A GOSSIP ABOUT WAR BOOKS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2245, 3 September 1914, Page 7

A GOSSIP ABOUT WAR BOOKS

[Bγ Liber.]

It is astonishing now little many quite well educated people know of somo of the great wars of tiio past. Especially is tins lack of knowlcdgo noticeable ill those who have been educated solely in Now Zealand, wlierc, alas, tiho study of history, oven in'our best conducted secondary schools, has never, somehow or other adequnte attention. At tlio ■ present moment, when we aro turning each clay with almost feverish interest to the war news, the reading section of tho community might do well to give, ordinary literature a temporary rest and turn, in their leisure time, to the stories of some of the great historic ware of the past. It has ocourred to me that a few notes on the literature of the principal ware sinco the great Napoleonic campaigns might be of interest, and, perhaps, some practical use to readers, of The Dominion. Many of the.works I intend to niention may bo. obtained in cheap editions, as to which information can be obtained at any good book shop. For the more important works the reader may have to go to a good public library. Many inportant and interesting works are necessarily omitted. The Napoleonic Wars. Of the boolcs on the Napoleonic campaigns there is a veritaole dehme. For the best account of the campaigns in Prussia, Austria—in all Germany, in fact—in Russia, for a complete story of tho Napoleonic wars, "Alison's History of Europe" cannot be excolled. It is a work against which many unworthy jibes have been hurled, it being sneered at as being "one of those books without which no gentleman's library is complete," but Aljsoii, long-winded as he was—he runs into twenty-five volumes, if you follow ' him -through his Continuation, which brings the history of Europe up to 1852—can neither be siieered or jeered away. I only know that, 6n6 student of history, the one who pens these lines, would find even the _ most'ancient and battered sot of "Alison" a mo«t desirable poases-sion at the present time. Dr. Holland Rose's adihirable" "Life of Napoleon," now, I am glad ti see, procurable in a cheaper edition, in. one volume,' is invaluable, and, needless to eajy.no one who studies the Napoleonic ware can neglect Napier's splendid pieco of military history, the "War in the Peninsula;', and tho South of Franco," the cheapest edition of which, in six volumes, is published by Frederick Warne and Co. But the best of all books, for popular reading, the book which gives you the most personal and human picjture of the wonderful deeds of Napoleon's generals and not only.his generals, but the gallant rank and file who followed their leaders with such unquestioning, unwavering fidelity, is Marbot's "Memoirs." . Conan Doyle, who knows. something about war himeelfj and has given us the only really compact'and yet comprehensive- account df the South Africaii war that we have, warmly praises Marbot's book (in his "Through the Magic Door"); and says a good word, too, for the "Memoirs of Sergeant Bourgogrie," the special feature of whose Dock is his dreadful account of ."the nightmare oampaigu in Russia." Tolstoi's "War and Peace" is frightfully long and, to my mind, , makes rather tedious rtading, but in the opinion of one competent judge of military literature, is. "one of the world's greatest books on war." Dr. Fitchett's books. '!Deeds That Won the Empire," .and ''The Great Duke," are 'two'.wbrks writteir'pUrely from a popular, standpoint, but not in any eense negligible on that account. Dr. Fitchett issaid.to' have merely "boiled down" Napier, and other historians' of gallant' British' deeds, but even his bitterest critic, must acknowledge fiiat he has turned out . a ieniarkally. appetising plat. Sir Herbert Maxwell's "History of Wellington," and- Captain , (now Admiral) Mahah's famous book, "Neleon, the Embodiment of British Sea Power," both provide good food for reoreation and reflection at the present moment. In.Hilaire Belioc's. fine monograph on "Marie Antoinette" is to be found l a stirring account of the Republican campaigns against the Auetriane. Mr. Belloc has written somo excellent little_ monographs on famous battles, including some of thdso in Marlborough's campaigns, and ' is rosponsible for a capital little book on "Waterloo;". For the best French account of "'Waterloo" we must go to HoUssaye, of whose excellent work there is a good English translation! Tho Crimean War. On the drimeah War W. H. Kinglake's "History of tho \Var in the Crimea" is the classical work, but even jn the cheaper Studont'e edition it runs into six volumes.. By faa' the best popular account of the Crimean War. was that of Dr. W. H. Russell, the famous 'Times" correspondent, "The British Expedition /to the .Crimea." Sir Edward Hamley provides the purely military point of view in his "War .in. the Crimea," arid Capt'ain Hozier's sevenvolume history of the same war, though not, of .course, for the general reader, is interesting to compare with Kinglake's work. Tho Franco-German War. 'Tho best poular'book at a reasonable price which deals with tho Austro-l'ruß-sian war which, though all over in a brief six weeks, was terminated by .one of the bloodiest of European battles Sadowa or lvoniggratz is Hoiher's "'lhe Sevon Weeks' \var," in two volumes. For the Italian war of independence we can turn to -Mr. Georgo Macaulny Trevelyaii's works—in three' volumes, each dealing with • a separate phase— winch have directed.so much new attention to the gallant fuju're of Garibaldi. The Franco-German \var of 1870-1871 has, of course, a special interest for tho present day. student of militwy history and tho political ind other causes of war. Cassell's "History of the FrancoGerman War," in six stout and well illustrated volumes, is too long for tho avorago reader to wade through, but it is . worth dipping into for accounts of the different battles, i'ho account thorin given of tho actual genesis of war . has. been largely discounted by the works of tJio French statesman, fitnile Ollivicr, who, while exposing the sharp practice of Bismarck in his negotiations with the Ambnssador, M. Benedetti, makes it painfully clear that tho muchblamed Louis Napoleoli did not himself desire the war, but was practically ' fnrcod into it by mischievous Court influences in which tho personal interference- with State affairs of the Empress Eugenic, played no insignificant part. As to the actual struggle the mcfst vivid and dramatic descriptions I were those penned by Archibald Forbes I for the London "Daily News," which were collected and published in two volumes, every page of which makes interesting reading. For particulars of the siege of Paris and especially tho experiences of the beleaguered citizens, we must turn to Henry Laboucherc's once famous book, "The Diary of a Bosinged Resident in Paris," a racily written and vastly entertaining production, a copy of which,, along with Gassell's History, above mentioned, should find a place in every well equipped public library. Kola's famous novel, "Lo Debacle" ("The Downfall") should not be neglected.. The story wns severely criticised by the French Press when it mada its first appearance, but even those who denounced it i»s "unpatriotic," had to iidmit that the novelist wns difficult to bowl out in his facts. This . book more than any other I know, gives the common soldier's view of war. It is a powerfully written ami terribly pathetic story, of which an excellent translation,

by Vizetelly, Zola's ever staunch English friend and admirer, is now published—in a half-crown edition, I think — by Chatto and Windus. Tho Russo-Turklsh War, On the Russo-Turkish War the "Doily News" correspondence reprinted in one volume is again a useful and interesting work, whilst from a purely military point of view Captain Hozier s "Russo-Turkish War" is also highly spoken of. The Russo-Japanese War. . The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 is still. fresh in the minds of most oir us. Should Qiiy'one desire, however, to refresh his memory as to tho general course of the struggle in Manchuria, or study anow tho details of the principal engagements, he or she had better tiim to 7 'The Russo-Japanese Conflict," by a Japanese writer, Asakawa; to Sir lan Hamilton's excellent book, "A Staff Officer's Sorap Book," 1905; or "The Times' " correspondent's "War in the Far East," 190d-1905. There is also (still uncompleted) a lengthy work on the samo subject, the work of German military observers. The Hon. Maurice Baring's book, "With the Russians in Manchuria," is also specially valuable in its exposition of the really wonderful way in which the Russians dealt with what was for them the verj. serious qxiestion of transport. General. ' The American Civil War has been described by a host of American writers, but a useful account of the chief events will be found in W. H. Russell's book, "My Diary, North and South, in the American Civil AVar." It may be noted, too, that the same writer in ."My Diary in India" gives an exceedingly picturesque and interesting account of the Great Mutiny. ' The best of all general single volume histories of modern Europe is Professor C. H. Hazen's "Europe Since 1816." Herein are set forth most clearly the chief causes of all principal European wars of the last century. ~ An exceedingly useful book hist now is Dent's "Historical Atlas of Europe," in. "Everyman's Library." War In Poetry. I must resist the temptation- to refer in detail to the many splendid poems in which British poets haye sung the gallant deeds of their soldier countrymen. A useful little anthology of such poems is that entitled "Poems of the Love and Pride of England," edited by F. and M. Wedmore, and published by Ward, Lock and Co. Hero you will find many, old favourites, with others 'less kikown, but equally worth reading, now that the Empire is at war with a strong and cunning, and alas, very treacherous foe. To re- ■ reaa Sir Francis Doyle's "The Private of .the Buffs," and, even better' still, his fine fine, in a different Way, as that of Tennyson's fani-' ous "Charge! , —to tho heroism of those who fell, at will surely send the red blood coursing more quickly through the heart of every patriotic Briton, be he of the Old Land, across the many leagues of ocean now guarded by our Navy, or be he of this newer; brighter Britain 'neath the Southern Cross. Kipling's "Barrack Room Ballads" is, I hear, in great demand ah tho bookshops, but personally, where England's pride and might ana neverdying determination to hold her own has to bo celebrated in .verse, I turn to W. E. Honley and re-read for the twentieth time at least that noble poem Which, commences: What have 1 done for you, England, my England?.' . Tho two last verses afford a specially fitting conclusion to an articlo written iu days whon England's "bugle-call" to hor oversea sons is , being so.nobly answered by Australia, Canada, and ;last, but not ,, least, 'when her , numerical inferiority is considered, New Zealand. .■' Ever the faith endures, England, my England:— "Take us and break usjwe are yours, England, my own I Lifo is good, an'd joy runs high Between English earth and sky: Death is death; but we shall die To the song on your bugles blown, England — To the stars on your bugle blown!" They call you proud and hard, England, my England I You with' worlds to watch and ward, England, my own I You. whose .mailed hand keeps the keys'Of such teeming destinies, You could know nor dread nor ease ' Were the Song on your bugles blown, England, ■■■•■'. Round the Pit on your bugles- ■ blown I ■Mother of Ships whose might, England, my England, In tlio fierce old Sea's delight, England, my own, Chosen daughter of the Lord, . Spouse-in-ellief. of the ancient sword, There's tho menaco of the Word In tlio Song on your bugles blown, England, ' Out of heaven on your' bugles bloWn I