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6 Works 628 Membros 27 Reviews

About the Author

James Bernard ("J. B.") West was born in Afton, Iowa, on July 27, 1912. West began work in the White House as assistant to the chief usher in 1941. Prior to that, he had worked in the Veterans Administration. He was promoted to chief usher when Crim retired in 1957. With a staff of over 100, West mostrar mais managed many state dinners and other White House events, including those surrounding the funeral of John F. Kennedy and the wedding of Lynda Bird John. During the Nixon administration an investigation found that West allowed friends into the White House for after hours tours. This resulted in some thefts of White House mementos and chinaware. For that reason, West was considered a blackmail/security risk and dismissed in 1969. His book, Upstairs at the White House, was first published in 1973. It was listed on the New York Times bestseller list in 2015. West died on July 18, 1983, at the age of 70. (Bowker Author Biography) mostrar menos

Includes the name: J.B.West with Mary Lynn Kotz

Obras de J. B. West

Etiquetado

Conhecimento Comum

Nome padrão
West, J. B.
Nome de batismo
West, James Bernard
Data de nascimento
1912
Data de falecimento
1983-07-18
Sexo
male
Nacionalidade
USA
Locais de residência
Afton, Iowa, USA
Washington, D.C., USA
Ocupação
usher (The White House)

Membros

Resenhas

I love learning about houses; whether it’s driving around town looking at neighborhoods, watching HGTV, touring famous houses, or pouring over pictures of houses. I’m also curious about how people live in their houses; from decorating styles to daily lifestyles. So when I came upon the audiobook, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West, during an Audible sale, my curiosity was piqued. I’ve often wondered how the Presidential family lives in the White House. Also, how do the families move in and out so quickly at inauguration times? This book satisfied all of my curiosities.

J.B. West worked at the White House for 28 years. For most of that time, he was in the role of Chief Usher and worked directly with the First Ladies. His career started with Roosevelt in office. Some of the highlights West wrote about included Eleanor’s projects, Pearl Harbor, and Roosevelt’s death while in office. This tragic loss resulted in Vice-President Truman taking over the Presidency. This was also West’s first experience assisting with major renovations of the White House residence, which occurred every time a new family moved in. West shared about the attempted assassination of President Truman.

Eisenhower was the next presidential family to...

I have photos and additional information that I'm unable to include here. It can all be found on my blog, in the link below.
A Book And A Dog
… (mais)
 
Marcado
NatalieRiley | outras 26 resenhas | Jun 19, 2023 |
One of my favourite books. It is a beautifully related collection of reminiscences about the job of Usher in the White House across six administrations and about the First Ladies in each case.
 
Marcado
gmillar | outras 26 resenhas | Apr 5, 2022 |
What a little gem this turned out to be! Well written, behind-the-scenes account of Chief Usher West and the various First Ladies of the twentieth century. Deft portrait of family life in the White House.
 
Marcado
PattyLee | outras 26 resenhas | Dec 14, 2021 |

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Estatísticas

Obras
6
Membros
628
Popularidade
#40,132
Avaliação
4.0
Resenhas
27
ISBNs
15
Idiomas
1

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