Introduction by Lynne Tillman"Like Tosca, Charles Henri Ford has lived for art and for love. In this scintillating diary, Ford presents his extended visits to war-torn France and Italy and his friendships with Cocteau, Paul Bowles, Gertrude Stein, Jean Genet, Truman Capote, and Tennessee Williams... "These pages show a golden moment before art surrendered to commerce, before gay life became brainless and ghettoized and before America turned its back on Europe. No wonder Ford considers Water from a Bucket his masterpiece." -Edmund White "A wonderful piece of writing. This provoking, pleasurable, unexpected book is a true labour of love." -Neil Bartlett, Gay Times (London)