This book has two distinct sections. The first deals with the history of the calendar and the second takes the reader on a journey through the year month by month, with a section on selected days within each month. The book has a subsidiary sub-title explaining that it is a “miscellany”, which should serve as a warning to potential readers that this book makes no claim (wisely) of being comprehensive in its coverage.

The first thing that needs to be pointed out is that this book, as befits one written and published in the US of A, is only concerned with the origins of the calendar currently used by the majority of North Americans.