Wit & Wisdom of FDR »

James C. Humes is a former speechwriter for Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, and Reagan. He has written numerous books, including Instant Eloquence, Podium Humor, The Sir Winston Method, Citizen Shakespeare, and The Wit & Wisdom of Winston Churchill. He lives in Philadelphia.

In Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, the premier collection of noted sayings, Mark Twain is the only American with more citations under his name than Franklin Delano Roosevelt. FDR was the greatest raconteur to occupy the White House between the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. A superb mimic with a professional comic's sense of timing, he had an ear for a ringing phrase and could laugh at himself, relishing the opportunity to tell stories at his own expense.

The anecdotes, sayings, and witticisms collected in this hugely entertaining and edifying volume are a testament to the high humor and insouciant, infectious personality of one of our greatest presidents.

Introduction     xi
FDR's Sayings     1
FDR's Saints and Sinners     31
FDR by His Friends and Foes     38
FDR's Firsts     47
FDR's Fables     63
FDR's Famous Phrases     150
FDR's Memorable Speeches     164
Milestones     200
Bibliography     202