Not only was grandfather queer but he consorted with the maddest, gay­est, most ribald wags and eccentrics that ever lived. And Richardson Wright tells all about them in the breezy, informal style that has put his books on tens of thousands of bedside tables. From old town histories and the yellowing sheets of obscure coun­try presses, he has gathered together an assortment of the odd-sticks and merry wags who crowded the tapestry of the Early American scene. The three centers of waggery in those days were the general store, the tavern and the barbershop. He relates the begin­ning and evolution of each, meeting many a queer character and following down many an untrod side road of American history He tells of the strange solitaries and dwellers in caves—the Hag of Duxhury, Richardson the arch seducer and many more. He investigates eccentrics in parsonage and pulpit such as Henry the Holy-Shouter. The book is a hilarious and altogether delightful account of those days when America was boisterously young.