At Ease in the White House: Social Life as Seen by a Presidential Military Aide

Colonel Stephen Bauer (U.S. First Infantry and Washington DC Old Guard, retired) brings an interesting and informative book with his "At Ease in the White House" (2004). This is a remarkable tale from his almost 20 year experience as a White House social aide. With this book readers take the intimate tour of the executive mansion with Col. Bauer. We meet many celebrities and dignitaries from the Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and Bush presidencies. This volume (308 page paperback) is a veritable "tell-all" from White House parties, celebrations, and state dinners. Bauer speaks about those quests adored by the social aides (Joey Heatherton, Cary Grant, John Wayne, Diana Rigg, Henry Kissinger, etc.) and those not so appreciated (Ted Turner, Frank Sinatra, etc.). The good Colonel describes, also, the requirements, application process, and selection procedure for White House social aids. He reviews many White House history-making moments (the Watergate scandal, Ford's media presumed clumsiness, Carter's giving away the Panama Canal, and Reagan's opulence, to name a few). Certainly, this book will influence future history writing. "At Ease in the White House" answers many question about our nation's executive mansion and those who have made history in it. This is a good book. It is a great gift candidate. It is recommended to everyone interested in the U.S. Presidents, the White House, and American history. Merry Christmas!