Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era Book

I guess by now it is well known that Doris Kerns Goodwin has a new book coming out November 5, 2013 about Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft called THE BULLY PULPIT. I have it on order and expect like all of Kern's books it will be excellent. In anticipation I remembered that I had in my library a copy of Carl Anthony's biography of Taft's wife, Nellie Taft. I had bought it some time ago because I had really enjoyed Anthony's book FLORENCE HARDING, THE FIRST LADY, THE JAZZ AGE, AND THE DEAL OF AMERICA'S MOST SCANDALOUS PRESIDENT (5 stars). If you have not read this prior book you will find it a most entertaining and interesting book I highly recommend it to you (see my review on Amazon.com).
I also enjoyed the Nellie Taft book. It is well written, organized and covers a history that is for most American's a black hole of ignorance. Taft is remembered as being a failed President who weighed more than any other in history and maybe some might recall he also became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. And although Anthony gives lots of information about President Taft and his fall out from Theodore Roosevelt the book quite rightly focuses on his strong willed wife who pushed him against his better judgment into running for President (he apparently hated the job). As such Nellie Taft was indeed the power behind the thrown and most unique…she smoked and drank (even during proabition) supported minority rights helping Taft to govern the Philippines. She is also responsible for the cherry trees that make Washington DC so special in spring. Unfortunately she had two strokes shortly after becoming first lady and did not fully recover until after her husband lost re-election. A loss neither she nor her husband, the President mourned mainly because they feared a Theodore Roosevelt third term. Nellie had a special dislike of Theodore Roosevelt and especially Roosevelt's wife. This rivalry between "friends" consumed her.
Nellie Taft is the story of a self-confident, progressive (liberal), world traveling modern woman in an age where such behavior was much more groundbreaking than say Eleanor Roosevelt (who Nellie liked) or today's Hillary Clinton. In fact in a different age and time it is not hard to speculate that Nellie Taft might held office in her own right. Her Son Bob Taft became the right wing isolationist senator who in 1940 first tried to run for President. Nellie supported him but not his views. He found she was very much her own woman.
I found it especially interesting that after her husband died Nellie began to travel alone all around the world on long extended trips. She loved the theater and music attending all the productions she could. She never slowed down and rather be alone traveling that visiting family even at Christmas. She died in her mid-80s during the middle of World War II from lung disease most likely due to her smoking habit. To the end she loved a good cocktail. I think knowing her would have been quite a kick!