A Lady, First: My Life in the Kennedy White House and the American Embassies of Paris and Rome

What a life! A great bio written by the woman that lived it. The times have changed, but for those of us liking a glimpse into the past, totally enjoyable.

I had this on my shelf for several years before finally reading it--and now I regret waiting so long! This is a captivating story told by someone uniquely placed in several high-level positions: aid to David & Evangeline Bruce in France; aid to Clare Booth Luce and Henry Luce in Italy; and chief of staff to Jackie Kennedy. In addition to this, Ms. Baldrige was the first woman executive at Tiffany's, and held a high level position at the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. But what really endears her to the reader is Ms. Baldrige's way of telling hilarious stories on herself--the things that go askew during a dinner party, for example. She took her work very seriously, but is modest enough to tell stories on herself that can make one dissolve in laughter. I came away from this book with a higher appreciation of all that she has done. She is very likeable!

Oh! how I wish I had a life like Tish Baldridge's! She is a gutsy and classy lady and I admire her for that. I loved to read that book because it goes to show that dreams come true when we put the energy and efforts for them to materialize.

Tish Baldridge has led an interesting and amazing life. She wasn't blessed with great wealth or beauty yet she managed to live and work on the upper echelons of American political and social society in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, and onward. Baldridge takes you through her beginnings in the midwest, her education at Miss Porter's and Vassar as one of the less financially advantaged students, her life in Paris and Rome working for such trend setters as Clare Booth Luce, her days at Tiffany, her years in the White House with Jackie Kennedy, and her life after.Here's what is great about this book and her story: her life didn't begin and it didn't end with her association with Jackie Kennedy. Camelot fans will get great glimpses into those years from her vantage point. But there is a lot more to this book...I would highly recommend this book to women who love biographies on the Jackie Kennedy, Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn set. I also would recommend this book to women who enjoy the story of a self-made woman and a survivor and anyone interested in the social history of this era. I would not recommend this book to most men and I would caution all readers to note that this is a book filled with details of food, flowers, gowns, and jewels and not policy making or congressional bills. You learn about the parties that Jackie Kennedy went to in the year of the Cuban Missile Crisis not about the policy nuances behind the crisis.I gave this book as a present to several female friends and they loved it.

Just when you think there can't be anything new or insightful written about Jackie Kennedy, along comes this book. The book is also about Clare Boothe Luce and Baldrige herself. My favorite parts were when Baldrige revealed her failures and how she overcame what she and her generation considered her drawbacks and failures. Baldrige is an inspiration. I wish I had read this 30 years ago. I would never have wasted so much time regretting not looking like the straight-haired, model-thin girls of my generation. She inspires me now. Excerpts from this book should be required reading for high-school girls. Every time I've been told no, I took it as final, door closed, you failed ... After reading this book, it is obvious that there is a better way to view and handle life's setbacks and rejections.And this book is a very good read about Jackie Kennedy and Clare Boothe Luce.

Letitia Baldrige busily whirled from exciting moment to moment, country to country, state to state and left the sweet smelling fragrance of her personality and fingerprints everywhere she went without much financial gain or personal recognition until now. She loved her work, and worked because she loved it, in an era when women had not yet fully emerged from beyond their households.She loved people famous and not, and spent her time making them, the elite and others look even larger than life. It's her turn in this book to give an account of all she has achieved as her marks in history are still present and very alive today.What an interesting and amazing, yet humble perspective of her world, and the world she changed and made more interesting for all of us.She did it all, she did it well, and unbelievably, she did it ONE lifetime! I am sure she is not finished yet.