Now All We Need Is a Title

Famous Book Titles and How They Got That Way

"An entertaining little book. . . . It is a good thing that writers have to keep struggling for the right title, to judge from Bernard's amusing evidence."--Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, New York Times

André Bernard has researched the stories behind more than one hundred of the most famous titles in the English language to produce a fascinating volume rich in literary anecdote and publishing lore. The Great Gatsby was almost titled Trimalchio in West Egg, while some unknown editor told William L. Shirer, "Please God, don't ask us to publish a book called The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich." It's a wonderful romp among the literary monuments.

"This small book is truly delightful and will appeal to every prospective writer and anyone interested in the creation of ideas."--Karen Glendinning, Chattanooga Free Press

Raymond Chandler to Alfred A. Knopf: "I'm trying to think of a good title for you to want me to change."

André Bernard is an executive editor at the Book-of-the-Month Club and the author of Rotten Rejections: A Literary Companion. He lives in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York.