Oval Office Oddities: An Irreverent Collection Of Presidential Facts, Follies, And Foibles

Oval Office Oddities: An Irreverent Collection of Presidential Facts, Follies, and Foibles

Every four years Americans go to the polls to elect a leader-a personage of unimpeachable sobriety and moral standing who will serve as a paragon for the rest of us. But truth be told, presidents and their families are people too-with quirks and character flaws like everyone else . . . and plenty of skeletons rattling around in their closets. Oval Office Oddities is a grand compendium of fascinating, sometimes embarrassing presidential facts, gaffes, and oddball behaviors-available in plenty of time for Election Day! White House Whoopee: We've all heard about the dalliances of Clinton and Kennedy-but what were Washington, Jefferson, FDR, and Ike doing behind closed doors? America's Imelda: Mary Todd Lincoln had an endearing little clothing fetish . . . and once purchased 300 pairs of gloves in a single month! Go West, Young Prez: "California Dreamin'" was not a top presidential priority . . . since no Commander in Chief bothered to visit the neglected coast until Rutherford B. Hayes did in 1880. Crazy Jack: Many prominent leaders were absolutely convinced that John Adams was stark raving bonkers! From School Library Journal Adult/High School-This amusing collection of factoids entertains, but it's also an accessible look at the 43 men who have held our nation's highest office. The book presents offbeat information in digestible portions ranging from one sentence to a quarter page and frequently portrays our presidents as folks much like the rest of us. The history of America's early days is made relevant for modern readers through comparison with more recent events (e.g., parallels between controversial 19th-century elections and Bush vs. Gore). The comical black-and-white illustrations and caricatures, a table of each president's vital statistics (age at inauguration, dates served), and an appendix presenting tongue-in-cheek ratings of the best and worst presidents all give readers a chance to glean numerous nuggets worthy of trivia quizzes, including First Lady foibles, top scandals, assassinations and assassination attempts, and the story of Martin Van Buren's tiger cubs. Several key crises and presidential responses to them are given chapter-length coverage, as are particularly noteworthy presidents such as Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt. This enjoyable book would be useful as a supplement to a history or civics curriculum, or for independent study by confirmed political junkies or those who have only become interested in presidential politics with the historic 2008 campaign.- Ed VanderPloeg, New London, NH Copyright ?Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. About the Author Bill Fawcett is the author and editor of more than a dozen books, including You Did What?, It Seemed Like a Good Idea . . . , How to Lose a Battle, and You Said What? He lives in Illinois.