Humor in the White House - The Wit of Five American Presidents

"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.

About the author

Arthur A. Sloane is a professor of management at the University of Delaware. He lives in Wilmington.

Product details

• Authors: Arthur A. Sloane, Sloane Arthur A.
• Publisher: Ingram Publishers Services
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 23.03.2001
• EAN: 9780786409495
• ISBN: 978-0-7864-0949-5
• Weight: 290 g
• Illustrations: notes, bibliography, index
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Sociology > General, dictionaries; USA, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Political Process / General, HISTORY / United States / General, HUMOR / Topic / History, HUMOR / Topic / Politics, Humour, Political leaders & leadership, United States of America, USA, History of the Americas, Political leaders and leadership