"A free-pouring blend of astonishing facts, folklore and firsthand period observations. . . . It's the
rich details that'll inspire the casual reader to drink deep from this tap of knowledge."
--Don Waller, USA Today recommended reading
"A surprise on every page."
--Publishers Weekly
"Here we get social history that appreciates the bar talk even while dissecting its marvelous rituals."
--Library Journal, starred review
"Careful scholarship with an anecdotal flair to please even the most sober of readers."
--Nina C. Ayoub, Chronicle of Higher Education
AAUP Web Site, August, 2000
Summary
In this lively and engaging history, Madelon Powers recreates the daily life of the barroom, exploring what
it was like to be a "regular" in the old-time saloon of pre-prohibition industrial America. Through an
examination of saloongoers across America, her investigation offers a fascinating look at rich lore of the barroom--its
many games, stories, songs, free lunch customs, and especially its elaborate system of drinking rituals that have
been passed on for decades.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I: The Criteria for Comradeship
1: The Importance of Being Regular
2: Gender, Age, and Marital Status
3: Occupation, Ethnicity, and Neighborhood
Pt. II: The Gentle Art of Clubbing
4: Drinking Folkways
5: Clubbing by Treat
6: Clubbing by Collection
Part III: More Lore of the Barroom
7: Games and Gambling
8: Talk and Storytelling
9: Songs and Singing
10: The Free Lunch
