Hemingway used to differentiate his journalistic self from his literary self. However, some of his journalistic writings can easily, even today, be compared to his best literary works. He was fully aware of this fact and often did not hesitate to include his journalistic writings in his short story collections. This second volume of his journalistic writings covers the period from 1923 to 1939, which includes perhaps the brightest period of his career as a writer and progressive thinker.

The volume begins with his ironic reports on Mussolini, continues with articles on his two favorite activities, hunting and fishing, and concludes with the epic of the Spanish Civil War, where the American writer goes to help the legitimately elected democratic government against the scourge of Francoism. These writings, despite the years that have passed, remain sparkling and highly informative about two of the most interesting decades of the 20th century.