In this fascinating work of popular history, the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings and The Royal Art of Poison uncovers the bedroom secrets of American presidents and explores the surprising ways voters have reacted to their leaders’ sex scandals.

While Americans have a reputation for being strait-laced, many of the nation’s leaders have been anything but puritanical. Alexander Hamilton had a steamy affair with a blackmailing prostitute. John F. Kennedy swam nude with female staff in the White House swimming pool. Is it possible the qualities needed to run for president—narcissism, a thirst for power, a desire for importance—go hand in hand with a tendency to sexual misdoing?

In this entertaining and eye-opening book, Eleanor Herman revisits some of the sex scandals that have rocked the nation's capital and shocked the public, while asking the provocative questions: does rampant adultery show a lack of character or the stamina needed to run the country? Or perhaps both? While Americans have judged their leaders' affairs harshly compared to other nations, did they mostly just hate being lied to? And do they now clearly care more about issues other than a politician’s sex life?

What is sex like with the most powerful man in the world? Is it better than with your average Joe? And when America finally elects a female president, will she, too, have sexual escapades in the Oval Office?

A Secret History of the White House: From Alexander Hamilton’s blackmail affair and JFK’s notorious swimming parties to the private lives of Clinton and Trump, this book uncovers the scandals hidden behind the Oval Office doors.
Power as an Aphrodisiac: Explore the psychology of America’s leaders and the connection between hubris, a thirst for power, and a tendency for sexual misdoing. Is a strong libido a sign of stamina or a character flaw?
First Ladies Under Fire: Discover how some of America’s most famous first ladies—from Eleanor Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton and Melania Trump—navigated their husbands' very public infidelities.
Entertaining and Eye-Opening Political History: Meticulously researched yet compulsively readable, this witty and fascinating history reads like a thriller, revealing how sex has shaped the American presidency.

Sex with Presidents

Sex with Presidents