Irwin Shaw has long been recognized as one of the American masters of the short story, and this collection reaffirms his position among the living masters of the medium. The stories here included give new emphasis to the range and variety of his themes, the sharpness of his characterization and the acuteness of his observation, all brought into vivid focus by a skill always sure and inventive. Many of the stories deal with the conditions of Americans in Europe today and offer a fresh insight into the life of the contemporary expatriate; others are American in locale and treatment. All of them reveal the deft hand, the quick eye and unfailing ear of the natural storyteller.