THE WAY IT WAS draws a picture of the last half century with its craters and peaks there at your fingertips, shared and explored by caring witnesses who took sides all the way through. It was not by chance that someone called out "Mazel Tov, Palà", as the news of Franco's demise swept through a Paris gallery opening. Their lives touched on the vital chords of our times. The story that emerges is humane, often funny, acute and shaded with grace for they knew they were blessed. To contradict the Chinese proverb, they lived in interesting times and enjoyed every minute. The Way It Was shows the reader how.