From a writer of astonishing versatility, this wonderfully rich collection of pieces is both a memoir of Philip Hamburger's writing life and a vivid and various record of the world he has lived in. Hamburger first went to work for The New Yorker in 1939, under the aegis of Harold Ross, and he is still there--six decades and four editors later. He has wandered all over its pages as Our Man Stanley or Reporter at Large, doing Talk of the Town, Casuals, and Notes & Comment, writing Profiles, and more. And he has wandered all over the map, unearthing the secret souls of some fifty-five American towns and cities (from Hot Springs, Arkansas, to Butte, Montana) and bearing witness to the horrors of war and fascism (from Mussolini's bloody corpse hanging upside down in a Milan public square, to the hungry, hollow-eyed marchers bearing pro-Tito posters through the wrecked streets of Belgrade after the war).
An old-fashioned liberal--and proud of it-- Hamburger has witnessed almost every inauguration since 1933 (at Roosevelt's first he was perched on the icy branch of a tree), has spied shamelessly on a succession of New York City mayors (he used to live conveniently across from Gracie Mansion), and has constantly championed the voices of liberty (Judge Learned Hand, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Judge William Henry Hastie, Edward R. Murrow).
Insatiably curious, Hamburger strikes for the heart of whatever subject he approaches--whether it's the famous (Truman, Toscanini, Evita Perón, Eleanor Roosevelt, Vartan Gregorian) or the unsung hero (a waiter who single-handedly sold four million dollars' worth of war bonds). Hitler's aerie in Berchtesgaden is as fascinating to him as the twisting ramps of Macy's package delivery tunnels. Hamburger never balked at donning a different hat; he quite literally put on a black homburg as The New Yorker's music critic for a year. He took on movies and was the first to venture into the minefield of television, conjuring up brilliantly the wonders and abominations of what he saw in the 1950s on the flickering black-and-white screen.
All these adventures, and many more, are here in this treasure of a book--the work of a New Yorker writer who wrote what he pleased, went where he wanted, and took as much time as he needed. With wit and insight and extraordinary scrupulousness, Philip Hamburger penetrates the darkness and reveals for us the many pleasures he has had talking to these friends in the night.
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Philip Hamburger was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1914. At an early age he caught a sleeper to New York City. Except for a wartime stint in Washington, D.C., and overseas assignments, he has lived there ever since.
A mainstay of the New Yorker staff since 1939, Hamburger has written everything from Talk of the Town entries to casuals and profiles; he even served as music critic and movie reviewer. Dozens of pieces are collected here, arranged chronologically within each category. The few comments provided by Hamburger are helpful: A ``Stanley'' essay was written, for example, to explore ``small, little-known islands in the East River and New York Harbor,'' and was authored by none other than the self-styled Our Man Stanley. Much of the material is dated; some of Hamburgers observations appear comically off the mark. For instance, in 1950 he became the first New Yorker writer to venture into the ``cultural minefield'' of television. He describes the early Candid Camera TV series as ``sadistic, poisonous, anti-human, and sneaky''; he dismisses Frank Sinatra and his singing on the October 1951 debut of his show as being either ``asleep or else . . . quite ill.'' Hamburger fared a bit better as an amateur'' music critic in the late 1940s, although Toscanini demanded that he be fired. Hamburger wrote many fine profiles over the years, with the best a 1986 piece on Vartan Gregorian. His parodic profile of then-popular J.P. Marquand may be lost on many readers today. A 1944 profile of Louie the Waiter at the Sixth Avenue Delicatessena man noted not only for his service-oriented doggerel, but for selling $4 million worth of war bondsis a prime example of New Yorker writing at its finest. Uneven, but what writer's 60-year output wouldn't be? There's great stuff here, representative of a kind of writing and reportage that, sadly, is passing. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Shipping:
US$ 3.49
Within U.S.A.
Shipping:
US$ 6.60
Within U.S.A.
Seller: Half Price Books Inc., Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_388546507
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: SecondSale, Montgomery, IL, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Item in good condition. Textbooks may not include supplemental items i.e. CDs, access codes etc. Seller Inventory # 00049867308
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: ThriftBooks-Atlanta, AUSTELL, GA, U.S.A.
Hardcover. Condition: Good. No Jacket. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less 1.9. Seller Inventory # G0679438831I3N10
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Seller Inventory # 3386714-75
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Better World Books, Mishawaka, IN, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in excellent condition. May show signs of wear or have minor defects. Seller Inventory # GRP73092460
Quantity: 2 available
Seller: HPB-Emerald, Dallas, TX, U.S.A.
hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!. Seller Inventory # S_364812999
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Wonder Book, Frederick, MD, U.S.A.
Condition: Very Good. Very Good condition. Good dust jacket. A copy that may have a few cosmetic defects. May also contain light spine creasing or a few markings such as an owner's name, short gifter's inscription or light stamp. Bundled media such as CDs, DVDs, floppy disks or access codes may not be included. Seller Inventory # T12H-02426
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Irish Booksellers, Portland, ME, U.S.A.
Condition: Good. SHIPS FROM USA. Used books have different signs of use and do not include supplemental materials such as CDs, Dvds, Access Codes, charts or any other extra material. All used books might have various degrees of writing, highliting and wear and tear and possibly be an ex-library with the usual stickers and stamps. Dust Jackets are not guaranteed and when still present, they will have various degrees of tear and damage. All images are Stock Photos, not of the actual item. book. Seller Inventory # 0679438831-R
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Priceless Books, Urbana, IL, U.S.A.
Hb. Condition: VG-. Dust Jacket Condition: VG-. 424pp. Wear boards, DJ: wear extremities. Seller Inventory # 224510
Quantity: 1 available
Seller: Priceless Books, Urbana, IL, U.S.A.
Hb. Condition: VG. Dust Jacket Condition: VG. 424 pages, spine extremities lightly bumped, top edge of dj bumped and lightly creased. Seller Inventory # 143545
Quantity: 1 available