Public and Private: Twenty Years Photographing the Presidency

Unprecedented, behind the scenes photography and anecdotes of six American Presidents and their administrations, from Gerald Ford to George W.Bush. SPECIAL BEHIND-THE-SCENES ACCESS: Diana Walker obtained special access to photograph the daily lives of the Carters, the Reagans, the Fords, the Clintons, and the Bushes. She spent time with them at public events, private meetings, in off hours, and on vacation, establishing a special rapport that led to emotional and insightful pictures of astounding quality. Book Description: This book showcases Diana Walker's photographs and also gives special personal insights into recent U.S. history. Working for Time magazine, Walker has had unique access to the Presidency for more than two decades, a remarkably long period of time for this job. And she used her access brilliantly. She brought sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and great talent to her photography of Carter, Reagan, Ford, Clinton, both Bush administrations, and their families and associates. Public and Private opens with a sequence of public and "behind the scenes" pictures of Presidents and First Ladies that became Walker's specialty. To dramatize and expand the meaning of each of these photographs, we include some of the thoughts, opinions, and memories of the people in them: The Presidents and First Ladies depicted in the pictures contribute their own perspectives, feelings, and memories of the events shown. The book then proceeds chronologically from Jimmy Carter's administration to the Presidency of George W. Bush. Walker's pictures range from humorous to heartbreaking, joyful to deadly serious, surprising to just what you'd expect. They provide unexpected understanding of these people we think we know so well: they show the process they went through to arrive at the top; and they record and reveal how they behaved in public and private while living in the White House. Walker's anecdotes add a note of personal wisdom that makes the book delightful, nostalgic, and important.