Book Description
From the acclaimed bestselling author of The Conquerors
Michael Beschloss has brought us a brilliantly readable and inspiring saga about crucial times in America's history when a courageous President dramatically changed the future of the United States.
With surprising new sources and a dazzling command of history and human character, Beschloss brings to life these flawed, complex men -- and their wives, families, friends and foes. Never have we had a more intimate, behind-the-scenes view of Presidents coping with the supreme dilemmas of their lives.
You will be in the room with the private George Washington, braving threats of impeachment and assassination to make peace with England. John Adams, incurring his party's "unrelenting hatred" by refusing to fight France and warning his enemies, "Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war." Andrew Jackson, in a death struggle against the corrupt Bank of the United States. Abraham Lincoln, risking his Presidency to insist that slaves be freed.
Beschloss also shows us Theodore Roosevelt, taunting J. P. Morgan and the Wall Street leaders who dominated his party. Franklin Roosevelt, defying the isolationists -- and maybe the law -- to stop Adolf Hitler. Harry Truman, risking a walkout by top officials to recognize a Jewish state. John Kennedy, the belated champion of civil rights, complaining that he has cost himself a second term. And finally, two hundred years after Washington, Ronald Reagan, irking some of his oldest backers to seek an end to the Cold War.
As Beschloss shows in this gripping and important book, none of these Presidents was eager to incur ridicule, vilification or threats of political destruction and even assassination. But in the end, bolstered by friends and family, hidden private beliefs and, sometimes, religious faith, each ultimately proved himself to be, in Andrew Jackson's words, "born for the storm."
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book - must read for adults and young adults.......2007-10-03
I enthusiatically recommend this book. I read it and gave it to my son to read to illustrate the difficulties in doing the right thing - even if it costs you your carrer.
Easy and entertaining read as well.
Not what I expected.......2007-10-01
Michael Beschloss is a fine historian, and the book is well-researched. Unfortunately, the examples he provides show little in the way of actual courage. If anything, they paint a series of portraits of presidents who acted less out of courage than out of self-preservation. Nearly all of them resisted mightily before doing what was right, or -- in the case of Andrew Jackson -- used a veil of bravery to disguise the real motive: petty vengeance. How disappointing to find that these men whose actions have reverberated throughout history were less noble than we believed.
I was also disappointed in the writing, which was choppy and often inelegant.
Fun, Informative Read.......2007-09-30
Beschloss writes well and this is a very engaging read. I differ with his politics in places, but he is even handed. FDR's actions in the book don't sound like courage as much self-exalting opportunism.
Beschloss has inside information in various settings from interviews with family members, etc. which really adds to the account.
This is a great read and very informative.
Presidential Courage.......2007-09-22
Excellent book! I could hardly put it down. Beschloss tells the story of presidents who, in spite of their personal failures, took a stand for what they believed was right and, often aganst a massive tide of public opinion, changed the course of American history for the better.
Missing important courageous actions.......2007-09-15
I attempted to read his book, but frankly I just couldnt get into it. I made several attempts. I enjoy political history. But there are two issues that he failed to talk about. Correct me if I am wrong. These are important courageous stands taken by presidents.
1. Harry Truman had no chance of winning election in 1948. Blacks didnt vote in large numbers (mainly because of impediments at the polls). He had two major third party candidates to deal with in addition to the Republican candidate. In 1948 in the middle of the campaign, he signed an executive order intergrating the armed services. He had nothing to win. Many whites would not vote for him because of it. But he signed it anyway.
2. Lyndon Johnson knew that if he signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Democrats would lose the south for decades. Up until 1964, it was the solid south for Democrats. After 1964, it has been practically the solid south for Republicans. Johnson knew what would happen, but he signed the bill anyway.
[...]
Book Description
Were presidential campaigns always as bitter as they have been in recent years? Or is the current style of campaigning a new political development? In this revised and updated edition of Presidential Campaigns the answers to these questions are clear: the race for the presidency, although at times mean and nasty, has always been an endlessly entertaining and highly-charged spectacle for the American public. This book unveils the whole history of American presidential elections, from the seamless ascent of General George Washington to the bitterly contested election of George W. Bush, bringing these boisterous contests to life in all their richness and complexity. In the old days, Boller shows, campaigns were much rowdier than they are today. Back in the nineteenth century, the invective at election time was exuberant and the mudslinging unrestrained; a candidate might be called everything from a carbuncle-faced old drunkard to a howling atheist. But there was plenty of fun and games, too, with songs and slogans, speeches and parades, all livening up the scene in order to get people to the polls.Presidential Campaigns takes note of the serious side of elections even as it documents the frenzy, frolic and the sleaze. Each chapter contains a brief essay describing an election and presenting "campaign highlights" that bring to life the quadrennial confrontation in all its shame and glory. With a postscript analyzing the major changes in the ways Americans have chosen their Presidents from Washington's time to the present, Presidential Campaigns gives the reader a full picture of this somewhat flawed procedure. For all of its shortcomings, though, this "great American shindig" is an essential part of the American democratic system and, for better or for worse, tells us much about ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Fun and games with elections.......2006-03-11
This book reminds me again just how much fun the study of history can be. The basic facts of Presidential elections from the beginning to today are solid historical accounts. But they also include the tidbits of electoral trivia that go on in each election, but that are often obscure or unnoticed. This book is both informative and entertaining. I plan to give it as a gift to my opthomologist who is also a history buff. As a retired history professor I look forward to chatting with him during my annual examinations.
Delightful Insight to the History of our Elections.......2004-10-19
You wouldn't have recognized the election of 1789. There were no primaries, nominating convention, rival candidates, campaign speeches, or debates on public issues." (All quotes are direct from the book.) Yet the will of the people was perfectly expressed. Everyone simply agreed that Washington had to be the President. Four years later they had political parties, but both of them picked Washington. That was the end of the smooth sailing.
In 1796 Adams and Jefferson remained on friendly terms with each other, but had their supporters do a lot of name calling (sound familiar?). By 1800 Adams was calling Jefferson ... well, read the book. Suffice to say, the American way of politics was in full swing, has continued unabated until now and shows no sign of making significant changes in the future.
I must say that I do miss the rum. When Washington was running for the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1758, there were 391 elgible voters. Washington gave them 160 gallons of rum. It's kind of a wonder just how they could vote.
This is a delightful book. I remember taking American History in college, and that was pretty dull. This reads like a novel, full of interesting anecdotes while conveying the facts as well.
A complete chronological history .......2004-10-10
Presidential Campaigns: From George Washington To George W. Bush by Paul F. Boller, Jr. is a lively, informative, and often surprising history of American presidential election campaigns. This is a complete chronological history of from the unanimously concented ascent of General george Washionhton, to the divisively contested Gore vs. Bush recall scandal. Presidental Campaigns is a superbly written and presented political history that, in these politically divise days of presential electioneering, deserves as wide a readership as possible among the electorate.
Wonderful Information in Bite Sized Chunks.......2004-07-16
I own a previous edition of this book. Facinating information about each campaign. You think 2000 was bad? Take a look at 1876 or 1824. I'd offer more in this review, but it's 4 am and I need to get back to sleep.
Book Description
This is a collection of humorous stories about U.S. Presidents throughout history. Originally published in 1981, this edition is updated to include anecdotes on George Bush and Bill Clinton.
Customer Reviews:
too familiar anecdotes in one collection.......2006-08-09
not uninteresting, but so familiar as to add nothing new to my understanding of past leaders.
Unannotated Anecdotes.......2006-07-29
A breezy, and interesting collection of information about the presidents. The contents match the title exactly, no surprises here. This makes fun light reading as one can stop and start whereever one wants.
Unfortunately the book is disappointing in that these anecdotes, while quite interesting, are rendered useless for citation since the author did not document his sources.
Good, but not quite as good as "Congressional anecdotes".......2006-01-22
And that's through no fault of Boller's.
First, with Congress, Boller had tens of thousands of MCs and their anecdotes from which to choose.
Second, especially in the early days of the Republic, you had stalwarts such as Henry Clay and Daniel Webster in Congress, which you had such notably dry, unfunny and serious presidents as Madison, Monroe and J.Q. Adams. And, Boller could arrange Congessional Anecdotes around different themes, while, due to the small number of presidents, he feels constrained to do a president-by-president blow.
See the presidents as funny men.......2001-12-22
There have been many different personalities serve as the President of the United States, from dynamic types such as Theodore Roosevelt and Jimmy Carter to the extreme reserve of Calvin Coolidge. However, each was capable of humor in their own unique way, and this collection of stories about the presidents from Washington through Clinton shows much of their humanity. The funniest President of all was probably Abraham Lincoln, and his sense of humor helped him get through the greatest crisis this nation has ever faced.
However, I found the funniest one to be when a society woman sat next to Calvin Coolidge and informed him that she had a bet that she could get more than two words out of him. His reply was, "You lose." Any person who could utter such a line without breaking stride would have made a great straight man. While there is no real historical significance to the anecdotes, some of the public performance of these men does come through in the stories. There were many times when it was possible to see some of their effectiveness as leaders reflected in their jokes. Politics will always remain an exercise in personal charm and there is no better way to do that than making jokes.
I enjoyed the book, finding it a light journey through the history of the American presidency, not in deeds, but in funny words.
Good light reading & trivia.......2001-04-21
This book attempts to show the human side of presidents, and includes a short profile of each as well as amusing anecdotes. In reality it is hard to really get a feel for the personalities of some of the presidents profiled because many of the anecdotes are fanciful legends rather an accurate portrayal. For example, the George washington and the cherry tree legend is repeated here. On the other hand, much presidential wit and humor is recounted. Some fairly mediocre presidents ahd a pretty good wry sense of humor, such as Warrren G. harding. This book is entertaining but not a primary source for historical information.
Book Description
Campaigning for the presidency demands strength and courage. Teddy Roosevelt was once shot in the chest just before a campaign speech--but he insisted on delivering his hour-and-a-half oration anyway. Presidential nominees have to know how to play the game, moreover, whether they care for it or not. When Andrew Jackson was visiting one town, according to a campaign tale, a proud mother handed a dirty-faced baby up for him to hold. "Here is a beautiful specimen of young American childhood," said Jackson obligingly. "Note the brightness of that eye, the great strength of those limbs, and the sweetness of those lips." Then he handed the baby to his friend John Eaton. "Kiss him, Eaton," he cried, and walked away. And all presidential hopefuls have to find ways of smoothing over the unfortunate gaffes they sometimes commit. During the 1992 campaign, Bill Clinton provoked so much mirth when he said he once tried marijuana but found he couldn't inhale, that he subsequently appeared on television to play his saxophone and told the host he took up the instrument because it didn't require inhaling: "You blow out." Now, in a revised and updated edition, this enlightening and endlessly entertaining book unveils the whole history of American presidential elections from Washington to Clinton--those clamorous showdowns that have so perplexed, pleased, amused, irked, and fascinated the American people from the very beginning. As Charles Dickens observed, American voters are scarcely finished with one campaign when they start in on another. Presidential Campaigns brings these boisterous contests to life in all their richness and complexity. In the old days, Boller shows, campaigns were much rowdier than they are today. Back in the nineteenth century, the invective at election time was exuberant and the mudslinging unrestrained; a candidate might be called everything from a carbuncle-faced old drunkard to a howling atheist. But there was plenty of fun and games, too, with songs, slogans, rallies, leaflets, torchlight parades, picnics, and, inescapably, a lot of hyperbolic oratory, livening up the scene as party workers sought to get people to the polls. Despite the mudslinging and hot air, however, many of the campaigns touched off popular debates about vital public issues, and there were many candidates (like Adlai E. Stevenson in 1952) who insisted on "talking sense to the American people." Presidential Campaigns takes note of the serious side of the elections even as it documents the frenzy, the frolic, and the sleaze. Each chapter contains a brief essay describing every election from 1789 to 1992, and then presents some "campaign highlights"--songs, poems, slogans, jokes, and anecdotes--that help bring to life the quadrennial confrontation in all its shame and glory. Presidential Campaigns makes one thing clear: the "great American shindig" (as one Englishman called it) is, for all its shortcomings, an essential part of the American democratic system and, for better or for worse, tells us much about ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Objective and Informative.......2002-01-23
Paul F. Boller Jr. turned in a milestone effort with "Presidential Campaigns," combining an excellently developed historian's eye along with an objective presentation.
This informative work reads like an entertaining novel while providing all kinds of fascinating information about America's presidential campaigns from Washington to the present, from which we can learn so much about our nation's history, using famous elections as an evolutionary guide to understanding the peaks and valleys of the Ameican experience.
In that some of the subject matter is about heavy topics such as war and peace, domestic political conflict, and America during economic panics and depressions, Boller's humor is needed to lighten the heaviness and he delivers superbly. This is understandable since much of his career as an author involves books of anecdotes regarding American and British history as well as Hollywood's film world.
This is a book that crisply and entertainingly tells us so much about America, as revealed through its presidential compaigns.
Mugwumps, Bull-Mooses, Fala and Others Who Made History.......2001-09-06
This classic chronicle of Presidential campaigns, from the get-go to contemporary times, has the unusual virtue of being useful either as a collection of short readable chapters - each just the right size for a daily bus or train ride - or as a reference source. Reading this in the wake of Monicagate and the Florida Recount, it's instructive to read the history of Grover Cleveland, who seems to have features of BOTH past Democratic candidates. Like Clinton, he had his scandals - fathering an illegitimate child. Like Gore, his career was rudely interrupted by an election which he won on popular votes but lost, in a hotly contested, knife-edge electoral college tally.
Clear and well written.......1999-08-03
This is a well organized book full of useful facts that show how our political history has evolved over the years. Full of antdotes and trivia, the book reveals quite a bit about America. Very well condenced stories of each election. Reports things as historical facts rather than a political leaning (except for the 1988 race maybe). Overall a very good read.
Book Description
In Presidential Wives, Paul Boller brings his gift for telling detail to bear on the women our Presidents married, and the result is a biographical feat--at once funny and poignant, dramatic and illuminating, covering every First Lady from Martha Washington to Hillary Rodham Clinton. Boller devotes a full chapter to each of his subjects, featuring an incisive biographical essay followed by a selection of revealing anecdotes. Through his portrayal of such a diverse group of women, Boller sheds new light on how much the institution of the presidency tells us about ourselves and our life as a nation. First published in 1988, this second edition has been revised to include updated information on people such as Nancy Reagan and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, a new preface, and new chapters devoted to Barbara Bush and Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Customer Reviews:
fun to read.......2007-07-08
This book was a pleasure to read. It is a great way to get some basic insights into the wives of our President's, while creating the desire to learn more about these amazing women.
Customer Reviews:
Not what I expected, but fun........2007-08-09
I heard the author interviewed on a Chicago radio station and was enthralled. Ordered the book for my husband and was disappointed as I expected it to be a real "read" as opposed to a book that you skim. It's filled with little short paragraphs - more like a bathroom reader than a novel. Yet subject matter is interesting. Just not what I expected.
This book is worth it!.......2000-08-18
A friend told me about this book and I must say that I was more than pleased with it. For anyone interested in politics and government, or just enjoys humor, this book is great! The hilarious situations and notable quotes will keep you reading for hours, although this book is great to read bits at a time.
Book Description
Hail to the Comic Relief!
Presidential Humor, the entertaining and amusing little volume, is an essential for candidates, consultants, speechwriters, hecklers, jolly friends . . . and voters . . . written by that witty and wise woman with a wealth of Washington wisdom and experience, Liz Carpenter. It will aid anyone who wants to "hold" an audience with the bonding influence of humor.
Book Description
Paul F. Boller, Jr.’s widely admired and bestselling anecdotal histories have uncovered new aspects and hidden dimensions in the lives of our presidents. Now he turns to an uncharted—but unexpectedly revealing—element of our leaders’ personalities as he brings us stories of what the presidents did for fun.
In thumbnail portraits of every president through George W. Bush, Boller chronicles their taste in games, sports, and cultural activities. George Washington had a passion for dancing and John Quincy Adams skinny-dipped in the Potomac; Grover Cleveland loved beer gardens and Woodrow Wilson made a failed effort to write fiction; Calvin Coolidge cherished his afternoon naps, as did Lyndon Johnson his four-pack-a-day cigarette habit; Jimmy Carter was a surprisingly skilled high diver and Bush Senior loved to parachute. The sketches revitalize even the most familiar of our leaders, showing us a new side of our presidents—and their presidencies.
Customer Reviews:
Hanging out with the Presidents.......2007-07-05
As a fan of Presidential facts & trivia, I was so excited when I saw this book was coming out. Thankfully, it is as much fun to read as I thought. It talks about each Presidents' hobbies and dislikes and offers hilarious stories about them, so funny that found myself retelling them to others. I've been skipping around to my favorities at first, but I definately will finish each and every one, even Taylor!
The only thing missing is some of the controversial stories - JFK and his parties, Clinton and Lewinsky, etc.
I recommend this book for any history lover who would love insights into the personalities and loves of some of the greatest (and possibly worst!) leaders in history!
Amazon.com
Friends and foes alike recognize that Bob Dole is one of the funniest men in American politics, and Great Presidential Wit is an excellent collection of wit and wisdom drawn from public life. It reads much like Dole's previous book, Great Political Wit, even if it has a narrower focus. Dole begins by ranking every president on a humor scale, and in doing so, he makes an interesting point: "At the top of the heap ... I place Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, and the two Roosevelts. By most accounts they are also among the most effective chief executives. Coincidence? I don't think so." (At the bottom of the heap is Millard Fillmore. Writes Dole: "Don't get me wrong. Fillmore's been good for many a chuckle over the years. It's just that most of the laughter has come at his expense.")
Dole frankly assesses each president for his wit: "Now comes the part sure to keep this book out of several presidential birthplace gift shops," he deadpans. Here he is on John Adams: "Often cranky and full of insults--an eighteenth century Don Rickles." On George Washington: "First in peace, first in war, but middle of the pack when it came to humor." On Richard Nixon: "Those weren't jokes that were deleted from the Watergate tapes."
The bulk of Great Presidential Wit, however, is a collection of jokes and humorous stories. Sometimes they are old-fashioned knee-slappers. When Stephen A. Douglas called Lincoln two-faced, Lincoln asked the audience, "I leave it to you. If I had another face, do you think I would wear this one?" Sometimes they have a deeper meaning. "It has been my experience," said Lincoln on another occasion, "that folks who have no vices generally have very few virtues." Ronald Reagan fills up quite a few pages: "An economist is someone who sees something happen in practice and wonders if it'd work in theory," he once said. Calvin Coolidge, one of the most underrated presidents, turns out to be one of the best at combining wisdom and humor: "Perhaps one of the most important accomplishments of my administration has been minding my own business." Here's John F. Kennedy answering a reporter's question about how he became a war hero aboard PT 109: "It was absolutely involuntary. They sank my boat." Bill Clinton delivered this howler in 1995, on (humorous) ways the government can save money: "Combining the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms with both the Bureau of Fisheries and the Interstate Trucking Commission. We're going to call it the Department of Guys." Great Presidential Wit is a joy to read or browse, and highly recommended for anyone who likes politics served with a dash of humor. --John J. Miller
Book Description
Famous for his deadpan humor, New York Times bestselling author Senator Bob Dole here brings us his favorite witticisms and hilarious remarks of this country's commanders in chief. Great Presidential Wit collects the former senator's favorite funny stories and remarks by and about American presidents -- from George Washington to George W. Bush. Senator Dole tackles the assignment of ranking the presidents from the funniest (Abraham Lincoln) to the least funny (Millard Fillmore), and everyone in between. With chapters cleverly organized according to the senator's own opinions -- from "A Class by Themselves" (Lincoln, Reagan, the Roosevelts) and "Yankee Wits" (Coolidge, Kennedy) to "The Joke's on Them" (Taylor, Harding, Van Buren, Buchanan, the Harrisons, Pierce, Fillmore) -- Great Presidential Wit is the perfect antidote to the long political season and a patriotic reminder that our leaders are human and often witty and amusing.
Customer Reviews:
Wit and humor from our presidents........2005-04-12
Indeed I wish Bob Dole was in this book, instead of reporting on the wit and humor of the highest office's previous occupants. I believe humor and the ability to laugh at yourself is a great asset with any person in high office. When Dole lost in 1996, he stated he slept like a baby....he cried all night.
The book is structured on rating the president's ability to crack jokes. Many people believe that Lincoln and FDR had great wits. Dole states the many unknowns such as Coolidge's jokes about his silence. Some of our underrated Presidents had great wits.
This is a nice little humorous read. If the reader needs an uplift, this is a great book to begin with.
Anecdotes and witticisms that add a human touch.......2003-12-09
After the success of "Great Political Wit", Senator Dole followed up with this book. It is a book full of witty sayings of and anecdotes about our Presidents. He has grouped the Presidents from the wittiest descending to the point of having good stories about those Presidents that weren't particularly funny. Mr. Dole even provides his own ranking of the Presidents as wits from #1 - Lincoln down to #41 - poor Millard Fillmore.
These stories and witty sayings are generally quite good. Some you will want to remember. He even has a last section on George W. Bush and Al Gore. You will remember some of these from your own reading of the news and watching Letterman and Leno.
What I like about these little stories is the human touch they add to the too often formal and impersonal view we have of our Presidents. We see their pictures, memorize a couple of dates and maybe some key legislation or war during their time in office and that will be it. We seldom get to know them as people. These stories, in just a few sentences, show their character and view of themselves, their time, and the world in which they lived. Sure, too much can be made of them. But they do add something useful and a chuckle or two never hurt anyone's day.
This is a bit larger volume than the first book, but it doesn't read long. And, like the first one, it is fun to just dip into now and again.
It Takes One To Know One.......2003-11-17
Bob Dole is really funny! A few weeks ago the Doles and Clintons gave speeches in Washington D.C. and I happened to hear them on C-span. Dole's dead pan humor and hilarious one liners actually made me laugh out loud! Later that day I purchased this book which is quite good.
After researching all the American presidents, Dole rates them from the funniest to least funny. Some of the best lines are from prominent people other than the president. There is a saying (not in this book) "Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves, for they shall never cease to be amused"!Some of our presidents, fortunately, have been likeable, intelligent and quite witty. This fine collection of humorous quips and anecdotes makes an excellent gift for all ages. Bob Dole's remarks are right on!
My reason for the 4 star rating is for one reason only: Since most of us remember the faces of only a few past presidents, a small picture of the president being quoted at the beginning of each chapter would have been a nice touch. Dates are included which is helpful as we relate to each presidential term while reading.
The introduction to this book is entitled " Backbones and Funny Bones" In this intro, Bob Dole expresses his views on presidential humor with rare insight and he provides us with his "Dole poll of presidential wit and humor" in a non-partisan way. 41 presidents are rated as humorists along with a brief discription of why. This is a gem.
Who knew Silent Cal was such a funny guy?.......2003-06-11
I really enjoyed reading Senator Bob Dole's entertaining look at the humor of the American presidents from George Washington to the present. While this book is certainly entertaining, it is also instructive in its own little way. Some former presidents seem to exist in name only, if that, in today's world, and Dole's little collection of quips and stories actually brings a little life into these important men of history. While Dole does not explore the agendas and politics of each president, the sense of personality that comes through in the case of even the most inscrutable of our top public servants is often rather informative. A sense of humor, while far from a qualification for the office, can be a great aid to any president, and Dole emphasizes the point that our greatest presidents have possessed both a funny bone and backbone. Each president gets his own little section of the book, wherein Dole has assembled a number of presidential quotes and stories alongside a number of comments made by politicians and humorists about each president in turn. I can't say that every reference here is funny, but there are some amazingly good zingers included, and I, as a whole, found this book highly entertaining. Dole is a pretty funny man in his own right, and his sense of humor shows in these pages.
Dole goes so far as to rank the first 41 (counting Grover Cleveland only once) elected leaders of the free world in terms of their humor, and the fact that the top ten consist of five Democrats and five Republicans is evidence of the total lack of partisanship Dole brings to this endeavor. Topping the list is Abraham Lincoln, and rightfully so; there are plenty of pages detailing the wit of our sixteenth President, a man who said "I laugh because I must not try" during the terribly difficult days of the War Between the States. Second place goes to Ronald Reagan, the Great Communicator and master of the one-liner. Third and fourth place go to Franklin and Theodore Roosevelt, respectively. These top four really stand a world apart from their White House cohorts. Fifth place goes to none other than Calvin Coolidge. Now, this came as something of a surprise to me, but as Dole demonstrates, Silent Cal was indeed quite a jokester and humorist; in fact, the funniest episode recorded in this book, at least in my opinion, is attributed to Coolidge. Kennedy, Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Hoover, and Wilson round out Dole's top ten. As one proceeds through the book, the material for each president significantly decreases; there just isn't a lot of humorous material to work with for those presidents ranking at the bottom of Dole's charts: Taylor, Harding, Van Buren, Buchanan, William Henry Harrison, Pierce, Benjamin Harrison, and poor Millard Fillmore who seems destined to bring up the rear in just about every kind of presidential survey one can devise. If these men ever said one thing funny, Dole includes it, but there are definitely slim pickings here. As for other presidents who may be of special interest to readers, George Bush (number 41) is twelfth, Washington fifteenth, Jefferson sixteenth, Clinton seventeenth, Carter twenty-second, and Nixon twenty-fifth. Since the results of the 2000 election were not known when this book went to the publisher, Dole has included a final chapter devoted to both George W. Bush and Al Gore.
Basically, Great Presidential Wit is one of the few politics-related books that both conservatives and liberals can both enjoy equally and civilly, as laughter knows no political party affiliation.
Bob Dole may make it as a writer.......2002-03-04
Bob Dole may not have had a successful run at the presidency of the United States, but he is enjoying a wonderful career as a writer. In "Great Presidential Wit ( . . . I Wish I was in the Book)," Dole gathers together a wonderful, ragtag bunch of presidential anecdotes. From the familiar (JFK saying that Washington, DC had "all the efficiency of the South and all the charm of the North") to the undiscovered gem (General William Tecumseh Sherman giving Ulysses S. Grant the uneasy compliment that, "Grant stood by me when I was crazy, and I stood by him when he was drunk, and now we stand by each other"), Dole has done a masterful job of pulling together numerous items on every single president. My favorite story in the book refers to a man who was in the running for a cabinet position. The president's friend (I won't tell you which president or which friend) urges him not to hire this bozo, calling the man dishonest. "How bad is he?" inquires the president, to which the friend immediately replies, "Well, he wouldn't steal a red-hot stove . . . " The cabinet nominee finds out about the insult and demands a retraction, prompting the president's friend to say, "Fine, you WOULD steal a red-hot stove!" One of the most fun features of the book is Dole's categorization of each president into different roles. Under "And You Always Thought They were Dull," he lumps Ike, Jimmy Carter, and Rutherford B. Hayes. Under "Yankee Wits," just Calvin Coolidge and JFK share space. Dole generously includes Bill Clinton under the heading of "Funnier Than the Average President" (along with John Adams, George Bush, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson). This would make a terrific gift not only for your favorite politico, but for anyone who enjoys genuine good wit.
Books:
- Something the Cat Dragged in
- Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know
- Suite Française
- Teaching First-Year College Students (Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education)
- The Berenstain Bears' Trouble with Money (First Time Books(R))
- The Complete Book of Beer Drinking Games, Revised Edition
- The Complete Calvin and Hobbes (Calvin & Hobbes)
- The Complete Maus: A Survivor's Tale
- The Daily Bible: New International Version: With Devotional Insights to Guide You Through God's Word
- The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents America (The Book) Teacher's Edition: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Six Wives of Henry VIII
- Pigeon Has Feelings, Too!, The
- La Symphonie Pastorale
- Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors
- OpenGL
- Physics for Scientists and Engineers with Modern Physics, Third Edition
- Quantitative Ecology and the Brown Trout
- The Economy of Modern India, 1860-1970
- How Self-Made Millionaires Build Their Fortunes
- William E. Donoghue's Guide to Finding Money to Invest: Building a Lifetime Savings Program With You
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
The Reagan Diaries
Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power
Einstein: His Life and Universe
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
The Assault on Reason
