of his business and presidential papers may have been burned, but lots of his torrid love letters survive, allowing us to know not how the oil leases were distributed, but what nickname he had for his penis.

Harding's biggest flaw, however, was the trust he placed in the people who kowtowed to him, rather than those who were actually qualified for the positions he needed to fill. From the aides who pushed the oil leases to the "doctor" who ignored his fatal heart condition and continued plying him with purgatives during his final illness, toadying won out over aptitude every time.

If Florence were alive now, she'd have no need of a Warren G. Harding to get herself into public life. She'd be blasting through glass ceilings and making change in the world without having to do it as anyone's helpmate (unless she chose, of course). The real sadness of her life is that she arrived a bit too early to live it on terms she would have found far more reasonable in 2015.

[Andrew McHenry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very detailed biography of the first woman in American history who had the opportunity to vote for her husband to be President. She was very strong-willed and assertive; to a large degree she drove her husband’s career all the way to the White House. Her style transformed the role of FLOTUS from a domestic, behind the scenes presence, to a more humanitarian and engaged model. In many ways she gave an important precedent for the role as it further evolved under Eleanor Roosevelt. Unfortunately her place in American history can easily be forgotten – partly because it’s subsumed in memories of the Harding-era scandals and of her husband’s infidelity. But it’s a remarkable history. The details in the book can be a bit tedious at times, but it’s very well-done.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My friend Jennifer recommended this and the book did not disappoint. Just when I thought things couldn't get more wacky or tawdry or worrisome, I would turn the page and something else would be happening that made me shake my head. Florence and Warren were quite the pair. Lucky for them they lived before the internet or they would've been sunk. A little long, but a great book if you're interested in American history.

[Meen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but not especially well written. Throughout most of it, I mostly wanted to know more about Evalyn Walsh McLean...

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written. Couldnt help but at times feel sorry for her regarding the numerous affairs her husband warren harding (rumor to be half black - one of the reasons to believe why the hardings never had children) had, the betrayal of close female friends (carrie phillips and evalyn mclean specifically however the snobbery of Alice Longworth formerly known Alice Rosevelt aka princess alice was a typical female jealousy relationship),and of course how she simply seemed to not have the maternal gene with a sad excuse of a relationship with her son, and truly how she never was the maternal grandmother type to daughter in law and two grandchildren (all her heirs died of alcoholism) but admired her grace and strength during her ruin of common law marriage, not to mention the fights that she had with her father (kling), but truly the will and determination she had to get her husband into the oval office. Her nickname was the dutchess, appropriately so because she had the will to not only run the whitehouse household but truly the county when the hardings were in office. Harding died of poison in San Fransisco, with no true findings believed of negligence homicide to "doc" sawyer. Florence had such a belief that "doc" could keep her alive she never once admitted to his wrong doings, if rumors are founded. She did not live much longer than her husband. Was for womens right - her one and only vote was for her husband. She did not discourage the flapper revolution, only commenting on "short skirts" "women can judge for themselves the length of their skirts or that of their mothers" (completely paraphrase) but never once joined the short skirt revolution - she manly wore skirts that touched the floor, became known for a "harding blue" basically a navy, wore a diamond burst that became her signature brooch on all her outfit, given to her from friend evalyn mclean - who owned the hope diamond herself. Heavily made up all the time, wore constant jewels clerks of white house said she "swooshed." Brought animal rights to public interest, a huge veterans supporter. Had a "moving" kidney - caused implications all her life. died in a sanatorium, very wealthy. all wealth went to grandchildren who died poor and of alcoholism in Seattle. No proof of harding actually fathering a child altho strong rumor to Nan Britts child who ended up having 3 grandchildren.

[Raymond · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh well - Warren Harding was not America's most scandalous president, as the sub-title states. The scandal attending Harding must be weighed with scandal that attended FDR, Dwight Eisenhower, JFK, Bill Clinton - Thomas Jefferson. Warren Harding is prominent in, "Florence Harding," inevitably and perhaps a bit excessively, but this is Florence's story. In the years before the White House, perhaps the best story involving Florence is what she did and all that she did to build the Marion Star, the Hardings' newspaper. Anyone who now lives in a small community or who has lived in a small community will be able to find a Florence Harding in their experience.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book, and a "fun" read. Florence Harding was quite a character. I wouldn't say this book made me like her as a person, but it was an enjoyable book, and made me want to pick it up & read another chapter & another chapter!

[Mari · Rating 4 out of 5]

She was a fascinating character. I was curious as to why a book would be written on her and not Warren. Found that our when I finished it. I enjoyed this book.

[Laura Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting. Good book.

[Shawn Thrasher]

Nope. Florence Harding isn't interesting enough to warrant this big of a book.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it-lots of primary source info. and a smattering of gossip (identified as such) to jazz things up
loved it

[Candy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since this book was first published in 1998, perhaps Warren G. Harding wasn’t the most scandalous president. However, let us leave politics aside and look instead at just the First Lady, nicknamed The Duchess. This biography is a well-researched and in-depth probe into Florence's life, and what a life it was! I knew nothing of the Hardings, beyond a vague recollection of hearing about the Teapot Dome Scandal in school 40+ years ago.

Florence begins life in a privileged environment, however, her mother was an invalid and her tyrannical father disinherits her after she gives birth to an illegitimate child. While the rumors are unproven as to whether she ever actually married (or divorced), Florence soon parted from her drunken partner. She received no help from her wealthy father, and supported herself and her son by giving piano lessons. Eventually, she would allow her father to adopt and raise her son. She meets Warren G. Harding, and becomes the force behind the man, becoming his business partner in a newspaper and ultimately directing him to political office. Her political aspiration for Warren was the White House, and he was elected in 1920. After becoming the most popular First Lady, Florence became seriously ill with a life-long kidney condition. Maids were given the day off to pray for her recovery, thousands flooded the White House to kneel in prayer on the driveway and it was reported that not since the Great War had the nation united so collectively. Unfortunately, her legacy was to become that of the wife of one of the greatest failures as president. Bootlegging, shady oil leases, fixed business deals, adultery and blackmail would be what the Hardings would be remembered for.

As First Lady, Florence was savvy and cultivated the press, taking advantage of photo opportunities. She pushed Warren from state senator, to lieutenant governor, to U. S. senator and finally to the presidency. “Warren Harding was born to order for her management.” No other First Lady had been pregnant out of wedlock, abandoned, homeless, divorced, a single mother or her husband’s business partner. While the Hardings appeared to love each other in some strange way, Warren bedded women at his friends' homes, in hotels and in the White House. He was blackmailed multiple times, arranged abortions for some of his lovers, and fathered at least one child that was privately acknowledged as his offspring. One of his mistresses had been Florence’s best friend, until Florence found out about their affair, that is.

While Florence was definitely narcissistic and spent more money on clothes than any other First Lady, she was also benevolent. Her passion was helping wounded veterans, and she became the unofficial director of the Veterans' Bureau. Before his presidency, Florence and Evalyn McLean visited veterans’ hospitals once or twice a week, talking and playing cards with the patients. She would often stop her car to give a man in uniform a lift. Florence’s interest was sincere, and this was a cause she would never abandon. The veterans would always remain “Her Boys.”

A word about Evalyn McLean, Florence’s best friend. Evalyn was a mining heiress, owner of the Hope Diamond and the Star of the East. She was 30 years younger than Florence, a morphine addict, and a spendthrift, but the two polar opposites became best friends, fiercely protective of each other. While Florence would squeeze every penny, Evalyn would hold dinner parties for a few dozen people that would cost tens of thousands of dollars. She also kept her monkey in the bathroom, llamas on the lawn and a cursing parrot in the hall. Their relationship soured a bit when Florence learned that Evalyn had allowed Warren use of her house for his assignations. Evalyn’s dedication to the veterans also appeared to be sincere. Later in life she had squandered her money, taken loans against her property (the Hope Diamond) and couldn’t pay the bill for storing her personal effects, yet she was calling prosthesis manufacturers to obtain help for disabled veterans.

In June of 1923, the Hardings began their cross-country railroad trip to Alaska. Crowds on sidewalks were five rows thick with well-wishers. At the University of Washington, all 60,000 seats were filled, with several thousand additional folding chairs set-up and thousands of others in the streets listening to his speech on loudspeakers. The Hardings made it to Alaska, where Warren soon fell gravely ill. Was it bad crabmeat? Was he poisoned? Harding suffered some heart condition and was given purgatives as a homeopathic remedy. Was it malpractice? There are many different versions of what took place at the time of his death, so what really happened in the room when he died? Was Florence complicit in his death by not preventing the trip and its effects on his ill-health? Did she poison him?

So many more stories within this story, that I would recommend you read if you have the time (543 pages, without the notes).

https://candysplanet.wordpress.com/

[Elizabeth VanDyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel compelled to write a review of this book to let people know how good it is. The subject, frankly, seems rather dull. In fact I had this book on my shelves for years without even looking at it. I recently read "Sex with Presidents" by Eleanor Herman, which dedicates one chapter each to the presidents who had the most flagrant personal lives while in office. By far the most interesting was Warren G. Harding, outdoing even JFK. That book used Anthony's "Florence Harding" as a reference and so I decided I ought to read it. Most people who know anything about Warren Harding just know about the Teapot Dome Scandal and that he died in office. That's all in there. But, WGH also led a very scandalous personal life both before and during his presidency. To be quite frank, he absolutely could not keep his dick in his pants; he was uncontrollably attracted to pretty women. He had multiple mistresses and liaisons and illegitimate children. His staff actually kept a secret bank account that they used to pay off women who tried to blackmail him. At age 51, while serving in the Senate he impregnated a 20 year old "woman" who he had known as a child in Ohio. Besides WGH's sexual scandals, Florence herself had a rather dicey life before marrying Harding. She had a previous husband but no marriage records can be located. Both that husband and the child that they had died of alcoholism at a young age. And then there's the mystery surrounding WGH's death while on a presidential tour of Alaska. There definitely was some sort of cover up. Was Florence responsible or was it the fault of the quack doctor who attended both of the Hardings? The author's research is impeccable. So often I would say, "Wait how can he know THAT?' and would find in the appendix very comprehensive notes. If you like juicy but literate biographies, you will love this.

[Joseph J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My impression of Florence "the Duchess" Harding was formed in the often blank pages of Francis Russell's The Shadow of Blooming Grove. It was not a flattering portrayal of a jealous and husband nagging old hag. Oddly, as Russell was a source for Carl Anthony, this author pens a positive portrait of a precedent shattering first lady who was politically savvy and extremely warm and friendly. It is a thorough portrait through Florence's miserable beginnings and murky first (common law?) marriage. As for Warren G. Harding, he never would have been Senator of President without Florence. Florence was determined to be the most popular and unforgettable first lady, but her time in the White House was short, marked by her own near fatal illness and less than a year later Harding's mysterious death in San Francisco. This followed a perilous train and sea trip to Alaska, and Anthony is at his richest describing these haunted days. He also delves into the mismanagement and mystery-and accusations- around Harding's illness and death. Did Florence have a hand in the deed? Anthony is a devotee of First Lady history; his passion shines in these pages.

[Jerry Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Look at the picture of Florence Harding on the cover of this book. She seems like someone who would submit to her husband and be the perfect submissive political wifeBut "At no time in her life did she ever express an in interest in becoming wife like her mother or wed to a an like her father." Many nights she can home later than her 11:00pm curfew."
At some point in the fall of 1879,,,,,,Flossie King (Harding) lost her virginity to Petey De Wolfe or - according to some people sympathetic to him - some other boy.' "Florence Kling never did marry Henry De Wolfe their child was technically born out of wedlock." It's hard to see the First Lady
With that kind of background. Not that I'm blaming her only that I think the electorate was more judgmental then. She was also a big supporter of women and women's rights.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the definitive biography of Florence Harding. Though it drags in some places, the book tells the story of one of history's much-maligned first ladies. Carl Sferrazza Anthony does a good job in profiling a woman way ahead of her time. The book also gives us a fascinating account of Florence's relationships with two of Washington society's power houses, Evalyn Walsh McLean and Alice Roosevelt Longworth.

[Tom Rowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carl Anthony really makes the first ladies come to life. After reading his bios on Ida McKinley and Nellie Taft, I have now had the opportunity to read his bio on Florence Harding, and what an interesting person she is! If you want to read the First Ladies, I would definitely recommend one of these three, especially Taft and Harding. They are excellent reads filled with so much I didn't know.

[Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

The history of US presidents is one of my favorite topics. Biographies of complex human interaction is another. This gave me both. I knew of Warren's scandals and his untimely end, but reading it from Florence's perspective was amazing. I don't know if I like her, but I sympathize with her. What a wild ride she had.

Carl Sferrazza Anthony's writing had me escaping into that world. It was an awesome read.

[Steven · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long, sometimes interesting but sometimes wandering read about Florence Harding. There didn’t seem to be a detail the author didn’t want to write about which made some parts flow and some parts go at snails pace. Really for only the true diehard presidential reader and even then a slow one.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mostly balanced amount of gossip and assessment, but major conclusions are glossed over. Still, a wild ride- dozens of mistresses, a best friend wearing the Hope Diamond, and Alice Roosevelt snarking in the background.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well written, but not my sort of book, I guess. Florence's life was interesting, but the politics and scandal lost my interest. And there was a lot of both. Also, her husband was a lecher, and there were too many juicy details about that for my taste.

[Malinda Blevins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot. But felt the author repeated some information over and over - a lot of information about hardings mistresses that Florence didn’t even know about - maybe should have been two separate books

[Keily · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inaccurate but good read

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Christa Ruhnke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but repetitive.

[Purrincess Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put it down