Mrs. Ike; Memories and Reflections on the Life of Mamie Eisenhower

New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1997. First Edition. Third printing [stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xix, [1], 392, [2] pages. Illustrations. Notes. Index. Inscribed by the author on the half-title page. Inscription reads To Allen & John-- with best wishes'' Susan Eisenhower. A portrait of a beloved First Lady and an account of a complex marriage examines the life of Mamie Eisenhower and her relationship with Ike Eisenhower. The author is Mamie Eisenhower's granddaughter. Susan Elaine Eisenhower (born December 31, 1951) is an American consultant, author, and expert on international security, space policy, energy, and relations between the Russian Federation and the United States of America. She is the daughter of John Eisenhower, and the granddaughter of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mary Geneva "Mamie" Eisenhower (née Doud; November 14, 1896 - November 1, 1979) was the first lady of the United States from 1953 to 1961. She married Dwight D. Eisenhower, then a lieutenant in the United States Army, in 1916. She kept house and served as hostess for military officers as they moved between various postings in the United States, Panama, the Philippines, and France. Their relationship was complicated by his regular absences on duty and by the death of their firstborn son at the age of three. As first lady, Eisenhower was given near total control over the expenses and scheduling of the White House. She entertained many foreign heads of state in her role as hostess. She was rarely involved in political discussion, though she did support soldiers' welfare and civil rights causes. She was popular during her tenure as first lady, and she was recognized as a fashion icon. Derived from a Publishers Weekly article: This sympathetic and competently crafted biography of President Eisenhower's first lady is written by her granddaughter, founder of the Center for Post-Soviet Studies. The Eisenhowers were married for 53 years and, despite the difference in their backgrounds (she was wealthy, while his family struggled financially), according to the author, they were devoted to each other. Because "Ike" had embarked on an army career, Mamie (1896-1979) had to adjust to a life of constant moves and separations. Drawing on letters and conversations with Mamie, the author chronicles her long career as an army wife and gives a brief overview of the White House years. Included is a moving account of the tragic death of Ike and Mamie's young son. A traditional wife, Mamie focused on homemaking and, although disturbed by rumors of her husband's affair during WWII, she believed his denials. The author discounts rumors of Mamie's alcoholism, blaming her supposed instability on inner-ear problems.