Publisher's Synopsis
Eating and sleeping are the only activities that should be allowed to interrupt a man s enjoymentof his cigar. To ignite a cigar to watch the glossy tobacco transmute into silvery ash and blue smoke and to savor its complex and lingering flavors is to practice a ritual that has been performed for centuries by kings and courtesans, prime ministers and presidents, authors and artists. Over the course of centuries, the cigar has become a symbol of leisure, rite of passage, and celebratory gesture. All of these themes, as well as significant moments in its history are explored with great affection and energy in this tasteful and entertaining volume on a beloved pastime.
