Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
or
Amazon Prime Free Trial required. Sign up when you check out. Learn More
Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.13 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I'd like to read this book on Kindle

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining [Paperback]

Sally Quinn (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

Price: $15.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.
Only 2 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).
Want it delivered Thursday, February 2? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Hardcover, Deckle Edge --  
Paperback $15.99  
Audio, Cassette, Unabridged $32.95  

Book Description

September 3, 1998
In The Party, Sally Quinn turns her trademark sharp wit on the Washington social scene and offers an irreverent look at what goes on at the parties you read about in the columns. From seating debacles to real-life scandals, she reveals her firsthand experiences as a member of the Washington power elite to illustrate how to entertain for any occasion.

No one knows better than Quinn how to make parties work. She has thrown some of the most talked-about parties and has attended most of the others. As Quinn writes, all that is necessary is that the host live by the golden rule: "Treat your guests the way you would like to be treated."

The Party provides a checklist of ideas to help make the important decisions—such as what time of day (or night) or month and how to choose the invitations, the place, the food, the booze, the setting, the table, the entertainment, and, above all, the guests. Within these guidelines, Quinn tells about her own adventures, stories, and techniques from all kinds of different parties—from the elaborate, formal dinner to the impromptu get-together. Her playful, poignant, and often hilarious accounts of party disasters from her own and others' parties will strike a chord with anyone who has ever entertained.

The Party is not only an amusing and lively glimpse into the party scene but also a useful and practical guide to making your own parties a success and guaranteeing that your guests will want to come back.



Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Before she married Ben Bradlee, former executive editor of the Washington Post, and became a society hostess herself, Sally Quinn made her living going to parties and reporting on them for the Post's "Style" section. Her years of experience as both guest and hostess have put Quinn in the perfect position to counsel others on the dos and don'ts of entertaining, and she does so with gusto in The Party. Granted, the average reader won't be faced with some of the problems Quinn and her beltway buddies cope with regularly--the president of the United States staying longer than expected at a pre-dinner cocktail party, for example, or the ambassador to Great Britain getting drunk and making out with a reporter (not his wife) in the spare bedroom. Still, Quinn points out, some things are universal, whether you're entertaining in an embassy ballroom or a one-room apartment in Queens: good food, good drink, and good company make for a great party. And even if you don't throw parties like Quinn does, you can still enjoy getting the dish on after-hours Washington . The Party is the next-best thing to being invited to Sally Quinn's house for dinner. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Having started her journalistic career covering the Washington social scene for the Washington Post's style section and now married to former executive editor Ben Bradlee, Quinn knows a thing or two about parties. "Over the years I have gone to thousands and given hundreds. And over the years I think I have been able to figure out what makes things work." Here she shares with anxious would-be hosts or hostesses her tips for throwing a successful party. Stressing the importance of making sure your guests have a good time, Quinn details elements to consider: the setting, food, booze, table, entertainment, and guests. She interposes her advice with gossipy stories of celebrity-laden disasters and hits. At times the name dropping becomes excessive ("Dick Cavett drove all the way from Montauk with his dog in the car, Swedish actress BiBi Anderson was there"). And how many of us entertain the president of the United States? But, unlike Martha Stewart, Quinn at least has a sense of humor. An optional purchase.?Wilda Williams, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 3, 1998)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0684849607
  • ISBN-13: 978-0684849607
  • Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,273,928 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (4)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars "Get Over It", February 24, 2001
By 
Michela (Seattle, WA, USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining (Paperback)
Near the end of her book, "The Party: A Guide to Adventurous Entertaining," Washington "hostess" and Southern belle Sally Quinn discloses for whom she has written this book. Ms. Quinn says that ". . . many newcomers to Washington, whether they are members of Congress or administration types or diplomats or journalists, do find the whole notion of Washington and Georgetown dinner parties terribly intimidating." Through her outspoken and irreverent memoir-guide, she hopes to demystify "what goes on here."

Ms. Quinn does mention "names"; she says she does so in order to level the playing field, to show that anyone can drop the ball when entertaining. Her book is filled with anecdotes as well as practical tips. She exhorts would-be hosts and hostesses to follow the Golden Rule: "Treat your guests the way you would like to be treated."

Much of the book repeats commonsensical rules that those of us who entertain already know. However, I did pick up some pointers, such as ". . . no matter how bad the food is or what disaster befalls you in the kitchen, when all else fails, make sure you have plenty of booze on hand, and the party won't be a total bomb," and "[e]veryone in your home must be treated like a celebrity, must be made to feel wanted and special."

"The Party" may not appeal much to experienced party-givers and party-goers. However, it is an amusing addition to more "serious" books on entertaining. For someone who is starting out as a host or hostess, I think he or she will find some good tips here. As Ms. Quinn says, "the point is to have a good time." If one cannot do so, then she says to "get over it."

If you don't know what a "P.R.F." is, then that is reason enough to get this book.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A page turner, April 19, 2002
By A Customer
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
OK, so it's not an etiquette book, nor is it a step-by-step party guide. The lessons are given via examples -- and what examples! The rich and famous -- including Sally herself -- are all grist for the mill.

But the key factor is Sally's breezy writing style. It's good enough that I am back on Amazon looking for other books she has authored.

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars A guide to....nothing at all, September 6, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: The Party (Hardcover)
I assumed, from the title, that this would be a book of practical advice for giving parties. Instead, it was a thinly disguised excuse for the author's collection of anecdotes about the Washington rich-'n'-famous. The only practical advice given are gems such as "temperature is important--don't let your guests be too hot or too cold." Gee--that one I'd already figured out for myself. If you want to read about the Washington social scene, this is a great book. If you're seeking advice about how to entertain, don't bother with this one.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
There are a thousand reasons to have a party or to entertain, but as far as I'm concerned there is only one legitimate one. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
buffet supper, dinner partner, seated dinner
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Washington Post, White House, New Year's Eve, Colin Powell, Katharine Graham, Alice Roosevelt Longworth, Nora Ephron, Richard Cohen, Barbara Howar, East Hampton, Johnny Mazetti, Long Island, Sally Quinn, Betty Bacall, Dupont Circle, Fourth of July, Meg Greenfield, Pamela Harriman, Princess Margaret
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:



Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject