BOOKS OF THE DAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2540, 14 August 1915, Page 9

BOOKS OF THE DAT

PEACE AND WAR IN EUROPE. -"Peace and War. in Europe," by Gilbert Slater, M.A.,' D.Sc., Principal of Ruskin College; Oxford (Constable and Co.), is the title of a collection of lectures, enlarged and amended from their original form, delivered at Manchester College, Oxford, in October, 1914. Two • new lectures have-been added, together vtith an Addendum entitled The Need for an International Court of Honour." . The lectures deal with such subjects as the "Economic Causes of War"; "Religion _ and War" ; "Nationalism and Imperialism"; "Armaments"; "The Terms of Peace," and "The Future -Maintenance of Peace." Whilst: , the general tendency .of the author is to regard war from an ethical attitude, Dr. Slater expresses : himself as. being strongly opposed to what he calls tne "No Humiliation" school. "The more extreme of them,". ho says, "would confirm Germany in- the possession of Alsace and Lorraine, and all her other dowould veto-the unification of Poland; inflict no indemnity; and even in-the .more extreme cases propose that Great Britain should share the cost of restoring Belgium once more to prosperity;." It is ('almost inconceivable, from the point of view of. tho average New Zealander, that outside a.lunatic asylum there should exist men of 'English blood and citizenship who could hold such utterly' prejiosterOus views. But it seeriis. there, are. •: Dr.' .. Slater Bays:—"These persons lope that such, touching magnanimity would melt the hearts of the German General Staff. .It is a view about /which it' is impossible to argue.- Those who hold it would-also' perhaps, apply a similar view to cases of individuals, and' gut convicted burglars in positions of -trust. - .They/are, . fortunately perhaps, in the minority." Dr. Slater's personal and concluding opinion :is that "the. best, guarantee against a war of revenge will;be a con- , tinuance of the present Alliance, with! the addition; of such Powers,_ at present neutral,, as may seek and to- . wards Germany , a policy of justice, tempered, not overpowered, by mercy—, peace being- preceded by ;a victory so complete that the Hohenzollern dynasty and the existing system of government may be seriously discredited, and the delusion : of German' invincibility ' destroyed." There is much "food for useful thought in tliis book of :Dr., Slaters, :■ ■ although certain of his theories are considerably modified, by: events' which 5 ■ have occurred since February, last, when, so it, would appear, the lectures were: revised for publication in their present , form. ; (Price 3s. 6d.) • I "MODERN TENNIS.'/ , A very famous player lias said of ,Mr.' P. A. Vaile's book on "Modern Tennis" that the beginner and „-.the finished exponent of the game, can both'. find pleasure and instruction- in its- pages. Mr. Vaile is very emphatic.,,a.V.little/ dogmatic, perhaps, iri . expressing his .views' on the points\ of' the increasingly popular game.of -lawn tennis^but.he-so: obviously" knows-': what...hoi is : writing about.;-and there is_ such" a br«zy; freshness. about''-his:,way of' J :st-atihg 'tiiugs,' . that: the 'reader is led on with increasing interest unti-l< at v -.the- close of the. book he..tums.for,.a.second anda.third perusal of thoseT chapters; which : have' most impressed'hinii' In-an.introduc-tory'note, Max Deougis, the ' brilliant French champion, sums up the contents of the volume in most flattering'terms. ' "No study," he says, "more complete,' more practical, more authoritatiye,--and'. at the same time more simple in its intelligibility has been published. ; . . ; . From this book beginners .can learn how to make' the first; simple stroke? and 1 even the.metho'd of holding-the racket' —very important points when, commencing ;to play the game,- inasmuch as the:progress of a player depends upon his stylo and consequently upon th'e method by which his play has been formed from its inception. . . . Player's of average skill will find here an analysis • of ' the more difficult strokes which they have, been probably long ' trying ;to;,make, rbut; without success, owing to not knowing how to handle them properly. There will also be professionals—nay even champions—who will find endorsed and carefully explained: in-this book the strokes and tactics that they hold most dear, and that'they can thus learn to perfect." : All, in short, will find in it a compelling interest, and will gain from it much ■ practical instruction." - A feature of Mr. Vaile's book is the very excellent set of illustrations depicting the best method,'of making given strokes, and style'and method of the world's leading , players. These photographs' and dia-1 grams are most informative, and players of all degrees of proficiency can - 6tudy them with advantage. "Modern Tennis" should find a ready-demand in New Zealand, ;wbero therej are so many • young players" coming on in need'of' just such guidance and instruction.-as ' Mr. .Vaile's book provides. 7 IN FARTHEST LABRADOR. "The ;Lure .of the Labrador .Wild" and "The Long Labrador Trail," by Dillon Wallace iHodder and Stoughton, Is. 3d. each), are two books which should not be overlooked. Mr. Wallace, who was .the companion; 'of the late Leonidas Hubbard, junr., on the fateful' exploring expedition into , the wilds of Labrador in 1903, an expedition which, it may he remembered, caime to a tragio : eiid "by the death ', from -starvation of its leader; recounts the story of his own and his- dead friend's wandering and adventures.Hubbard was a bright and clever young American, who Kipling's call "to find the ! something hidden behind,, the ranges." Many books have been written on theexploration of the great north-west of Canada, but it was not until'the "life of the heroic missionary-explorer, Dr. ■ Grenfell, was.published, that special attention .was directed to the weird fascination exerted| upon so many brave men by tho icy' snores, the great lakes, and untrodden forests of Labrador. In these two books of Mr.- Wallace's we have a record of pluck and perseverance which was well worth the writing, and which should be''widely read. .-(Price fifteenpenwiper,volume). . HEROIC DEEDS OF THE GREAT WAR. /, In "Heroic Deeds of the Great War," (Blackie and Son), Mr: Donald A. Mackenzie gives a series of well-written and interesting sketches, some dealing with prominent generals 'and other commanders in the-French and British armies and navies, others with special acts of gallantry performed by British soldiers a.nd those of our Allies,. The book, . which, contains portraits of-Lord Kitchener, Generals French and Joffrc, and Admiral Jellicoe, together with 'a number. of other illustrations, is. so it seems to, nie, admirably suitable for use as a "reader" in the higher classes of our schools. (Prico, Is; 3d.) THE POPULAR HEALTH SERIES. •Two recent additions to Methuen's Popular Health Series, of which Dr. N. B. Harman is the general editor, are en- , titled; respectively, "Health for the Middle-Aged," ' by Seymour Taylor, M.D.. F.R.C.P., and "Throat, Nose, ond' Ear Troubles," by Macleod Yearsley, sf.R.'C.S. Dr. Taylor explain*! that hj£

little work is not written for the medical profession, but entirely for adults. The advice given, is, he says, "tho_ outcome of . many years' experience amongst "all. classes .of people, upper, middle, and lower, and private and hospital patients. Special attention is given to the importance, of a plain and wholesome diet, and there is some very sensible advice appearing under the heading of exercise. The scope of Dr. Yearsloy's book is explained by its title. The problem of deafness is on® of 1 the most important of the many social and medical questions of the day, but the author holds that there is no reason why the malady. should not bo miich less common. The author deals with-the health'of the oar, throat, and nose in such a way that '.'the possibility of..the prevention of deafnesses always before the reader."' (Price, fifteen pence each.)