Congressional Anecdotes

by Paul F. Boller Jr.

Book Overview

You can count on Congress to provide a good laugh. Take, for instance, the Senator who talked about the war in "Indigo China," or the Representative who asked why the Israelis and Arabs couldn't settle their differences "like good Christians." But the U.S. Congress has always been much more than a good source of comedy. It has been home to brilliance as well as buffoonery, to integrity as well as corruption, to statesmanship as well as demagoguery...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 019506092X
• ISBN13: 9780195060928
• Release Date: September 1991
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Congressional wit, jocularity and occasional buffoonery on display

With hundreds of Congressmen over more than 200 years, Boller had plenty to choose from, and it's hard to go wrong with good material. That said, especially in the earlier days of the Republic, Congress tended to attract men of more real humorous wit (as opposed to Huey Long type buffoonery or the Neanderthal behavior of some other 20th-century Southerners) so, early stalwarts like Henry Clay and Daniel Webster deservedly get a new lease on life through these pages.

This book is delightful!

This book is a must for anyone interested in politics be they Republican or Democrat. The anecdotes are humorous, thought provoking, and interesting. Simply delightful!

The REAL World of Congress, Warts and All!

This book is an easy and entertaining read about our first branch of government. It deals with Congress from a variety of angles, providing brief context for each section before each group of ancedotes. It provides insight to political junkies and the average reader alike about the greats and not-so-great who have served in the National Legislature. It reminds us that Senators and Representatives are imperfect human beings, just like the constituents they represent. Unlike the sometimes surreal press coverage of Congress, Paul Boller's effort gives those who have served, are serving, and by inference will serve, on Capitol Hill the respect they deserve while desmistifying its reputation among the naive among us all.