“It is Johnson’s gift that he can make his subjects human and fallible enough that we would…recognize them instantly, while also illuminating what made them heroes.” —Washington Post Book World on Heroes

“Johnson is a clear, intelligent, forceful writer, and nothing if not thorough.” —Wall Street Journal

Paul Johnson, the acclaimed author of Creators, Heroes, and the New York Times bestseller Intellectuals, returns with a captivating collection of biographical portraits of the Western world’s greatest wits and humorists. With chapters dedicated to history’s sharpest tongues and most piercing pens, including Benjamin Franklin, Toulouse-Lautrec, G.K. Chesterton, Damon Runyan, W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, and many more, Johnson’s Humorists is an exciting compendium of our most enduring comical and satirical innovators. 

What makes a genius funny—and what price did they pay for their wit?

• A History of Humor: Johnson’s brilliant introduction analyzes why we laugh, from the first “dirty joke” in the Bible to the complex theories of the modern age.
• Famous Comedians: Explore the lives and work of icons like Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and the duo of Laurel and Hardy.
• Satire and Wit: Discover the piercing pens of literary and artistic giants, from the painter Hogarth and the brilliant G.K. Chesterton to the master of social satire, Noël Coward.
• Literary Biography: From the celebrated historian behind Intellectuals and Heroes, a deeply researched and endlessly entertaining look at the people who shaped our sense of humor.