The only thing worrisome about [An American in Washington, a] wild Lord Bryce's guide on how Washington's denizens behave, is that someone may regard it as true to life.

That said, one can proceed to report that this Coney-Island-mirror view of the waltzings and posings and peccadilloes of Washington's politicians, hostesses, cocktail-party givers, am-Russell (Wayne) Baker 1925– © 1984 Thomas Victorbassadors, congressmen, State Department officials, newsmen and the President himself is witty, sardonic, blasé, irreverent, and often funny.

A lot of American humor these days is not soft and chuckling, poking fun at one's self as well as others, in the Will Rogers tradition. Russell Baker of The New York Times has the wit but not the gentleness. His guidebook portrait of a Washington of rogues, name-droppers, obfuscators and belabored bureaucrats reaches from one end of Pennsylvania Avenue to the other, and provides not a dull moment.

Unfortunately, he...