Book review: '1,000 Facts About the White House'

If you're a fact-lover, then "1,000 Facts About the White House" is for you. If, however, you prefer to read your history in more of a story form, then this book might be better for a quick glance. But if you like history, regardless of how it's presented, then you'll probably like this book.

At nearly 100 pages, "1,000 Facts About the White House" is comprised of sections ranging from things like the different kids of pets, cars, food, rituals, and rules the people who live and work at the White House have experienced since its constructions.

Image used by permission from Media Masters Publicity

For instance, did you know that each president sets his own rules about the White House dress code? George W. Bush wanted all men to wear a coat and tie whenever they were in the Oval Office. But Barack Obama often worked sans a coat and with his sleeves rolled up. Now, honestly, I don't think it really matters what they were wearing, but reading about the dress code facts was rather interesting.


The Rose Garden was started by First Lady Ellen Wilson in 1913. It's now a popular site for bills to be signed and press conferences to be held. I wonder if Mrs. Wilson had those events in mind when she planted her roses!

Full of color photographs and drawings, this book can be a fun one to thumb through. However, I kept finding myself wishing for more details about several of the facts. So, while this book can be a good jumping off place to start on more historical research and contains a lot of breadth, there isn't any depth to the facts at all.

"1,000 Facts About the White House" is a clean read with nothing offensive in it. While geared towards children, the facts in here can also be interesting for adults.

Author Sarah Wassner Flynn lives in Washington, D.C. with her family. A triathlete who has competed around the world, she's also authored several books for National Geographic.