Betty Boyd Caroli - First Ladies: The Ever Changing Role, from Martha Washington to Melania Trump

I NEVER WANTED TO WRITE about women who became famous simply because of the men they married, and when an editor suggested I explore First Ladies, I interpreted what she was inviting me to do as presidential history. That was nearly forty years ago, and what I expected to be a one-time treatment of White House occupants turned into multiple editions, encompassing not only presidents but womens history, national politics, and the press.

The first Oxford University Press edition of First Ladies appeared in 1987, and the book grew as I added the records of four more First Ladies for subsequent OUP editions in 1995, 2003, and 2010. The last of these did not include two important chapters from the earlier editions: First Ladies and the Press and The Women They Married. Readers delving into those topics should consult the earlier editions.

Book club editions of First Ladies came out in1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2009. In spite of having the same title as the OUP editions, the book club versions are very different, without source notes and lacking material on womens history and the press that I included in the OUP books.

Along with the different editions of First Ladies I produced two illustrated histories that enriched my appreciation of the subject: Americas First Ladies and Inside the White House. Researching and writing about one presidential family (The Roosevelt Women, 1998) and one presidents marriage (Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President, 2015) also altered my thinking.

I have profited from the insights and assistance of more individuals and institutions than I can possibly acknowledge here. Each edition of First Ladies carries its own list, and here, for the final edition, I am singling out persons and groups that have been particularly helpful these last few years. Topping the list is my literary agent, Susan Rabiner, whose sage advice and stalwart support have continued unabated since we first worked together on Todays Immigrants, Their Stories. Over the years, the team at Oxford University Press has changed but not their professionalism and collegial support. Tim Bent, currently Executive Editor, and his assistants have enthusiastically backed my work through this fifth edition.

New York City offers authors many congenial settings for exchanging ideas and networking. I have profited from several but want to thank particularly the members of the seminar, Women Writing Womens Lives, and two smaller groups: the Narrative Writing Group and the Gotham Book Group.

Livio Caroli initially found the label First Lady a curious designation, so unlike anything heard in his native Italy. But over time, he has become an ardent backer of my research, and, coincidentally, Italy has imported First Lady into its lexicon. He richly deserves the dedication.

New York City, October 1, 2018