h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If this interested you, some of the following might also:


'About Town: The New Yorker and the World It Made' by Ben Yagoda
This book covers the entire history of The New Yorker magazine.

'Here at the New Yorker' by Brendan Gill.
Gill's tenure began before Shawn and lasted beyond him. He takes an entertaining look at the magazine and Shawn's style. The book also includes interesting stories about other writers on The New Yorker at the time. Warning: don't believe everything. Katherine S. White died in middle of annotating 'Here at the New Yorker' for inaccuracies.

'Gone: The Last Days of The New Yorker' by Renata Adler.
Adler joined the magazine under Shawn and stayed until shortly after he left. She provides a clear, if not unbiased, description of the time.

'Remembering Mr. Shawn's New Yorker: The Invisible Art of Editing' by Ved Mehta
Mehta adored Shawn. Whether it was that adoration or the fact that his blindness made him miss some key facts, this narrative sometimes misses key facts and generously errs on the side of judging Shawn favorably.

'The Last Days of The New Yorker' by Gigi Mahon
Couldn't get through this one myself, but if you're wondering what was going on over on the business side, this is the book to read.

'Here But Not Here: My Life with William Shawn and the New Yorker' by Lillian Ross
Lillian Ross was said by many (especially herself) to be Shawn's 'office wife' or his own true love. There's plenty of debate over this book and her claim. Many consider it slightly less accurate than Gill's book. I haven't read it for that reason.

'The World Through a Monocle: The New Yorker at Midcentury' by Mary F. Corey
Haven't read this one, but I guess the title says it all.


Many many books were written by or about (or both) New Yorker authors. Any of these would shed light on the doings in the New Yorker offices. However, they probably base many of their facts on any of these other books.

On the general topic

'The Smart Magazines' by George H. Douglas
Covers the sophisticated magazines of the early half of the century. The New Yorker is one of the few to survive.

'The Magazine in America' by John Tebbel and May Ellen Zuckerman

Oops, forgot:

'Let Me Finish' by Roger Angell
Technically a book by and about a New Yorker staffer, but I used it for material so it bears mentioning by name.