A breathy memoir of eight Administrations' worth of parties, by a former Washington-society syndicated columnist. Beale started chronicling the D.C. social circuit during the Truman era, attending an estimated 15,000 parties before retiring in January 1989. Her capsule portraits of the entertaining styles of the various Presidents, however, hold few surprises. The Kennedys were elegant, although things sometimes got a little raucous in private (Beale cites parties at Bobby and Ethel Kennedy's during which Ethel repeatedly pushed fully dressed guests into the pool). LBJ was gregarious; Carter had the White House menu printed in English instead of French. The Reagans window-dressed events with Hollywood types. More amusing than Beale's party critique is her avalanche of minutiae representing the society columnist's stock in trade. She compares notes about chihuahuas with Haile Selassie, talks about pride with Imelda Marcos. She describes the pair of throne-like chairs that the Eisenhowers occupied during state dinners, and reveals that the hors d'oeuvres were generous in the Kennedy White House, and that LBJ was a dance partner ``with a good sense of rhythm.'' Beale scolds the Carters for including Amy in formal dinners and adamantly defends Nancy Reagan's china acquisition. And while the author doesn't share much about the nuts and bolts of her job, she does tell all about a three-year affair with Adlai Stevenson, even quoting from corny love poems she sent him. Beale clearly is a pro in her specialized world. Readers seeking fresh social or political gossip will come away hungry, but those who thrill to hear Nixon describe himself as ``an earring man'' will find lots to nibble on at this trivia-laden buffet. (Photographs—not seen)
Pub Date: June 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-89526-503-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1993
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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