About this item
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.
About the Author
Robert Klara is the author of "FDR's Funeral Train" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010) and "The Hidden White House" (Thomas Dunne Books, 2013) . Hailed as "a major new contribution to U.S. history" by Douglas Brinkley, Klara's first book earned a starred review from Kirkus ("Klara charms as he informs") and made The Daily Beast's "Hot Reads" list. Klara's second book, a dramatic account of Harry Truman's fight to save the White House from collapsing, won praise from publications including "The Washington Post," "Booklist," and "The Christian Science Monitor," which called the book "popular history at its best." Klara's articles and essays have appeared in "The New York Times," "American Heritage," and "The Guardian," among numerous other publications. Klara has also worked as a staff editor for magazines including "Town & Country," "Architecture," and "Adweek." He lives in Brooklyn.
Learn more by visiting www.RobertKlara.com
