OP: Delights and Prejudices

Atheneum, New York, 1964. Hardcover. Very Good. First printing.

James Beard (1903–1985) was one of the dozen most influential American food writers of the twentieth century. He reached home cooks primarily, but as a teacher he also made a lasting impact on many who went on to significant culinary careers. 

Though there have been several biographies of him over the years, Beard’s take on himself, Delights and Prejudices (1964), makes an interesting contrast. 

The sprawling book, which he calls “an epicurean autobiographical journal,” begins with an account of his early life. He tells us of his growing up in Portland, Oregon, and his discovery—under the powerful influence of his mother, Elizabeth—of the joys of a well-prepared meal. 

Moving on from there, he takes us—somewhat raggedly, although always to an end—to a broader view, gained over the course of another forty years or so of travel and of contact with a wide range of highly creative cooks around the world. Served by his observational skills and his famous memory for tastes and aromas, he teaches us much and leavens it all nicely with graceful chatter. 

This copy is a first printing hardcover with dust jacket, both in Very Good condition, overall. The jacket bears some chipping but is mostly preserved. The errata slip for a printer’s error on page 255 is missing, but the error is there, indicating the true first printing.

A gorgeously designed book, created by the great Atheneum designer Harry Ford. The attractive dust jacket and interior drawings are by the highly admired illustrator Earl Thollander. The front endpapers are stained from a now-long-gone newspaper clipping. An original TWA menu was found laid in and left for the next collector.