A Jacques Barzun Reader: Selections from His Works

Throughout his distinguished career, Jacques Barzunhas been known as an essayist who combines a depth of knowledge and a rare facility with words. Now, collected for the first time in one volume are 80 of his most accomplished essays. The list of subjects covered has an amazing range: history, philosophy, literature, education, music—and more. Here is Barzun's classic examination of baseball in American life, Lincoln as a literary genius, and the pleasures of reading crime fiction.

Among the many diverse figures whom Barzun re-examines, leading to fresh portraits, include: Shaw, Berlioz, Swift, both Henry and WilliamJames, Dorothy Sayers, Chapman, Agate, and Diderot. Barzun draws the reader into his enthusiasms with an infectious style and keen insights. A Jacques Barzun Reader is a feast for any reader.