Main Line Wasp: One Man's Uproarious, Adventuresome Journey Through the Twentieth Century

ISBN: 0393341879

Author: Longstreth, W. Thacher

Condition: New

Here is one man's uproarious, adventuresome journey through the twentieth-century: from Main-Line debutante parties to the Battle of the Coral Sea, from affluence in the Roaring 20's to poverty in the Great Depression, from All-American football at Princeton to becoming Life's top salesman, from dealings with statesmen like Eisenhower to run-ins with bareknuckle fighters like Jimmy Hoffa, Richard Nixon, and Frank Rizzo.The result is more than amusing anecdote. Thacher Longstreth entered the world just as his WASP and Quaker forebears were losing their power and prestige. Much of his life has therefore been devoted to "unlearning the cozy assumptions of my ancestors." Yet he has managed to keep his heritage alive in a changing world: turning the other cheek when it seemed political suicide; living his ideals, no matter how inexpedient; and never, ever losing his sense of humor. By refusing to take himself seriously, and staying loyal to family, friends, community, and tradition, he has shown that innocence can be the supreme form of sophistication.