Combing Through the White House

July 29, 2024
“Few tools for understanding the human animal... can match or surpass the vast... and multidimensional power of our tresses,” asserts Pappas (True Grit), executive director of the Encyclopedia Britannica, in this silly account of presidential locks. Sifting through the history of the presidency, Pappas unearths moments when hair was somehow germane—which mostly involve death or publicity. Beginning the account with the famous photograph of a young Black boy touching Barack Obama’s hair, Pappas meanders through a series of hopelessly unrelated events: George Washington opted for hair powder instead of a wig because that’s what the English wore; hair DNA was used to determine that Andrew Jackson did not die from lead poisoning from the bullets lodged in his body, like many thought; Abraham Lincoln was known for his “shaggy-haired homeliness” in life, and in death that very same messy hairdo “masked the bullet that had shocked the world.” Pappas’s tone veers between dead-serious and obviously tongue-in-cheek (“Hair was critical to the cover-up,” he writes of Grover Cleveland’s secret operation to remove a tumor in his mouth, the aftermath of which was hidden by his mustache), making it unclear if the “shocking impact” of the title is meant as a joke. It’s wacky and weird fun, if a touch exasperating.

July 26, 2024

Gr 9 Up-As Hillary Clinton famously observed, "Hair matters." This new book recounts the myriad ways hair has mattered to the American presidency and the lives touched by it. In chapters illuminating multiple facets of hair study, Pappas takes readers through an exploration of hair's significance on presidential history. From election politics to personal scandals and tragedies to forensic mystery-solving, there's plenty of new factoids for research papers and American history trivia fans. Pappas's conversational tone, combined with a steady stream of human interest-type anecdotes, make for breezy reading. The book will engage teens in relatable historical study and is suitable as a research resource. Potentially disturbing details of violence and discussions of sexual relationships are included, such as Monica Lewinsky's stained dress, the moral complexity of Thomas Jefferson's "relationship" with Sally Hemings, and mild descriptions of gore resulting from assassinations. Plentiful illustrations and historical photographs fill the pages and provide visual context to enhance the narrative. Extensive notes and references support the book's authority and give readers the opportunity to delve deeper. VERDICT An entertaining look at the lives of the American presidents, as well as their families and contemporaries, through a unique lens. Recommended as a research resource and for libraries where history topics are popular.-Shannon Titas

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2024
A talented writer presents a uniquely entertaining and edifying cultural history of the U.S. presidency via hair. Long before Donald Trump entered politics, Christopher Hitchens said of one of the future president's signature characteristics: "He's managed to cover 90 percent of his head with 30 percent of his hair." The hair of U.S. presidents, their wives, and other significant figures in American history is the subject of this wonderful book by Pappas, who has been the executive editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica for 25 years. While some of the stories the author includes are well known to even casual students of presidential history--why Abraham Lincoln decided to grow a beard, and a recounting of Bill Clinton's controversial haircut--most are novel and enhanced by the author's style and tone, which demonstrate that he had as much fun researching and writing the book as readers will reading it. Pappas is terrific in his examinations of the talismanic qualities of hair in history--e.g., a vignette about Lincoln's secretary John Hay's gifting of the locks of Lincoln and George Washington to a trio of presidents. Additionally, Pappas takes a look at how DNA has figured into the lives and histories of various presidents, including the extracurricular activities of Clinton and Thomas Jefferson. As for Hair, Pappas covers the spectrum, from the sublimely absurd intrigue involving the hair of one of John F. Kennedy's nemeses to the poignant story of whether the harrowing loss of a child turned Barbara Bush's hair prematurely gray. The book is richly adorned with color photographs and illustrations, and insightful and amusing sidebars--e.g., did James Buchanan's hairline have something do with the possible asexuality of the only bachelor president?--accentuate the lively text. The delightful snippets of presidential and U.S. history that Pappas has assembled in this engaging book entertain and inform. A thoroughly fun read for a wide audience.

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