The Art of the Table: A Complete Guide to Table Setting, Table Manners, and Tableware Review

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(More customer reviews)My best friend, who collects silver, recommended this book to me; the combination of THE ART OF THE TABLE and eBay is a dangerous, but pleasurable one.
I was afraid it would simply be an extremely high-ticket etiquette manual. While it explains what fork to use -- and I never knew there were so many kinds of forks! -- it also explains the history and craftsmanship behind flatware and dishes with a fascination I could well appreciate and a level of knowledge I had to respect.
The level of care and detail is intimidating. I rather doubt I'll ever entertain in diplomatic circles, which is kind of a shame because now I'd know what to do! For daily life, I'd say more care&feeding of tableware is definitely indicated, and I'd be glad of a maintenance section: what to do when things scratch, things break, etc. And I'm going to put my sterling in the dishwasher ANYHOW.
Reading this book is like looking at holiday catalogues: you understand why they used to be called wishbooks. I'm proud, however, that my friends say I set a lovely table (they're good guests, which is an art in itself), and I'm determined now NOT to keep the "good stuff" stored away because it's too good to use.
von Drachenfels has added to my quality of life, as well as my credit-card balance. I'd say I came out the winner.

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Dinner Is Served Review

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(More customer reviews)In "Dinner is Served", Arthur Inch hopes to leave us with the rapidly disappearing rules for old-fashioned gracious living. With his extensive experience in service, he is most definitely qualified to do so, and yet he only offers glimpses of his total knowledge. While many of the things in this book will never actually be used by the average person due to their expense and impracticality, there is still much that can and should be put to use in every-day living. While some may view these rules or standards as superfluous or even snobbish, the fact is that these have all been developed over many years and each has its own very legitimate reason for being. The complaints I have with this book are ones that could have been easily remedied. When discussing and describing the various types of tableware, more pictures would have been useful. Only select pieces have been illustrated, leaving the others subject to the whims of the imagination. And while he mentions several different napkin folds, and even specifies his own personal favorite fold, he never explains how to make these folds or shows how they are supposed to look. The sections on how to be the perfect host/hostess and guest, and on how to eat certain different foods could prove to be useful in reducing the potential for embarrassment in the future, and the section explaining the hierarchy of menservants was quite interesting, even if only as a history lesson that serves to demonstrate the logistical nightmares that formal dining can create.

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Elegant entertaining is always in style, and who better to explain the finer points of the art of the table than Arthur Inch, a veteran English butler who served as technical advisor for the film Gosford Park? With a historian's appreciation for the traditions of fine English homes, he discusses the elements of the table, including flatware and silver, china and glassware, serving vessels, and table decorations, as well as table and serving etiquette. "Although most of the book is written in a formal tone, the writers aren't above occasionally letting loose, and they amuse themselves with such pretty tricks as making music with glassware. This guide is fun to read as a light history as well as for preparation for a formal dinner. --Publishers Weekly

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