Humor in the White House: The Wit of Five American Presidents (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780786409495)

"I heard one presidential] candidate say that what this country needed was a president for the '90s," Ronald Reagan once said. "I was set to run again. I thought he said a president in his 90s." Abraham Lincoln, in one instance, was able to put a serious injury in a humorous light; in response to a young woman's question about where a soldier was wounded, Lincoln replied, "Ma'am, the bullet that wounded him would not have wounded you." Presidents often bring a sense of humor to the White House with them, allowing the American public to catch a glimpse of their not-so-serious sides. This book examines how five of the nation's funniest chief executives--Abraham Lincoln, Calvin Coolidge, Franklin D. Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan--used wit and humor to their advantage during their terms as president, and how their management of the Executive Branch was thereby enhanced. As a bonus, the effective use of humor by several unsuccessful presidential candidates is surveyed.

Author: Arthur A. Sloane
ISBN-10: 0786409495
ISBN-13: 9780786409495
Publisher: McFarland and Company, Inc.
Language: English
Published: 03/23/2001
Pages: 218
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.65lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.98w x 0.49d

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 08/01/2001 pg. 51