Presidential Doodles: Two Centuries of Scribbles, Scratches, Squiggles, and Scrawls from the Oval Office

by Cabinet Magazine, David Greenberg, Paul Collins (Foreward)

What were the leaders of the free world really doing during all those meetings? As the creators of Cabinet magazine reveal here for the first time, they were doodling . Our Founding Fathers doodled, and so did Andrew Jackson. Benjamin Harrison accomplished almost nothing during his time in the White House, but he left behind some impressive doodles. During the twentieth century -- as the federal bureaucracy grew and meetings got longer -- the presidential doodle truly came into its own. Theodore Roosevelt doodled animals and children, while Dwight Eisenhower doodled weapons and self-portraits. FDR doodled gunboats, and JFK doodled sailboats. Ronald Reagan doodled cowboys and football players and lots of hearts for Nancy. The nation went wild for Herbert Hoover's A line of children's clothing was patterned on his geometric designs. The creators of Cabinet magazine have spent years scouring archives and libraries across America. They have unearthed hundreds of presidential doodles, and here they present the finest examples of the genre. Historian David Greenberg sets these images in context and explains what they reveal about the inner lives of our commanders in chief. Are Kennedy's dominoes merely squiggles, or do they reflect deeper anxieties about the Cold War? Why did LBJ and his cabinet spend so much time doodling caricatures of one another? Smart, revealing, and hilarious -- Presidential Doodles is the ideal gift for anyone interested in politics or history. And for anyone that doodles!

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Politics, Humor, Art

224 pages, Paperback

First published September 25, 2006

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau]

What did different presidents doodle while they were thinking about issues that would impact the country? This book does a fantastic job of showing us (maybe) some of the subconscious factors that influenced policy. A very interesting book - would love to get a Freudian interpretation on what these doodles really mean!

[Julie]

Wow - I have been running around, recommending this book to anyone owning the slightest bit of natural curiosity. You are absolutely bound to find something to fascinate you, be it the squishy squashy love letters from Ronnie to Nancy, or the fact that Herbert Hoover's abstract doodles were made into fabric used in children's clothing. For my husband, I showed him the poignant picture JFK drew of his sailboat . . . look it up for yourselves.

[Tracie]

My all time favorite doodle in this book is a love note from Ronald Reagan to Nancy, wherein he refers to her as "Poo Pants". It's cool, Nancy, it happens to the best of us.

[Stephen]

Very interesting subject of the top leaders of America and their marginalia.

[Aaron]

Hoover designed kids cloths, what more do you want from a book?

[Julie]

Really cool!!! I never knew that Ronald Regan wanted to be a cartoonist and could draw so well.

[Sasha]

Quiz. Which former leader of this nation drew the most terrifying doodles while paying attention to his morning briefings? Was it:

a. Benjamin Harrison:


b. Teddy Roosevelt:


or

c. LBJ:


Apparently the winner of this quiz, LBJ, had his staff preserve all of his doodles, even if they had been crumpled up and thrown in a wastebasket. This book informs us that he also didn't hesitate to snatch one of his creations out of the hands of a sly reporter who tried to steal one. The author's phrasing suggests that this may have happened more than once.

If you are considering reading this book because you are also part of the Hopeless Doodlers Club (welcome, by the way), be warned that while some presidents' sections might indeed make you feel accepted, others might give you nightmares.

Proceed at your own risk.

[Denise Abbe]

Fun and fascinating read. Loved learning more about the presidents; plus, they get as bored as I do when in meetings!

Favorite Quote: Caption underneath a picture of Ethel Roosevelt with two children upside down: "Ethel administers necessary discipline to Archie and Quentin" (from the Teddy Roosevelt chapter).

[Emilie Wallin]

born to be a ronald reagan doodler forced to be a eisenhower/lyndon b johnson doodler

[Ram]

There were not as many doodles in this book as I was expecting -- and several of the really nice ones from the cover were actually probably drawn by a British diplomat on a White House sleepover. It stands to reason that we would be missing idle scratches from early presidents, as it is too labor-intensive to dip a quill pen just to make a doodle; perhaps the editors should have looked for a JQA scrimshaw?

There are 2 great lessons to be drawn from this compilation: 1. Ronald Reagan was a mush-brained vulgarian with the sensibilities of a perverse child. 2. presidents, by and large, are shitty, shitty artists.

[Meg - A Bookish Affair]

This book is a lot of fun. It shows pages of doodles from the Presidents. It's interesting to see what some of them drew. Herbert Hoover drew intricate geometric designs, pulling on his time as an engineer. George Washington enjoyed practicing letters. John Kennedy like writing words like communism and cheese.

[Astri]

I spent most of my high school and college life doodling on my assignments and notes during class, much to the dismay of my teachers, so this book struck a bit of chord with me. Actually, I spent a good 10 minutes giggling over it. Theodore Roosevelt's depiction of a child being mauled by a wild cat is absolutely hilarious.

[Sarah]

Sort of what you'd expect. Some of the doodles are funny/noteworthy, and a few of the captions put them in interesting context. Most of the time, though, I felt the authors were overreaching in their interpretations of why particular things may have been drawn--sometimes a doodle is just a doodle!

[Sarah]

The intro to the book made it pretty clear that doodles don't provide much insight into what's going on in a persons head. Nevertheless, it was an entertaining glimpse into what mindless things different people drew.

[Nathan]

LBJ = life of the party.

[Amber]

My favorite doodles are the ones from Ronald Reagan. The cowboys doodles are the best. This book was interesting because it give you a history lesson about the presidents and the doodles.

[Alexandra]

The photos were brilliant! Five stars for them! But the writing style was a bit unpleasant at places.

[Doug Mcquirter]

Quite cutesy. Indulgent and full of empty calories.