Blue Ribbon Books

FOREWORDThe radio program "Can You Top This?" is the brain child of "Senator" Ed Ford, who not only created, produces, and owns the show, but also appears in it with the noted wits Harry Hershfield, cartoonist, raconteur, and columnist; and Joe Laurie, Jr., pint-size author and comedian."Can You...

PREFACE The scope of this anthology is so wide—in time from the thirty-fifth century B.C. to the twentieth century A.D. and in space from China and Japan around through India, Persia, Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Greece, and Rome to Europe and America—that there is no poet in human hi^ory who...

Prefatory Catechism Who was the first civilized American? Benjamin Franklin. Why do you call him so? Because at an American period eminent for narrowness, superstition, and bleak beliefs he was mirthful, generous, open-minded, learned, tolerant, and humor-loving. Because he was the first...

GEORGE WASHINGTON CHAPTER I THE GENTEEL WASHrnGTONS § 1 George Washington came of a family that must be called undistinguished, unless a persistent mediocrity, enduring many generations, is in itself a distinction. With the exception of the illustrious George there is no record of a...