BOOK REVIEW Literary Speaking The President’s Photographer: Fifty Years Inside the Oval Office By John Bredar ■ by Kathy Jacobs Library Director, Yankton Community Library It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a book that captured me in the way John Bredar’s The President’s Photographer did. Perhaps it’s because I have a great respect for the Office of President of the United States and am very intrigued by what happens in the Oval Office and the White House. However I think most people that read this book will agree that it is because Bredar does an exceptional job of explaining what the position of the president’s photographer entails and how the work of each of the photographers has created an historic pictorial documentary of his president’s term in office. This book focuses on President Obama’s photographer Pete Souza and takes readers to work with Souza, allowing us to walk or run with him through his daily schedule as he snaps pictures of the president with foreign dignitaries and guests, at Cabinet and Oval Office meetings, official White House functions, on trips in Air Force One, and during private times with the First Family. Wherever the president is, there also is Pete Souza, using his cameras to chronicle all that happens in the life of the president. Readers also get a glimpse of past presidential photographers through pictures they took and anecdotes they tell about their particular president and the relationship they did or did not have with them. While many presidents understood the need for this type of historical documentary of their time in office and welcomed the documentation and the photographer, not all presidents looked favorably upon the photographers and did not allow their story to be told. In all, nine photographers are referenced, going back to 1961 and the Kennedy years. Interviews with the five living photographers reveal details about specific photos with stories that bring readers a new perspective on historic events. So what can we learn from a photographer who is allowed complete access to a president? We can learn about the courage, skill and dedication of our presidents as we get a glimpse of what life in the Oval Office encompasses. We also see presidents as husbands, fathers, grandfathers, friends, and human beings. This book offers all of this through its rich images of both the past and the present. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wonders about the life of a president and what happens in the Oval Office and White House. A wonderful companion to this National Geographic book is the National Geographic Television Special The President’s Photographer. The library holds this DVD in its collection as well as the book. Worried About Mom? If you’re worried about an elderly parent living alone, maybe it’s time to look into Autumn Winds. We provide a social, residential setting where seniors can get the special attention they need and deserve. At Autumn Winds, your loved one will enjoy nutritious, homemade meals, with plenty of social activities and the help of a trained staff to monitor medications and help with personal needs. To find out if Autumn Winds could be the solution you’re looking for, give us a call today. When You’re Here You’re Home. LLC Assisted Living For information or a tour call Brandy or Colette 605-665-7255 2903-2905 Douglas,Yankton, SD • 665-7255 403 Darlene, Hartington, NE HERVOICE MARCH/APRIL 2011 ■ 15