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Oval Office Occult: True Stories of White House Weirdness
An entertaining and informative look at our paranormal presidencies. "--Bill Fawcett, author of Oval Office Oddities
The Discovery Channel's A Haunting meets the History Channel's The Presidents inside this collection of strange-but-true tales of White House weirdness.
Brian M. Thomsen offers a series of nonpartisan accounts of spirits, specters, and supernatural beliefs by and about those who have inhabited the White House. Readers will learn which U.S. presidents have claimed to encounter UFOs, and which have been connected to ghosts, as well as which of our nation's leaders have consulted with fortune-tellers or otherwise been associated with other aspects of the occult.
Famous subjects include Warren G. Harding and the curse of the Hope Diamond, the uncanny similarities between the lives and deaths of John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, George Washington's visions, Ronald and Nancy Reagan's reliance on psychics, the haunted homes of Dolly Madison and Rosalyn Carter, Jimmy Carter's UFO sighting, Hillary Clinton's experience with channeling, the mysterious curse of Tecumseh, the secret societies of presidents, and much more.
The Discovery Channel's A Haunting meets the History Channel's The Presidents inside this collection of strange-but-true tales of White House weirdness.
Brian M. Thomsen offers a series of nonpartisan accounts of spirits, specters, and supernatural beliefs by and about those who have inhabited the White House. Readers will learn which U.S. presidents have claimed to encounter UFOs, and which have been connected to ghosts, as well as which of our nation's leaders have consulted with fortune-tellers or otherwise been associated with other aspects of the occult.
Famous subjects include Warren G. Harding and the curse of the Hope Diamond, the uncanny similarities between the lives and deaths of John F. Kennedy and Abraham Lincoln, George Washington's visions, Ronald and Nancy Reagan's reliance on psychics, the haunted homes of Dolly Madison and Rosalyn Carter, Jimmy Carter's UFO sighting, Hillary Clinton's experience with channeling, the mysterious curse of Tecumseh, the secret societies of presidents, and much more.
- GenresNonfictionParanormal
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2008
About the author
Brian M. Thomsen
65books10followersBrian Thomsen was a founding editor of the Questar Science Fiction line of books, and served as managing fiction editor at TSR, Inc.; he also wrote over 30 short stories, and collaborated with Julius Schwartz on Schwartz's autobiography. He also worked as the publisher for TSR's Periodicals Department at one point. He was a consulting editor at Tor Books; as an author he was a Hugo Award nominee.
He died on September 21, 2008, at his home in Brooklyn at the age of 49. He was survived by his wife, Donna.
He died on September 21, 2008, at his home in Brooklyn at the age of 49. He was survived by his wife, Donna.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
September 2, 2016
This is another book that Mom gave me to read the last time I was in Arizona. I will be trying to get through a couple more of her choices before my next trip north in November because you never know, there might be a quiz!
The sub-title of this book is 'True Stories Of White House Weirdness' but don't expect hauntings, rattling chains, and such like in these pages. The author prefers this definition of the word 'occult': hidden or secret. So this is not so much a collection of ghost stories (although there are a couple of those) as a collection of...well, weird tales, I guess is one way to put it.
We start off with George Washington, and learn about a supposed vision he had at Valley Forge, where the future of the country was revealed to him. We also see Washington himself appearing to General McClellan during the Civil War, showing him how to save the Union.
We read about Warren G. Harding, who was head of the most corrupt administration on record, and how perhaps (just perhaps) he was a victim of the curse of the Hope Diamond.
There are a great many stories about Abraham Lincoln and the dreams he had, and also about his son Robert, who seemed to be a bit of a jinx, being on the spot for more than one presidential shooting.
I pretty much skimmed the whole book, as it really is not the type of reading I usually do. I didn't really care that this President or that one consulted psychics while in office, but I did think it was cool that while Jimmy Carter was Governor of Georgia, he saw and filed an official report about an Unidentified Flying Object. As the author says, an unidentified flying object is exactly that, something in the sky that you cannot explain. It does not necessarily mean a spaceship full of little green men.
This was (for me) just an okay read and if not for the possibility of that quiz, I very greatly doubt I would have looked twice at it. But still, thanks for thinking of me, Mom!
The sub-title of this book is 'True Stories Of White House Weirdness' but don't expect hauntings, rattling chains, and such like in these pages. The author prefers this definition of the word 'occult': hidden or secret. So this is not so much a collection of ghost stories (although there are a couple of those) as a collection of...well, weird tales, I guess is one way to put it.
We start off with George Washington, and learn about a supposed vision he had at Valley Forge, where the future of the country was revealed to him. We also see Washington himself appearing to General McClellan during the Civil War, showing him how to save the Union.
We read about Warren G. Harding, who was head of the most corrupt administration on record, and how perhaps (just perhaps) he was a victim of the curse of the Hope Diamond.
There are a great many stories about Abraham Lincoln and the dreams he had, and also about his son Robert, who seemed to be a bit of a jinx, being on the spot for more than one presidential shooting.
I pretty much skimmed the whole book, as it really is not the type of reading I usually do. I didn't really care that this President or that one consulted psychics while in office, but I did think it was cool that while Jimmy Carter was Governor of Georgia, he saw and filed an official report about an Unidentified Flying Object. As the author says, an unidentified flying object is exactly that, something in the sky that you cannot explain. It does not necessarily mean a spaceship full of little green men.
This was (for me) just an okay read and if not for the possibility of that quiz, I very greatly doubt I would have looked twice at it. But still, thanks for thinking of me, Mom!
February 20, 2011
This book is a collection of stories, accompanied by correspondence or articles, of different paranormal and occult encounters experienced by those who've been associated with the White House. It runs the gambit from visions, to sightings, to mediums and seers, UFOs, curses, a vampire and the Lincoln-Kennedy connection. The author does a good job of providing the history of the story as well as providing the supporting documentation.
While the book contains a lot of interesting tidbits--the visions that George Washington had and that others had about him are pretty cool--often the supporting documentation has a great deal more in it than relates to the topic it was inserted for. I found the older writings especially difficult to stay focused on with the different language pattern that took place at the time.
It seemed like a good chunk of the book was devoted to President Lincoln, either directly regarding his dreams of his death or the use of mediums, or indirectly after his death in regards to a plan by counterfeiters to snatch his embalmed body for ransom. This story alone goes off in different tangents.
While I enjoyed some of the information I learned, for the most part, the book didn't flow well for me. The supporting documentation, which often told the story, could get long and dragged out. Those who enjoy reading original writings/wordings relating to history will get more pleasure from the book than I did.
While the book contains a lot of interesting tidbits--the visions that George Washington had and that others had about him are pretty cool--often the supporting documentation has a great deal more in it than relates to the topic it was inserted for. I found the older writings especially difficult to stay focused on with the different language pattern that took place at the time.
It seemed like a good chunk of the book was devoted to President Lincoln, either directly regarding his dreams of his death or the use of mediums, or indirectly after his death in regards to a plan by counterfeiters to snatch his embalmed body for ransom. This story alone goes off in different tangents.
While I enjoyed some of the information I learned, for the most part, the book didn't flow well for me. The supporting documentation, which often told the story, could get long and dragged out. Those who enjoy reading original writings/wordings relating to history will get more pleasure from the book than I did.
June 19, 2023
A lot of cool information here that dives into a topic that many will not think of being the spookier side of the white house. It goes over a big chunk of history from the Revolutionary War to about the 90s. And I do like that it prefaces that the information in the book is based on a mix of facts, urban legends, and witness statements. It does use historical accounts to back up the information presented a little to much at times since some of the eyewitness statements are long and take up the bulk of some of the chapters.
March 27, 2019
Great stories of spirits and spiritism by past presidents. Includes my favorite, the visitation of George Washington by an angel that tells him a prophecy of the future of America, accurately predicting all future wars. And Lincoln's wife's obsession with mediums and seances! A great read.
June 29, 2021
Pretty good read. Interesting. Although some of the letters that he quoted could of been emitted. Some of those letters were a little boring and droned on but was interesting to read about the ex-presidents beliefs and suspicions. Shows to you that even they suspected things in the earlier times.
August 5, 2020
This could have been so much more interesting, but it was SOOO dry!
February 18, 2013
Knowing that I like all kinds of weirdness, a friend gave me this book. The reason I rated it "OK" is that, to me, it had two deficiencies: 1. Much of the text is actually big chunks of narrative from other sources, one running to over 19 pages, and 2. Not enough weirdness. The book presents the stories in chronological order, and I admit to snoring through the overwrought prose of Washington and Lincoln's contemporaries. These stories are ridiculous, not spooky--folklore seen through the haze of two centuries. The best is last, the final chapter about presidents' UFO sightings, beginning with Harry Truman.
Despite my disappointment about its deficiencies, the book served the purpose well of keeping me entertained on flights to New York and back--not only by reading it, but by looking out the window for UFOs.
Despite my disappointment about its deficiencies, the book served the purpose well of keeping me entertained on flights to New York and back--not only by reading it, but by looking out the window for UFOs.
June 10, 2013
"Yeesh. I got his book a while ago as an Early Reviewer and, after reading the first couple chapters, had the hardest time forcing myself to finish it. This book was lazily done. Huge amounts of material are directly quoted - which might be worth it if the quotes were relevant or interesting, but they're not. He presents lots of evidence of abosolutely nothing, one way or the other. Clumsy, boring book."
November 8, 2014
I had high hopes for this book. The subject matter seemed compelling enough, right? However, about 50% (or more) of the book was reprinted narratives from other sources, and the narrative from the author lacked additional research or insightful conclusions. I found myself skipping large portions of this book, searching for small bites of original material, only to be disappointed by the run-of-the-mill recap of other authors' words. This is the first paranormal book that I could not finish.
November 14, 2009
I recieved this book from the early reviewers. I though by reading it that it would be another take on government, maybe one that I could find some interest in. That was not the chase I was barely able to finish it, I could not stay interested in it. I would have to say that I am more of a imagination girl, not political.
August 27, 2010
I did not enjoy this book at all. The chapters were individual stories and I say stories but that's what it seemed like they were. They were such obvious retelling of stories that we have heard a thousand times that the author doesnt even seem like he cared to relay them. He really phoned this one in from home.
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December 11, 2012I shouldn't have opted for this one because, although I find the occult quite interesting, the Presidential focus was less than captivating me. So it's no wonder that I grew bored with this book. Like other reviewers, I found the writing dry, the content uninspired... in short, there was nothing to keep me reading after the first handful of pages.
October 14, 2013
I liked that Thomsen gave the evidence of why a story was not true or why it could possibly be true, but the stories weren't that interesting to start with.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews