An American Four-In-Hand in Britain

Joe and Perry have put the horses up at the inn, and are back with mugs of foaming ale, bottles of Devonshire cider, lemonade, and pitchers of fresh creamy milk, that all tastes may be suited. The stewardess and her assistants have set table, and now luncheon is ready. No formal grace is necessary, for our hearts have been overflowing with gratitude all the day long... -from "Brighton, Friday, June 17" Oh, what a gloriously idyllic journey! American steel baron Andrew Carnegie and a party of friends took in the British countryside by horse coach-a "four-in-hand"-in the summer of 1881... a season of grassy picnic luncheons, bucolic scenery, and philosophical discussions in coffeehouses. Written as a private extended postcard to friends who had not accompanied him on the trip, and as a souvenir for those who had, this 1883 book will charm Anglophiles, armchair travelers, and workoholics who could benefit from the reminder that even a captain of industry could find time to kick back, relax, and-quite literally-smell the flowers. Also available from Cosimo Classics: Carnegie's Triumphant Democracy, Round the World, and Autobiography. Entrepreneur and philanthropist ANDREW CARNEGIE (1835-1919) was born in Scotland and emigrated to America as a teenager. His Carnegie Steel Company launched the steel industry in Pittsburgh, and after its sale to J.P. Morgan, he devoted his life to philanthropic causes. His charitable organizations built more than 2,500 public libraries around the world, and gave away more than $350 million during his lifetime.