Persona Grata

New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. Very Good+. 1954. First Edition. Hardcover. (no dust jacket) [modest browning to spine cloth, slight fading along several edges]. (B&W photographs, graphics) "An alphabetical anthology of unique human beings; a portrait gallery in words and photographs of a hundred living people whom we, its self-appointed curators, both admire. Here are no lawyers, no heads of state, no professional footballers [because] these callings, admirable as they are, lie outside the range of our immediate interests. Honesty dictated that our bias be towards actors, actresses, writers, painters, dancers and clowns. One politician has slipped in; so has a horse; but these are exceptions. We sought, as we made our choice, certain qualities; chief among them were craftsman ship, energy, elegance, wit, and a dash of the unpredictable." Further: "The authors would like to make it clear that Mr. Beaton had no hand in the text, and that Mr. Tynan took none of the photographs." Tynan's commentaries range in length from several pages to, in some instances, a single short paragraph; and Beaton's photos, of course, make everyone look oh-so-beautiful. ****NOTE that additional postage charges will be assessed for international shipping of this moderately heavy book; if this concerns you, please contact us for a shipping quote before placing your order.**** .