As Charles Osgood showed in his popular book Kilroy Was Here: The Best American Humor from World War II, sometimes the most intense situations yield the most unexpectedly funny stories. And few situations are more intense than a presidential campaign.

From FDR to Harry Truman to JFK to George W. Bush, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House captures the wit and humor of the campaign trail—a place where levity is always welcome. Osgood includes fragments of speeches, interviews, and press conferences, as well as articles written by and about the candidates—no source is left untapped.

Arriving exactly when America most needs a good laugh, this book promises to make the seemingly endless race to the presidency a little more bearable, if not downright enjoyable.