Remarkable Names of Real People

"In assembling this gallimaufry of actual names, the industrious Mr. Train has ransacked nature to confirm the extraordinary riches of the world around us," writes S.J. Perelman of John Train's unusual enterprise. And here is the culmination of his search – a connoisseur's collection of the most remarkable and amusing names on record, assembled with the help of an international network of assiduous correspondents and wryly annotated by the author. The gathering reflects Mr. Train's strict standards of selection and the years of research that have been devoted to verifying the subjects' names and occupations.An earlier smaller edition, distributed through the Paris Review under the title of How to Name Your Baby, was said to be one of the most highly stolen books in publishing history. This expanded version – its delicate drawings by Pierre Le-Tan perfectly complementing the sardonic, scholarly wit of Mr. Train – is certain to be even more fervently enjoyed.A superbly written book, already hailed as a classic.