First edition. A collection of fiction and non-fiction works by more than 60 authors in a volume meant solely to entertain and delight the reader. Minor chipping of jacket. xiv, 769+ 1 pages. cloth, dust jacket. 8vo..
Bennett Alfred Cerf (May 25, 1898 – August 27, 1971) was an American writer, owner of The Modern Library publishing house, and co-founder of the American publishing firm Random House.
Cerf was also known for his compilations of jokes and stories, and for his regular appearances on the panel game show What's My Line?
A very interesting albeit uneven compilation. Some stories and excerpts stood up well after 70 years, some not so much. The collection reminded me of some wonderful authors and works I read a long time ago (Thor Heyerdahl, O. Henry) and introduced me to writers I'll definitely follow up on (James Michener, Isak Dinesen.) It also rekindled my desire to read John Galsworthy's The Forsyte Saga. The excerpt included ("Indian Summer of a Forsyte") was exquisite and affected me quite a bit. Other pieces that I enjoyed the most included "The Dreadful Dragon of Hay Hill" by Max Beerbohm, "The Life and Death of Vaudeville" by Fred Allen, "Mr. Morgan" by James Michener, "They Grind Exceedingly Small" by Ben Ames Williams, "The Old Chevalier" by Isak Dinesen, and "The World the Children Made" by Ray Bradbury.