Tom Stevenson

Jim McConnell was one of the first Americans to serve with the French during WWI, first as an ambulance driver and then as a pilot. On the University of Virginia campus, one can find a winged, 12-foot-tall bronze statue titled The Aviator. Curiously, The Aviator is a memorial to a UVA dropout, James Rogers McConnell. McConnell was a fighter pilot in the famous squadron of American volunteers who fought for the French prior to US entry into World War I, the Lafayette Escadrille. Prior to joining the escadrille, McConnell served in France as an ambulance driver. He documented the front, both on the ground and in the air in Flying for France, a bestselling book published just before his death. A modest character, Jim included very little information about himself in his book. Even while at the front, McConnell remained in regular correspondence with his family, friends, and girlfriends. A large volume of these original letters are preserved today. Author Steven T. Tom has sifted through a mountain of primary source material to go beyond Flying for France and tell the full story of the brief but famous life of Jim McConnell.

Shortlisted for the Andre Simon Food and Drink Book Awards 2019 Originally written by multi-award winning wine writer Tom Stevenson, this luxurious fourth edition has been fully updated and once again significantly extended by Essi Avellan, Master of Wine, one of the world's most talented young wine writers. A country-by-country guide, from the finest Champagnes of France to the lesser-known sparkling wine producers of China, this extraordinary work takes you to five continents and to all the countries where serious sparkling wine is produced. More than 2,000 producers from around the world are rated on a 100-point global scale with an in-depth analysis of their history, method of production and style of wine. New photography and maps vividly enrich this beautiful edition of Christie's World Encyclopedia of Champagne and Sparkling Wine.