This is the ultimate style guide to 20th century dining and social history in the West, as reflected in popular recipes and types of foods, what people used in the way of cutlery, tableware, and table settings, and trends relating to styles of dining (picnics, smorgasbords, etc.). The book is divided into decades - each decade is represented by a separate chapter. The text describes particular political and social events of each decade that influenced thefood and dining styles popular in that period. These cover glassware, cutlery, crockery, and to some extent furniture and textiles. There is information about which companies and designers were in vogue, and interesting magazine and newspaper advertisements from the time also feature. The result is a book which works on two levels - firstly as a glossy historical overview of the time, and secondly as a reference book to design icons of the period. It provides a fascinating and unique angle on social history, combined with a slice of 'retro' nostalgia, and will be an inspirational and informative guide for social historians, students and collectors. International in scope, this book will be a visual delight for anyone interested in western design in general.