Review
"In Hidden Power Kati Marton explores a neglected dimension of the modern presidency. The result is not only acute and perceptive; it is also one of the most readable and diverting books of the year."--Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

"Hidden Power is an astute analysis of high-level bedroom politics: intimate, well-reported, and well-told. One assumes presidential wives have been influential and powerful. Marton proves it with the kind of delving and digging that makes her one of our fine historians. Solid and dazzling, a great read."--Lesley Stahl

"Kati Marton takes us on a fascinating and illuminating tour of the hidden power centers of the American Presidency-the women behind, beside and occasionally in front of the men in the Oval Office. I was entertained, informed and enlightened." -Tom Brokaw

"Kati Marton has done a splendid job of showing us the importance of modern First Ladies as political figures and as towering examples of the changing role of women in America. Hidden Power is an absorbing and original look at a dozen formidable women and the men with whom they changed American history." -Michael Beschloss

"There have been many books on First Families. This is without question one of the very best. Kati Marton is a wonderful writer with a gift for storytelling and a keen insight into the relationships between presidents and their wives. This is a book anyone interested in the American presidency will love to read." -Doris Kearns Goodwin

From the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Kati Marton's bestselling Hidden Power is an engrossing look at twelve presidential marriages-from Edith and Woodrow Wilson to Laura and George W. Bush-that have profoundly affected America's history.

Marton uncovers the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the ultimate power couples, showing how first ladies have used their privileged access to the president to influence staffing, promote causes, and engage directly in policy-making. Edith Wilson secretly ran the country after Woodrow's debilitating stroke. Eleanor Roosevelt was FDR's moral compass. And Laura Bush, initially shy of any public role, has proven to be the emotional ballast for her husband. Through extensive research and interviews, Marton reveals the substantial-yet often overlooked-legacy of presidential wives, providing insight into the evolution of women's roles in the twentieth century and vividly depicting the synergy of these unique political partnerships.

From the Trade Paperback edition.