(Image via Barnes & Noble)

History By Zim was contacted by Smithsonian Books (they publish material in collaboration with the Smithsonian Institute) to see if I was interested in doing a book review/feature on an upcoming release. The book, The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia, seemed to be right in History By Zim’s wheelhouse. Because of that reason, as well as the Smithsonian connection, I immediately agreed. However, I should state that as excited as I am about this, I made a point of looking through the book as unbiased as I can be. 

The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia
AMY PASTAN
Washington D.C.: Smithsonian Books, 2012
240 pp. $12.95/$15.95 CAN
ISBN: 978-1-58834-325-3

Cover:

Book covers are one of the main selling points of a book, they help set the mood for what the reader can expect. President Theodore Roosevelt’s enthusiastic smile is just one of the many faces and objects popping out of the White House roof. The seemingly random array of things assures the reader that this book is full of all things presidents. Since random trivia play a large role in History By Zim, this is a very good sign.

Standard information dominates the back cover and reads on the textbook side.* It’s important to mention that it states that the book is “[f]ully updated with presidential information to 2013.”

Book Structure:

Coming in around 240 pages, The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia  is substantial enough to appease presidential history experts but not too long to scare off the average history buff.

A short forward by Marc Pachter (Director Emeritus, National Portrait Gallery and Interim Director, National Museum of American History) details the perception of the presidency and how the presidency is as an iconic symbol of the country.

Divided into eleven chapters, The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia deals with every part of the presidency from political campaigns to life in the White House to particular low moments for some. Chapter Eleven, “The Quotable President,” gives quips and soundbites from those who held the nation’s highest office.

Following the chapters is a helpful presidential timeline that lists the order of presidents, their birth/death, term years and vice presidents.

(Photo by Zim)

Content:

I have looked at my fair share of presidential trivia books for here and this one follows the standard Question and Answer format. However, that seems to be the only major similarity between them. This one varies because, not only do they tell you which president[s] is the answer to the question, they give more information about the person, event, object, etc…. in question. It is very helpful to have the additional information on hand and not just the president’s name.

Another big difference between The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia and other related trivia books is that this one pairs questions with photographs of historic artifacts (from Smithsonian’s collections). There are 115 black-and-white photographs in the book.

The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia includes trivia about some First Ladies and children of presidents as well. Hillary Clinton and Lucy Hayes are the most discussed First Ladies with about four to five mentions each.

The most discussed presidents include: Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt (without including mentions about wives and children). James Monroe, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Herbert Hoover and George H.W. Bush are the least mentioned with 2-3 entries (including mentions about wives and children).

Things I liked:

• Discussion on each trivia answer.
• Numerous photographs of objects from Smithsonian’s collections.
• Presidential Timeline at the end of the book.
• Includes trivia on some First Ladies and children.
• Many questions/answers I had never heard of before. For example: “Which president popularized the term “OK”?” or “Which president wore a ring containing a lock of Lincoln’s hair to his inauguration?”

Things I prefer to have:*

• An index at the end to where the reader could find information on a specific president. If you are looking for fun facts about Millard Fillmore you would have to page through over half of the book to find anything about him.
• Colored photographs of the physical objects from Smithsonian’s collections. I find that you can lose some of the details with black-and-white photographs.

Overall Impression:

I enjoyed reading through The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia. It was put together very well. It had a little bit of something about everything and there were some things I had not known about. I would highly recommend this book to any history/trivia buff and even to general/presidential historians as well. The Smithsonian has a high reputation of preserving and sharing history, this book reflects that quality.

Where to find The Smithsonian Book of Presidential Trivia:

Here are a few places you can find the book (it will be released on January 1, 2013)
Amazon
Barnes & Nobles
Smithsonian Books (I assume it will be available here once it is released)

[* I should note that my copy is a proof copy and, therefore, I assume the final copies will vary slightly.]

Helen “Nellie” Taft was married to William Taft, the 27th President of the United States, and served as First Lady from 1909-1913. She was the first First Lady to own and drive a car, ride in her husband’s inaugural parade, to publish her memoirs and to smoke cigarettes.

President Taft and First Lady Helen Taft, riding to White House, March 4, 1909

Additionally, she was the first to support women’s suffrage, even though her husband did not. President Taft was against women voting since he believed they were too emotional. On November 2, 1909, just a few months into his Presidency, he also reiterated his opinion on suffrage. “I am not in favor of suffrage for women until I can be convinced that all the women desire it; and when they desire it I am in favor of giving it.” Nelle described herself as a “qualified” suffragist, this meant that she supported the right for women to vote, only if the women demonstrate that they have knowledge of political issues and candidates. She also felt this standard should apply to men as well. While serving as First Lady, Nellie was quiet on the issue of suffrage, but was a charter member of Bryn Mawr’s Suffrage Club.

She made her feelings on women’s suffrage known on the last day of her husband’s Presidency. Suffragettes had rallied in Washington to try to convince the soon-to-be President Woodrow Wilson to support their cause. Nelle took a prominent place on the grandstand to review a suffragist parade. In this symbolic move, Nelle showed everyone that she supported the movement. The Tafts’ daughter, Helen, would later follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a strong activist for women’s rights

Helen Taft’s Biography on FirstLadies.org

Pat Nixon, wife of Richard Nixon (the 37th President of the United States), was the first First Lady to earn a graduate degree. She graduated from the University of Southern California and earned a teacher’s certificate and graduated with enough credits to gain the equivalence of a Master’s degree. Afterwards, she became a teacher, a job she continued to do during the first year of her marriage.

While being the United States First Lady, Nixon realized the difficulties some encountered during their White House tours. She created special tours for those who were visually, hearing and physically impaired, allowing them full access to the rooms. By doing so, Nixon made the White House handicapped-accessible. For non-English speaking vistors, she commissioned brochures and pamphlets to be written in a variety of languages that would cover the various rooms and the history behind the White House.

Among some of her other “firsts” as First Lady include the following:

• In the fashion world she created her own mark by being the first First Lady to wear pants in public.
• During President Nixon’s 1969 trip to South Vietnam, Pat accompanied her husband and in doing so becaming the first First Lady to visit a combat zone.
• At game two of the 1971 World Series, Nixon threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Baltimore Memorial Stadium. This made her the first incumbent First Lady to toss out a baseball for a major league team.
• Finally, at the 1972 Republican National Convention, Nixon addressed the convention. While she was not the first First Lady to do so (Eleanor Roosevelt addressed a party convention during her time), Nixon was however the first Republican First Lady to do so.

Photo and information found at the National First Ladies’ Library website.

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

Theodore and Edith Roosevelt and five of their six children (the oldest, Alice, is not pictured).

In 1901, Theodore and Edith Roosevelt moved into the White House along with their six children. They soon found the living and office space to be too small. A year after moving in, President Roosevelt started construction on a new office building, known today as the West Wing.

whitehouse.gov

"First Lady Frances Cleveland holds baby Esther, the first and only child of a president to be born at the White House. Esther was born on September 9 , 1893."

At the age of 21, Frances Cleveland (1864-1947) was the youngest first lady. She was also the only president’s wife to marry and give birth in the White House. Before their marriage, Grover Cleveland’s sister Rose Elizabeth Cleveland acted as the White House hostess.

The National First Ladies Library’s website.
Photo found here.

First Lady Lucy Ware Webb Hayes’ (wife of 19th President Rutherford B. Hayes) nickname was “Lemonade Lucy” because she banned alcohol in the white house events, including state dinners.

“Lucy Hayes,” National First Ladies’ Library.

“The one thing I do not want to be called is first lady. It sounds like a saddle horse.”

- Jackie Kennedy, First Lady from 1961-1963

Photo via Life.