This early work by Alexander Woollcott was originally published in 1934 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'While Rome Burns' is a non-fiction work that contains Woollcott's thoughts on a variety of subjects, including Chinese theatre, literature, and Russia in the 1930's. Alexander Humphreys Woollcott was born on the 19th January, 1887 in New Jersey, America and was a critic and commentator for The New Yorker magazine. One of New York's most prolific drama critics, Woollcott was an owlish character whose caustic wit either joyously attracted or vehemently repelled the artistic communities of 1920s Manhattan.