Description: Books of the Century is arranged chronologically, with the first entries beginning in 1897. There is an introductory essay by Charles (Chip) McGrath, the current editor of the Book Review. The book gathers material from every decade of the century, roughly one chapter to each decade, adding up to more than 220 entries total. In the first decade of this century we find reviews of books by W.E.B. Dubois, Upton Sinclair, and Theodore Dresier. In the '20s, some of the authors reviewed are Virginia Woolf, Sigmund Freud, and Edith Wharton. During the '30s, look for Dashiell Hammett, Wallace Stevens, and Margaret Sanger. The '40s include Richard Wright, Arthur Koestler, and George Orwell. The '50s introduces James Jones, Ralph Ellison, and Flannery O'Connor. In the '60s William Shirer, Hannah Arendt, and Saul Bellow are among the writers reviewed. The '70s puts in front of us Hunter S. Thompson, Erica Jong, and E.L. Doctorow. The '80s includes I.B. Singer, Milan Kundera, and Oliver Sacks. The '90s conclude with offerings by Derek Walcott, Susan Faludi, and William Manchester, among others.

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