Three decades ago Jessica Mitford wrote about the idiosyncrasies of American funeral rites in The American Way of Death, and now, with a blend of wit, commitment and curiosity, she provides a cautionary tale about how Americans give birth. The book is not about the miracle of life, but about the role of money and politics in a lucrative industry; a saga of champagne birthing-suites for the rich and desperate measures for the poor. It is a drama in which midwives are raided at gunpoint to safeguard a lucrative medical monopoly and in which Caesareans are urged to excess, so that doctors are protected in case of malpractice suits. It is also a story with bizarre features and a colourful history of practices on both sides of the Atlantic - from midwife-burning in medieval times, through the absurd precautions of the modest Victorian age, to this century's vast succession of anaesthetic, technological and natural birthing fashions.