Last year I read Secret Ingredients, a compilation of food-related articles originally published in The New Yorker magazine. A few authors were particularly enjoyable: Calvin Trillin is a long-time favorite author and I'm well familiar with M. F. K. Fisher, but A. J. Liebling was an unknown to me prior to that book.

This book contains 26 of his articles and essays, divided into sections on dining in Paris, World War II, New York City, Boxing, the Press and politics in Louisianna. If you can imagine essays written by a beat reporter, that will give you some of the flavor of these pieces. They are funny and sophisticated, full of gusto for life, and not a little bit of self-regard: "...Fowler's Modern English Usage, a book I have never looked into. It would be like Escoffier consulting Mrs. Beeton (The author of the first modern cookbook)."

Was this "just enough" of Liebling? On the whole, I'd say yes. I wouldn't have minded a bit more on Paris and World War II; they were wonderful...while the attraction of a long excerpt about a con man ("from The Honest Rainmaker") and the Louisianna politics had faded by their respective ends. Overall, however, I really enjoyed these pieces. ( )

Just Enough Liebling left me yearning for more! Abbott Joseph Liebling was an immensely engaging and skillful writer-journalist (and droll character) whose work is truly unparalleled. This volume provides just a sampling of his writing -- on subjects ranging from dining in Paris to World War II to boxing -- most of which were originally published in The New Yorker. Only wish I could give it 6 stars! ( )

What can you say about Liebling? He is one of the finest essayists I know, whose sense of character, scale, and humor are nearly unparalleld. His style is very essentially New Yorker, done to perfection. ( )