Waverley Lewis Root

Root provides a personal anecdotal glimpse of American journalism in Paris in the late 1920s and early 30s, when the Paris Edition of the Chicago Tribune was one of the three U.S.- owned English-language newspapers being published there. Root arrived in Paris in 1927, found a spot at the paper and stayed. Eventually he joined the United Press and became the dean of the Parisian foreign press corps. Root captures the mood of Paris and the excitement of the expatriate press. Samuel Abt, as editor, provides a useful detailed introduction.

The story of American eating begins and ends with the fact that American food, by most of the world's standards, is not very good. This is a rather sad note considering the "land of plenty" the first American settlers found, and even sadder considering that with the vast knowledge of food we possess, we have still managed to create things such as the TV dinner and "Finger Lickin' Good" chicken. Nevertheless, America's eating habits, the philosophy behind these habits, and much of the food itself are deliciously fascinating. The authors, in a style that is rich, tasty, and ironic, chronicle the history of American food and eating customs from the time of the earliest explorers to the present.