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The hidden White House : Harry Truman and the reconstruction of America's most famous residence / Robert Klara.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Thomas Dunne Books, 2013Edition: First editionDescription: viii, 371 pages : illustrations ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 1250000270 (hardback)
  • 9781250000279 (hardback)
Subject(s):
Contents:
Moving day -- The Great White Jail -- The Porch -- "Like a ship at sea" -- The inspection -- The eviction -- The slow murder -- Wanted : home for President -- "The people want a new building" -- The verdict -- "Shoot it" -- The shovel in the earth -- Wreck it gently -- "We are no longer ahead" -- The hidden White House -- Twenty-seven rounds -- furniture, rugs, and draperies -- The tour -- Something to remember you by --"Every dollar must be saved" -- The General's burden -- Missing pieces -- "A race against time" -- Open house.
Summary: "Critically acclaimed author Klara leads readers through an unmatched tale of political ambition and technical skill: the refurbishment of the White House during the Truman administration In 1948, Harry Truman, President of the United States, almost fell through the ceiling of the Blue Room in a bathtub into a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A team of the nation's top architects was hastily assembled to inspect the White House, and upon seeing the state the old mansion was in, insisted the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed was the biggest home-improvement job the nation had ever seen. The Truman's moved across the street to the Blair House, the Congress argued about how much the job would cost, and then, in the midst of it all, the Soviets exploded an atomic bomb.Indefatigable researcher Rob Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America's most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today's White House. The facade was left intact, but the entire structure was taken apart, removed, and replaced with a steel structure with a complex series of steel-reinforced subbasements and bomb shelters. The story of Truman's rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed a piece of America's national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable--and history has nearly forgotten about it"-- Provided by publisher.Summary: "In 1948, Harry Truman, President of the United States, almost fell through the ceiling of the Blue Room in a bathtub into a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A team of the nation's top architects was hastily assembled to inspect the White House, and upon seeing the state the old mansion was in, insisted the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed was the biggest home-improvement job the nation had ever seen. The Truman's moved across the street to the Blair House, the Congress argued about how much the job would cost, and then, in the midst of it all, the Soviets exploded an atomic bomb. Indefatigable researcher Rob Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America's most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today's White House. The facade was left intact, but the entire structure was taken apart, removed, and replaced with a steel structure with a complex series of steel-reinforced subbasements and bomb shelters. The story of Truman's rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed a piece of America's national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable--and history has nearly forgotten about it"-- Provided by publisher.
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Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 975.304 K63 Available 33111007476209
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

Critically acclaimed author Robert Klara leads readers through an unmatched tale of political ambition and technical skill: the Truman administration's controversial rebuilding of the White House.

In 1948, President Harry Truman, enjoying a bath on the White House's second floor, almost plunged through the ceiling of the Blue Room into a tea party for the Daughters of the American Revolution. A handpicked team of the country's top architects conducted a secret inspection of the troubled mansion and, after discovering it was in imminent danger of collapse, insisted that the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed would be the most historically significant and politically complex home-improvement job in American history. While the Trumans camped across the street at Blair House, Congress debated whether to bulldoze the White House completely, and the Soviets exploded their first atomic bomb, starting the Cold War.


Indefatigable researcher Robert Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America's most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today's White House. Leaving only the mansion's facade untouched, workmen gutted everything within, replacing it with a steel frame and a complex labyrinth deep below ground that soon came to include a top-secret nuclear fallout shelter,

The story of Truman's rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed the centerpiece of the country's national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable--and, until now, all but forgotten.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Moving day -- The Great White Jail -- The Porch -- "Like a ship at sea" -- The inspection -- The eviction -- The slow murder -- Wanted : home for President -- "The people want a new building" -- The verdict -- "Shoot it" -- The shovel in the earth -- Wreck it gently -- "We are no longer ahead" -- The hidden White House -- Twenty-seven rounds -- furniture, rugs, and draperies -- The tour -- Something to remember you by --"Every dollar must be saved" -- The General's burden -- Missing pieces -- "A race against time" -- Open house.

"Critically acclaimed author Klara leads readers through an unmatched tale of political ambition and technical skill: the refurbishment of the White House during the Truman administration In 1948, Harry Truman, President of the United States, almost fell through the ceiling of the Blue Room in a bathtub into a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A team of the nation's top architects was hastily assembled to inspect the White House, and upon seeing the state the old mansion was in, insisted the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed was the biggest home-improvement job the nation had ever seen. The Truman's moved across the street to the Blair House, the Congress argued about how much the job would cost, and then, in the midst of it all, the Soviets exploded an atomic bomb.Indefatigable researcher Rob Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America's most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today's White House. The facade was left intact, but the entire structure was taken apart, removed, and replaced with a steel structure with a complex series of steel-reinforced subbasements and bomb shelters. The story of Truman's rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed a piece of America's national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable--and history has nearly forgotten about it"-- Provided by publisher.

"In 1948, Harry Truman, President of the United States, almost fell through the ceiling of the Blue Room in a bathtub into a meeting of the Daughters of the American Revolution. A team of the nation's top architects was hastily assembled to inspect the White House, and upon seeing the state the old mansion was in, insisted the First Family be evicted immediately. What followed was the biggest home-improvement job the nation had ever seen. The Truman's moved across the street to the Blair House, the Congress argued about how much the job would cost, and then, in the midst of it all, the Soviets exploded an atomic bomb. Indefatigable researcher Rob Klara reveals what has, until now, been little understood about this episode: America's most famous historic home was basically demolished, giving birth to today's White House. The facade was left intact, but the entire structure was taken apart, removed, and replaced with a steel structure with a complex series of steel-reinforced subbasements and bomb shelters. The story of Truman's rebuilding of the White House is a snapshot of postwar America and its first Cold War leader, undertaking a job that changed a piece of America's national heritage. The job was by no means perfect, but it was remarkable--and history has nearly forgotten about it"-- Provided by publisher.

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