Star-spangled manners - Judith Martin

American mannersa contradiction in terms? Not so,says the doyenne of etiquette, in this rendering of the revolutionary drama of our home-grown customs. Driven by our dreams of equality for all and stardom for each, we Americans have always been eager to test the standards of social behavior and create our own rules for interaction. In this wryly perceptive, historically informed new book, America's leading expert on civility reminds her Gentle Readers that when the Founding Fathers created a revolution in the name of individual liberty and equality, they also took a stand against hierarchical European etiquette in favor of simplicity over ceremony, and personal dignity over obsequiousness to our rulers. Hailed by George Will as "The National Bureau of Standards," Judith Martin recounts here with characteristic wit how Americans fashioned this etiquette of egalitarian respecta fascinating story that spans the misunderstood origins of our table manners to the much-overlooked legacy of African slaves to etiquette. Ultimately, Star-Spangled Manners pays playful homage to the American character, the revolutionary roots and creative independence of our newly minted manners.