Washington overview: Washington scene -- City of magnificent intentions -- Main Street-on-Potomac -- Natural setting -- Washington evening -- Living in Washington, D.C. -- It's Middleton-on-the-Potomac -- Drama of conflict -- True grit and imitation grandeur -- Mr. and Mrs. Smith come to Washington: Old order changeth -- New boy on Capitol Hill -- Report on a life lived in Washington -- Life intertwines along the Potomac -- Unpaid manager of a small hotel -- Social Washington: Society of the nation's capital -- Don'ts in Washington -- Boiled bosoms -- Innocence and mischief -- Dining-out Washington -- Washington parties are serious affairs -- Rumblossoms on the Potomac -- Bigwigs, littlewigs, and no wigs at all -- She teaches Washington to put on airs -- Period pieces: Washington portraits -- One sits by the fire and surveys the world -- Old Washington vanished, never to return -- Capital underworld -- President and his cabinet -- View from E Street -- Memoirs of a congressman's daughter -- Same place, different frenzy -- Wartime Washington: World War I -- War-time Washington -- Capital at war -- Topsy-turvy capital -- World War II: Washington is a state of mind -- Main gate -- Churchill brightens the first war Christmas -- Boom town and the strains of the new -- Alleys of Washington -- Visitors to Washington: Letter from a self-made diplomat to his constituents -- Will Rogers out of his element -- Young hero from Colorado -- Lindbergh, the perfect guest --

Greatest man in the world -- Tourists see the sights -- Washington -- I love Washington -- Washington events: Hope tempers sorrow of whole people at tomb of humble dead soldier -- High point -- Era's end -- Depression days -- Lion at bay -- Royal close-ups -- Royal visitors -- Morning means another day -- Parade of '53 -- Thursday night: first sparks of anger -- President watching: Foremost man of his age -- Reminiscences of the Hardings -- Timely death of President Harding -- Coolidge days -- First Christmas with the Roosevelts -- Life with Mamie -- JFK -- Kennedys -- Outrageous memoirs of the presidential kennel keeper -- Never send to know for whom the wedding bell tolls -- Peace at last -- Man in the emergency room -- How we lived -- Washington women: On women's suffrage and a notable Washington woman -- Alice Roosevelt Longsworth: defying convention -- Herald angel -- Pioneer woman of the 20th century -- Private lives of government girls -- Political wife -- Women and children -- Washington humor: Attic in my edifice: some random notes -- Natives: their work and curious temperament -- Four funny columns -- Winners go to Washington, D.C. -- How Washington works: Mrs. Boggs gets seated -- Washington's curious caste system -- Like no other city -- New black dilemma -- Life insdie the beltway -- Mavericks and image-makers -- Why do they hate Washington? --

Beginnings and endings: Wilsons leave the White House -- "We have nothing to fear..." -- Scintillating city -- Death of the president -- There is no armor against fate -- "FDR (and me)" -- Word of introduction -- White tie -- Drums of Washington -- Beginning -- End of a presidency -- SUmmer 1974 -- Prologue -- Inauguration -- Washington, 2050 A.D.