As a successful London tobacconist in the early 1900s, Alfred Dunhill's passion for his field led him to begin collecting pipes from all over the world. From his collection he created <em>The Pipe Book</em>, which was first printed in 1924 and has rarely been out of print since. The book is a thorough exploration of every type of pipe-primitive mounds and earthen pipes; more elegant models of ivory, clay, and porcelain; and of course modern briers, cobs, and meerschaums-with in-depth explanations of their uses, structures, and origins, as well as fascinating anthropological discussions on smoking in various cultures.