A Gentleman Entertains A Guide To Making Memorable Occasions Happen (Hardcover)

by John Bridges (Author), Bryan Curtis (Author) "Any time a gentleman plans to have guests in his home, he always ... ... makes a quick list of things to do before his..." (more)
Key Phrases: gentleman entertains, The Game Plan, Make It Happen, Dessert Spoon (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Practical and unpretentious, A Gentleman Entertains includes

• 15 essential preparations before entertaining
• 100 things every gentleman should know about being a host
• Ideas for twelve specific parties complete with more than 20 fool-proof

  recipes

• Tips on dealing with inevitable, inescapable, really ugly disaster

  moments.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 224 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (May 22, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1558538127
• ISBN-13: 978-1558538122
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #36,771 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gentleman Entertains by John Bridges, June 21, 2000

By	Joan Brasher (Nashville) - See all my reviews

"A Gentleman Entertains" takes a surprisingly unpretentious look at men entertaining, though the book is by no means without merit for women readers. The practical advice and simple, elegant recipes cover a broad range of entertaining scenarios, from casual cocktail parties at home to dining out, to family reunions. The South is perhaps the only place left where it is still fashionable to be genteel, and Bridges lives up to his Southern upbringing without coming across stuffy. Leaving no stone unturned, the book touches on everything from tipping to starting a charcoal grill to choosing the wine. Though the title suggests a certain level of sophistication, the author is just as quick to advise readers to use paper plates when the situation dictates as he is to recommend the proper way to garnish a cocktail. Bridges writing style is crisp and on the wry side, though he had more room to shine in "Keeping Up," a delightful series of essays on his upbringing in Slapout, Al., as well as witty observations on life and martinis. I would have liked to have seen him cut loose in this book a little more stylistically, but being the proper gentleman that he is, he wrote a respectable book suitable for any coffee table. It is a fine follow up to his previous outing, "How to be a Gentleman." I recommend it to anyone who is looking for the kind of practical advice on entertaining that bears repeating and never goes out of style.

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great and Useful Purchase, February 12, 2005

By	Jim 'n Em (Law-Law Land) - See all my reviews

This is a rare book that actually deserves 5 stars.

Most books in this genre (including some in this series) are too superficial to be of any help but Bridges does a great job of filling each page of this little book with helpful, practical hints.

There isn't much in the way of recipes or cooking specifics, but that isn't the idea here. Spend $12 on this and $12 on a cook book and you will be set.

In conclusion, the two best things I can say for this are: 1. I have not had to call my mom for any entertaining, non-cooking questions since I got this book. 2. My wife has looked things up in this book.

11 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Says Guys Don't Want to Be Good Hosts?, December 20, 2000

By	"smet" (Los Angeles, California USA) - See all my reviews

A great, easy read, filled with practical advice. This book takes the "who me??" out of cool entertaining. Highly recommended by the editors of SharpMan.com.