Ruffled Flourishes: A Novel

By Peter Roussel

Sox St. Louis, the intrepid deputy press secretary to the president, is besieged by the media on a daily basis as he attempts to communicate the actions and motivations of the executive office to the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1571685375
• ISBN13: 9781571685377
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Eakin Pr
• Length: 245 Pages
• Weight: 1.17 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.8" x 0.8" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Flourishes is First Rate

I had the honor of meeting Peter Roussel at a luncheon at which he was the featured speaker. He spoke not only about his book, Ruffled Flourishes, but also about his experiences serving as White House press secretary. He told us that although his book is fiction, it is based on actual experiences and incidents during his tenure at the White House. The book is an enjoyable read, written in a warm, engaging, and often amusing tone. If you have an interest in politics, behind-the-scenes events affecting the presidency, and the power of the media, you can't go wrong with this book.

This book is HILARIOUS!!

Being a college student often entails way more reading than the normal American can stand, but with "Ruffled Flourishes" I didn't mind it at all. Roussel's charming and witty writing style kept me intrigued and roaring with laughter. The constant stress between the main character, Sox, and his romance Flaxen is addictive. Sox goes through many self- realizations during his time in the White House, and his journey is indefinitely an enjoyable one. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fictional accounts that have striking resemblance to the real deal. Way to go Sox, I mean Peter!

Loved Ruffled Flourishes!

I truly enjoyed this book! I read it slowly because I didn't want it to end. I wanted to keep being a fly on the wall at the White House. More precisely, in the West Wing of the White House. And I wanted to find out what happens between Sox & Flaxen. I want more...how about a sequel...or a movie! Mmmm, who would play Sox? Tom Cruise? Ben Affleck? Vin Diesel? (just kidding)Roussel gives his characters odd names and I am sure there must be some hidden meaning behind them. The main character is Sox St. Louis. His maybe-love interest is named Flaxen, and Sparta, the TV network correspondent is his media nemesis. The president is named Carl Crayon (that name doesn't exactly instill confidence, does it?). Aren't you just dying to know how and why these characters were named? I am. Even though Ruffled Flouishes "is a work of fiction and all of its characters and events are imaginary creations of the author" - yadayadayada...you get a real feel for what it must be like to work in the inner sanctum of the White House as the spokesman for the president of the United States. Even the lingo sounds authentic. (And it probably is since Roussel served two tours of duty in the White House under Presidents Ford and Regan.)For students of crisis management, the transcript of a 40 minute press briefing on pages 73-87 is most enlightening. How White House deputy press secretary St. Louis tap dances around the media, saying just enough to make them think he has said something profound when, in fact, he's said nothing, is a priceless how-to manual. The book is humorous and a good, fun read. I highly recommend it.

LOVED IT!!

This hilarious yet endearing story about life in the White House was just the kind of reading that I needed right now. It was written in a style that I could understand and enjoy, while cracking me up on every other page. Who would have thought that life in the White House could be so amazing? Peter Roussel has truly written a credible novel, and it is nice to have a dependable source these days. I admire this book and the man who lived it and then shared his story with all of us. I highly recommend Ruffled Flourishes to all.

Ruffled Flourishes

Ruffled Flourishes is the first book I have read of its kind.I found it to be quite refreshing and entertaining. The human side of the deputy press secretary was very endearing. I kept reading just to see if he would continue to mess things up with the character, Flaxen. It was interesting to get the perspective of the inner workings of the White House Press. It was equally entertaining to read the author's interpretation of the media. Who would have imagined it would be like that? I loved the way the author was able to combine both the professional and human side of the character.