NPR American Chronicles: First Ladies

By: National Public Radio

Narrated by: Cokie Roberts

While the role of the first lady has changed dramatically over the course of the nation's history, one thing remains constant: Americans have always been fascinated by the wives of the President. This collection features in-depth profiles of many of our beloved, inspiring, and occasionally enigmatic first ladies, including Martha Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama.

©2015 Original material by National Public Radio, Inc. (P)2015 National Public Radio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Journalist Cokie Roberts deftly introduces excerpts from interviews with First Lady biographers and First Ladies themselves, which aired over a period of time on NPR." (AudioFile)

Engaging

My reading project for 2015 is to read about the First Ladies of the United States, I saw this overview audio book put out by NPR from its American Chronicles series; thought it might provide a good overview.

Cokie Roberts narrated the book for NPR with excerpts from interviews with First Lady Biographers and from the First Ladies themselves. Roberts was interviewed for her book of Women of the Revolutionary Period.

Among the First Ladies included are Martha Washington, Eleanor Roosevelt, Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Betty Ford, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.

To hear the First Ladies themselves makes this a special audio book. This short audio book won the Audiofile Earphone Award for 2015.

Love Cokie

To hear live interviews over the years with the First Ladies was absolutely wonderful, especially with Cokie Roberts!

Lazy production

Boring! If I wanted to listen to NPR interviews I would turn the station on. Lazy production.