Dogfight at the Pentagon

A delightful collection of the wild, the weird, and the wonderful culled from the Wall Street Journal’s popular, and long-standing A-hed column. One of the Wall Street Journal’s most popular features for more than seventy years, the daily A-hed column—named for a headline that looked like a letter A—has diverted readers from the more glum news of war, economic woe, natural disasters, and manmade malfeasance. Covering a wide range of lunacy and the unusual from across the nation and the world, this collection of funny nonfiction continues to enchant longtime readers. Now, the best A-hed stories from recent years have been bundled into this delightful collection of humorous essays. There are romantic tales, including the Japanese “infidelity phone” (it keeps trysts secret) and the story of “wingmen” and “wingwomen” who escort wallflowers to nightspots and maneuver them into the arms of prospective catches. Lovers of dogs, cats, and fish will learn how a Marine Corps bulldog got promoted to sergeant, how a grumpy cat acquired a Hollywood agent, and will be left wondering if a 63-pound carp named Benson died naturally in England or was the victim of foul play. From pantyhose (or mantyhose) for men to a campaign to recruit youthful nudists, these quirky stories about hairdo archeologists, escaped wallabies, and hippies smoking catnip will make readers laugh and keep them entertained. What happens when the world’s most serious newspaper covers the seriously weird? Viral Stories: Discover the real stories behind internet legends, from a group of friends whose game of tag lasted 23 years to the epic rise of Grumpy Cat and her Hollywood agent. Bizarre News: Explore the stranger side of culture, from the secret "infidelity phone" that helps Japanese husbands hide their affairs to the surprising market for "mantyhose." Military Pranks: Go inside the Pentagon to uncover the story of a prank portrait that hung for years and witness the standoff between Chesty, the Marine Corps bulldog, and the Defense Secretary’s golden retriever. Eccentric Hobbies: Meet the "bronies" who are devoted to My Little Pony, the professional fibbers who compete for the title of World’s Biggest Liar, and the hairdo archeologist who reconstructs ancient Roman styles.