Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Theodore Pappas back to the bookstore to discuss his latest book, Combing Through the White House. It’s subtitled “Hair and Its Shocking Impact on the Politics, Private Lives, and Legacies of the Presidents”. Peters says the book is terrific history and quite a bit of science. There are signed copies of Combing Through the White House available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3ASGBwh.
Here’s the summary of the book.
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 as:
- Abraham Lincoln’s famously ridiculed appearance and the surprising role hair played in both his presidency and assassination
- John F. Kennedy’s connection to James Bond and how hair factored into his vast image-making and infidelities
- The lush tradition of collecting hair as a way of honoring leaders, remembering our loved ones, and preserving their memories
- Scientific hair analysis and how DNA has been used to solve long-standing presidential mysteries
- The 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.
Theodore Pappas has served as the Executive Editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica for 25 years. His writings have been taught, anthologized, as well as discussed and published in publications such as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, London Spectator, The American Scholar, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and History Magazine. He has appeared multiple times on the NBC Today Show as well as on CBS Evening News, CBS Sunday Morning, CNN, Fox News radio and television, NPR’s All Things Considered, and BBC Radio. He has written several books, the latest being True Grit: Classic Tales of Perseverance.
Enjoy the conversation with Theodore Pappas.