Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies

Price: $17.99 - $13.54
(as of Jan 09, 2026 12:19:01 UTC – Details)

In this New York Times bestseller, the White House chief usher for nearly three decades offers a behind-the-scenes look at America’s first families.
 
J. B. West, chief usher of the White House, directed the operations and maintenance of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue—and coordinated its daily life—at the request of the president and his family. He directed state functions; planned parties, weddings and funerals, gardens and playgrounds, and extensive renovations; and, with a large staff, supervised every activity in the presidential home. For twenty-eight years, first as assistant to the chief usher, then as chief usher, he witnessed national crises and triumphs, and interacted daily with six consecutive presidents and first ladies, as well as their parents, children and grandchildren, and houseguests—including friends, relatives, and heads of state.
 
J. B. West, whom Jackie Kennedy called “one of the most extraordinary men I have ever met,” provides an absorbing, one-of-a-kind history of life among the first ladies. Alive with anecdotes ranging from Eleanor Roosevelt’s fascinating political strategies to Jackie Kennedy’s tragic loss and the personal struggles of Pat Nixon, Upstairs at the White House is a rich account of a slice of American history that usually remains behind closed doors.
 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 21, 2016
Edition ‏ : ‎ Reprint
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 396 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1504038673
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1504038676
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.99 x 8 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #24,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #59 in US Presidents #130 in U.S. State & Local History #761 in Memoirs (Books)
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