"Dorohty Parker meets Lady and the Tramp: 3 charming dog stories set in 1920s Jazz Age New York - back in print for the first time in decades.

Featuring illustrations by America's 1st female editorial cartoonist, whose comics career began before she even had the right to vote!

Dogs may be man's best friend, but every friendship is different. Prepare to revisit the glamorous 1920s Jazz Age of The Great Gatsby and meet Nicholas, a gregarious Airedale Terrier whose arrival in a moneyed Long Island home unleashes complete and total chaos throughout the neighbourhood.

Verdun Belle, the lady of the title, is a silky-eared spaniel whose loyalty - and litter of puppies - rallies an entire American regiment fighting on the Western Front during World War I. Then there's Egon, a very large German Shepherd, accustomed to summering on the Côte d’Azur, and to managing the diaries and daily activities of his human charges, whether they want him to or not. Ranging in tone from urbane irony to poignant sweetness, these are stories to make you smile at the antics of dogs, and guffaw at the even sillier antics of the people who love them.

This delightful collection of 3 stories (The Passing of Nicholas, The Story of Verdun Belle, My Friend Egon) by an Algonquin Round Table wit, rediscovered after decades out of print, shows our canine companions in all their guises: comic, heroic, companionable.

Don't miss this delightful Jazz Age celebration of the eternal affection that exists between man and dog - even the naughtiest dog!"

Oh, I can see more than a little of Alexander Woollcott in Egon.

Publishing date: 26.08.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Pushkin press for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

Three little short stories in one book all about dogs. Or, as the book specified in the blurb, man and woman's best friend.

Story one was bittersweet, told mostly in the form of letters. Second strongest story in the collection.
Story two was also bittersweet, told like a tale in a pub. This is my favorite of the collection.
Story three was more so funny, also told like a tale in a pub. This is, in my opinion, the weakest in the collection.

Also there are illustrations to accompany the different stories and I found these to be just delightful. Charming works with a great artstyle.

I would recommend this collection to anyone thinking short stories with dogs in the spotlight sounds fun. "The Story of Verdun Belle" one is my strongest recommendation.

Giving this 4 stars, hit the spot, but I wish there were more.

A charming hour long read of some short stories of man, and woman’s, best friend.

Despite its age, there is a lot of comedy and heart here, and I’m very glad I read it!

This was such a cute collection of stories. I love reading about the dogs and their families, as well those who they are loyal too. I think it was an great collection.

Such a very cute book of short stories about dogs and my absolute favorite was the first story with a close second the last story because I love GSD. Recommend this for anyone who loves dogs !!
Thanks NetGalley arc for the copy !

A diverting collection of short stories about dogs in the early 20th century; their loyalties, their purpose in life and the bonds that they form with humans. The first story in the collection written in epistolatory form was the strongest. Thank you to Pushkin Press for bringing these stories back into print. They provided a pleasant diversion in the hour it took me to read them.

Thank you to Pushkin Press and NetGalley for sharing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just delightful. The cover caught my eye (I have an Airedale). The drawings are charming and very evocative, and the canine characters take centre stage. Dog ownership has certainly changed over the last century! A nice short read in a Thurberesque/Wodehousian vein.

Let's talk about the FIRST story in this republished 1928 comical dog story collection! I LOVED it: clever, elegant, very very funny.

The first story was about a man introducing a new dog to his wealthy household. It was my favorite. The second story was about a dog living in the trenches for WWI. It was potentially heartwarming, but it also had some unwarned animal abuse in it. The third story was about a police rescue dog who rescued swimmers whether they needed help or not. It was all right.

I loved the first story though, and this compilation is worth it just for that one!

Two Gentlemen and a Lady is a delightful nod to classic literature, and I love that works like this are still being preserved and shared. The collection contains three short stories, all centered around doggos, which, frankly, is an easy way to win me over. How can anyone resist a book about dogs?

The writing is in that charming, old-fashioned English, which gives the book a refined, almost nostalgic feel. It's beautifully composed and lends the stories an elegance that modern writing often skips.

Of the three, the first story was my favorite. It stood out for its wit, humor, and character, and I found it easier to read than the other two. While the remaining stories were still enjoyable, the first had a spark that made it especially memorable.

At under an hour to read, it's a perfect little time filler—a light, charming escape that reminds you why old literature still has a place on modern shelves.

What an absolutely wonderful little book! Originally published almost 100 years ago and long out of print, the writing still sparkles and the three stories, all focused on dogs, are funny and charming. The cartoon illustrations are also beautiful, completely capturing the personalities of the dogs in the stories.

The author, Alexander Woolcott, was a critic writing for the New York Times and the New Yorker and was a member of the Algonquin Round Table alongside the likes of Dorothy Parker. Like her, he was famous at the time for his wit and it shows throughout this book, particularly in my own favourite about a terrier dog bought by a well to do gentleman in Long Island. I have to admit I’d never heard of him before but I couldn’t have enjoyed this any more than I did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.