Review: Combing Through the White House

Publisher: Harper Celebrate

Pages: 256

Format: eARC

Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads: Discover a fascinating and novel look at the U.S. presidents, the first families, and American history—all through the lens of hair. With meticulous detail, engaging storytelling, and full-color visuals, encyclopedia editor Theodore Pappas combs through American history, teasing out long-forgotten and little-known ways that hair has influenced the presidency and the public and private lives, personal scandals, and tragedies, of the men and women who have occupied the White House.

Go deep into the history of such topics

Abraham Lincoln's famously ridiculed appearance and the surprising role hair played in both his presidency and assassinationJohn F. Kennedy's connection to James Bond and how hair factored into his vast image-making and infidelitiesThe lush tradition of collecting hair as a way of honoring leaders, remembering our loved ones, and preserving their memoriesScientific hair analysis and how DNA has been used to solve long-standing presidential mysteriesThe connection of hair to the lives, loves, scandals, and tragedies that shaped presidents, first ladies, and the nation at large 

This unique window into the past shines entertaining new light on the decisions, relationships, and tragedies that have shaped the role of the president and the place of the U.S. in the world. Whether you're interested in presidential trivia or historical mysteries, Combing Through the White House personalizes the past through an element of life we can all relate to—hair—giving us new glimpses into our country and even ourselves.

Kritters Thoughts:  Have you ever thought about the venn diagram of hair and the White House?  Not just the hair currently on a President or First Lady's head but after they pass, YES this book goes from President to President and talks about hair has had one impact or another on them and their time in the office.   

This book motivated me to really get started on a reading project that I have been pondering for years.  For a long time, I lived right down the road from Mount Vernon and always wanted to read a book about each President in order of their presidency in hopes to get to know more about that President and our country at that time.  After reading about how hair in different ways impacted the White House, I now want to read more and more about each President.    

There were a few moments where the book got a little repetitive, but it did make me think a little differently about a few presidencies and how hair played an impact on them. 

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