The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night
British socialite and writer Anthony Haden-Guest has been a champion party-goer for more than 30 years. There are few people more qualified to lead a reader, as he  does inThe Last Party,past the velvet ropes and doorman and into the tornado of  1970s disco, drug excess, and excessive sex that was Studio 54. Unlike some of his  contemporaries whose memories are dulled by years of hard living, Haden-Guest seems  to actually recall many of his experiences at Studio. His book is therefore part personal  memoir, part reportage.The cast of characters includes Andy, Liza, Halston, and Bianca--no last names needed--and other luminaries etched into Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager's exclusive guest list. The anecdotes include lurid details of the revelry and stories like the one about that Halloween when two Lady Godivas were kept outside but their horse was allowed in.  Haden-Guest resists the obvious urge to dish too much about the stars and instead examines the club as a social phenomenon. In his book, the front door of Studio 54 swings open just long enough to let escape the shadow of a scene that's long since seen the light of day.