The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers: An A-to-Z Compendium of Quotes from America's Best-Loved Humorist [Paperback]

Will Rogers (Author), Alex Ayres (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1993

A collection of sayings, organized alphabetically by subject, reveals the wit and wisdom of one of the most beloved figures of his day and features biographical information on Rogers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Plume (December 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0452011159
• ISBN-13: 978-0452011151
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #377,724 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An A+ book to check out-and brighten your day, August 11, 2001

By 

Bryn Bailey (Newark, Delaware, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers: An A-to-Z Compendium of Quotes from America's Best-Loved Humorist (Paperback)

This book is clearly the best one that Alex Ayres has written and compiled. My brother gave me this book in December 1993, and it has been with me ever since then. The bibliography listing is first rate as well, since they list the authors in alphabetical order. This way, the reader can track down a book that is related so that they can check it out.

Make no mistake, this book is jam-packed with more than 2,000 quotations from the Cowboy Philosopher. Readers will definitely get their mileage worth with this book--plenty of quotations to read, a timeline of events, and an excellent bibliography listing (3 pages long), with a total of 43 books listed, and 8 pages of additional subject references for the quotations that are listed in each category. 5 of the books in the bibliography are from Bryan/Frances Sterling

This is not a bad assortment of quotations from a multi-talented cowboy from Claremore--however, the book overlooked one main event: 4 years after the plane crash in Alaska, a statue was unveiled in the nation's capitol (Washington D.C.), on June 6, 1939. The statue is located next to the entrance of Statuary Hall.

The quotation that I really liked was the one on dogs. (as in "I love dogs", "He does nothing for political reasons"). In this book, I came across lots of quotations and even uncovered a book in the bibliography section that I plan to check out this weekend.

I can clearly see exactly why that if it hadn't been for the Cowboy Philosopher, there would have been no way that Americans would have been able to get through the New Deal/Depression 30s without a good laugh--and to look on the bright side for a silver lining during the New Deal/Depression era. A solid accomplishment for a multi-talented cowboy that made the transition from Wild West Shows to Vaudeville to the Ziefgield Follies--and then, eventually, film (71 films in a 17 year career)--from 1918-35.

As I have said before, check this book out--it's a book worth looking into from Alex Ayres with the spotlight on the Cowboy Philosopher. Worth reading--and worth checking out from Amazon.com online.

From cover to cover, you get an excellent introduction, more than 2,000 quotations, a bibliogrpahy, and additional subject references in addition to a chronology of events. This book is clearly worth the wait--and it's worth checking out!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brightens Your Day!, April 18, 2009

By 

Loyd E. Eskildson "Pragmatist" (Phoenix, AZ.) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers: An A-to-Z Compendium of Quotes from America's Best-Loved Humorist (Paperback)

Between 1922 and 1935, Americans in need of a good laugh turned to their newspapers or radios for the homespun humor of Will Rogers. His column was syndicated in over 500 publications, and he also had weekly radio talks - in addition to his six books and leading roles in 21 films. Throughout, he skewered the follies of big business, government, the military, higher education, foreign countries, and his fellow Americans. The book draws from all these sources and topics, and the material is grouped by topic.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Short and sweet, March 27, 2009

By 

G. Hutcheson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Wit and Wisdom of Will Rogers: An A-to-Z Compendium of Quotes from America's Best-Loved Humorist (Paperback)

Most people today don't know who Will Rodger's is today, but he was made by his depression and government humor. His humor is perfect for today. I write about economics and always have a fun friday edition where I try to treat the problems of the week with a bit of humor:
[...]

So this is a great source for ideas.