Rodenberg analyzes EH's long-term symbiotic relationship with celebrity media, from his early self-promotion as an apprentice journalist at the Kansas City Star to his tragic death. Covers trends in advertising and publishing during the first half of the century, focusing on the rise of the glamour industry, gentleman's magazines, photojournalism, and the Hollywood image of the virile male. Explicates subtle World War I allusions, including celebrity war dog Sergeant Stubby, the pictures of "dead" game animals (soldiers) Jake sees in Burguete as well as the 144th Infantry Regiment and other "war" numbers and dates to show the past is not far from Jake's mind as he writes his novel.