Book on Obama's Makes Some Shocking Claims

A new book on the Obamas is causing a stir with shocking claims of some tense situations behind-the-scenes. INSIDE EDITION reports.

It's the explosive new book that claims Michelle Obama has spent her time as First Lady privately fuming, feuding with top White House staffers and focused on her designer wardrobe.

The Obamas, which goes on sale Tuesday, says the first African-American First Lady wanted all her outfits to be flawless and sophisticated. She felt everyone was waiting for a black woman to make a mistake.

But the president's advisors worried that Michelle's rep as a fashion icon would make the White House seem oblivious to the struggles of everyday Americans. It didn't help when Michelle wore $515 sneakers to load groceries.

And the book reveals that the Obamas threw a secret lavish Halloween bash during the height of the recession. It was reportedly so over-the-top that Star Wars creator George Lucas sent the orginal Chewbacca to mingle with guests.

No cameras were allowed inside, where an Alice In Wonderland costume ball was held, complete with Johnny Depp himself presiding over a Mad Hatter's tea party.

The White House says the event wasn't a secret and was attended by children of military families.

The book is written by New York Times correspondent Jodi Kantor. The White House released a strongly worded response, calling her writing an over-dramatization of old news, and noting that Kantor hasn't spoken to the Obamas in years.

On the Today show Kantor said, "The last time I talked to Obamas was back 2009. What I found in recording the book was, aides and friends were able to tell stories that the Obamas don't talk about."

Kantor reports that the most heated moment between the First Lady and White House staffers arose in 2010 when Michelle was quoted as telling French First Lady, Carla Bruni, that living in the White House was "hell."

The book says White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs was so furious about the Carla Bruni controversy that he cursed out the First Lady's top advisor and cursed the First Lady too, even though it wasn't to her face.

David Axelrod, who's running the president's re-election campaign, acknowledged the blow-up but says the book is inaccurate.

Other parts of Kantor's book show a First Lady passionate about her role. She's said to remind her husband again and again to avoid being distracted by political noise, to be bold.

INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd spoke to Charlie Rose, the new co-anchor of CBS This Morning.

Rose said, "There's always anticipation of people that have looked behind-the-scenes. What I think came out behind-the-scenes was something very positive. We found that the First Lady and her husband, the President, have a lot of conversations. They're devoted to each other. She's interested in his life in the same time she's protective of her family."

According to the book, one of Michelle's most proudest moments came when the president appeared in Arizona in the wake of the Gabby Giffords shooting. She was following every word, nodding a little, her eyes flickering with his words.