An inspiring collection of humor writing from World War II, edited and introduced by one of America's most respected broadcast journalists.

War is hell, but it can also be hilarious. As America rediscovers World War II in such movies as Saving Private Ryan, it's clear that much of the tragedy that came out of that conflict was made bearable by generous doses of humor from all fronts -- at home, in Europe, and in the Pacific. Now, inspired by a ubiquitous piece of graffiti that U.S. servicemen left behind during World War II, Emmy Award-winning television journalist Charles Osgood has collected an assortment of classic stories and comic tales that celebrate the good humor that buoyed American spirits throughout the world. From the best of Stars and Stripes magazine to classic lines from the immortal Mister Roberts, this treasury includes original contributions, comic memoir essays from well-known veterans, and an insightful introductory essay by Osgood himself. A wonderful compilation of historically significant writing, as well as an uplifting celebration of America's indomitable spirit, this treasury of wit and humor is a unique addition to the libraries of World War II enthusiasts, veterans, and anyone who finds it impossible to resist a good laugh.

The year is 1942, and while America is reeling from the first blows of WWII, Osgood is just a nine-year-old boy living in Baltimore. As the war rages somewhere far beyond the boundaries of his hometown, he spends his days delivering newspapers, riding the trolley to the local amusement park, going to Orioles' baseball games, and goofing around with his younger sister. With a sharp eye for details, Osgood captures the texture of life in a very different era, a time before the polio vaccine and the atomic bomb. In his neighborhood of Liberty Heights, gaslights still glowed on every corner, milkmen delivered bottles of milk, and a loaf of bread cost nine cents. Osgood reminisces about his first fistfight with a kid from the neighborhood, his childhood crush on a girl named Sue, and his relationship with his father, a traveling salesman. He also talks about his early love for radio and how he used to huddle under the covers after his parents had turned off the lights, listening to "Superman, The Lone Ranger, The Shadow, and, of course, to baseball games. "Defending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack is a gloriously funny and nostalgic slice of American life and a moving look at World War II from the perspective of a child far away from the fighting, but very conscious of the reverberations.

Charles Osgood, one of America's favorite news personalities, offers a hilarious compendium of anecdotes from the last seventy years of presidential campaigns. With anecdotes from 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. Culled from speeches, interviews, press conferences, as well as articles written by and about the candidates--no source is left untapped. From Bob Dole telling reporters after a loss in the primary that "I slept like a baby--every two hours I woke up and cried," and Barry Goldwater's comment that his talkative opponent Hubert Humphreys "has been clocked at 275 words a minute with gusts up to 340," to Adlai Stevenson declaring that "If I talk over the people's head, Ike must be talking under their feet," this is the go-to source for campaign humor. Just when America most needs a good laugh, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the White House makes the seemingly endless race to the presidency a lot more fun.

This amazing collection of choice anecdotes takes us right back to the Golden Age of New York City nightlife, when top restaurants like Toots Shor's, "21," and Sardi's, as well as glittering nightclubs like the Stork Club, Latin Quarter, and El Morocco, were the nightly gathering spots for great figures of that era: movie and Broadway stars, baseball players, champion boxers, comedians, diplomats, British royalty, prize-winning authors, and famous painters. From Charlie Chaplin to Winston Churchill, from Ethel Barrymore to Sophia Loren, from George Burns to Ernest Hemingway, from Joe DiMaggio to the Duke of Windsor: Leonard Lyons knew them all. For forty glorious years, from 1934 to 1974, he made the daily rounds of Gotham nightspots, collecting the exclusive scoops and revelations that were at the core of his famous newspaper column, "The Lyons Den." In this entertaining volume Jeffrey Lyons has assembled a considerable compilation of anecdotes from his father's best columns, and has also contributed a selection of his own interviews with stars of today, including Penelope Cruz and George Clooney, among others. Organized chronologically by decade and subdivided by celebrity, Stories My Father Told Me offers fascinating, amusing stories that are illustrated by approximately seventy photographs. He so captured the tenor of those exciting times that the great Lincoln biographer Carl Sandburg said: "Imagine how much richer American history would have been had there been a Leonard Lyons in Lincoln's time."

In every sector of American society, civility has declined-from vicious political rhetoric to attacks in the blogosphere and lack of personal decency. In 2011, The Dilenschneider Group, a strategic communications firm, sponsored a series of lectures on civility in conjunction with the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. Collected in this volume are the thoughts of some of the nation's most insightful minds as they explore this crisis and offer their opinions as to how we can restore civility in society. Featuring: HENRY KAUFMAN on Civility in the Financial Sector CHARLES OSGOOD on Civility in the Media JOHN BRADEMAS on Civility in Public Life STEVE FORBES on Civility in Corporate America PHILIP K. HOWARD on Civility in Society MICKEY EDWARDS on Civility in Politics With an introduction by Rev. Theodore M. Hesburgh, CSC

From beloved broadcaster Charles Osgood, a poignant memoir about one unforgettable childhood year during World War II, now in paperbackDefending Baltimore Against Enemy Attack is a gloriously funny and nostalgic slice of American life and a moving look at World War II from the perspective of a child far away from the fighting, but very conscious of the reverberations. With a sharp eye for details, Osgood captures the texture of life in a bygone era.

In this humorous collection of celebrity wit, acclaimed broadcaster and humorist Charles Osgood offers witticisms penned by luminaries ranging from Abraham Lincoln to Andy Rooney.
Known for his clever commentary and witty radio-show rhymes, Charles Osgood here selects and introduces a collection of hilarious correspondence from some of our best-loved politicians, authors, and stars of the stage and screen. " Funny Letters from Famous People" delivers rib-tickling communications from the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Flannery O'Connor, S. J. Perelman, Groucho Marx, Bob Hope, John Cheever and dozens more.
Providing an entertaining look at celebrated lives, Osgood lets us glimpse Mark Twain squabbling with the gas company, Dwight D. Eisenhower kvetching to Mamie about Patton, and radio personality Fred Allen desperately seeking logic from his insurance carrier in one of comedy's most amusing epistles.
Sprinkled throughout with Osgood's own humorous quips, "Funny Letters from Famous People" is a delightful compendium of clever letter writing at its side-splitting best.

Inspired by a ubiquitous piece of graffiti that U.S. servicemen left behind during World War II, Emmy Award-winning television journalist Charles Osgood has collected an assortment of classic stories and comic tales that buoyed the spirits of Americans who served on land, at sea, and in the air, such as:

"A lieutenant fresh from jumping instructions was seated next to a sergeant in a parachute regiment during a night time exercise. The lieutenant looked very pale and frightened, so the sergeant struck up a conversation. 'Scared, Lieutenant?' he asked. 'No, just a bit apprehensive, ' the lieutenant replied. 'What's the difference?' 'Apprehensive means I'm scared with a college education.'"

-- Kilroy Was Here went back to press four times in hardcover.