IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED.

By Frederic A. Birmingham '33. Philadelphia: J. B.Lippincott Co., 1960. 224 pp. $3.95.

A joyous boyhood in Harlem forty years ago is the subject of Mr. Birmingham's warmhearted book about days that in retrospect seem so much more appealing than those enjoyed by the motorized and gadget-minded youngsters of today. As the title of the book suggests, there was fun of a special kind, and the author was lucky enough to have his boyhood pleasures enhanced by a delightful family. Former editor and now a free-lance writer, he is able to tell his story in a most readable and amusing way. For light reading, especially at this time of year, here is just the book.

It Was Fun While It Lasted is of the "life with father" genre. And Papa Birmingham dominates the book as he apparently dominated the family, all in a firm but charming way. Meticulous in dress, ramrod straight as a gentleman should be, expert in good food and drink, he took care of Fun in the family while Mama Birmingham took care of Faith. It was he who thought up the things to do on Sunday afternoon and who made each outing an experience. Typically funny is the account of Papa's handling of the family car like a horse on wheels. Never flabby in his thinking, he divided all women into two classes - those who are always smelling something burning and those who go through life hearing burglars.

Mr. Birmingham's reminiscences will have special appeal for those who knew Harlem when it really was the."Happy Valley," and who remember specific names and places and such things as the Hudson River Day Line and the Fort Lee Ferry. But there is nostalgia also for the reader whose boyhood anywhere coincided with silent movies, cobblestone streets, horse-drawn fire engines, and open trolley cars in the summer, as this reviewer's did in Washington. And for the general reader, with or without nostalgia, here is a warm and affectionate account of family life in simpler and less hectic days.