LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2630, 27 November 1915, Page 9

LIBER'S NOTE BOOK

Sir Oliver Lodge on the War. "The War and After," by Sir Oliver Lodge, the well-known scientist, is the title of a little volume published by Metliuens. (at fifteenpencc), and containing a series of "short chapters on subjects of serious practical . import tor tho average citizen in A.D. i 915 onjvards." The author divides his book into three; sections, headed respectively "The Past,",,"Tho Present, and "The Future:"There is material enough in this modest little, work to furnish subjects for scores of author's leading articles. Tho point of view is that of a true patriot] one who does not ignore the past and present faults of his countrymen, both officialdom and tho private f-'individual, but who is never to bo found amongst , the "croaking gang," and who, whilst preaching "Efficiency,' Efficiency, Efficiency," does not disguise his opinion that underlying all really successful effort must be found a strong moral purpose and ambition. Sir Oliver is convinced that Germany has deliberately planned' and plotted this war, and had not Great Britain fulfilled its honest, • solemn obligations, its fate , would have been, he thinks, something too dreadful'to/think of."If we-," he says, "had' been mad enough to hold our hand last autumn; the deeds that ' have been done in Bel; gium would before very long have been done hero also, and we should have had to bow our necks to the Prussian yoke. No one need deny that we are fighting for our national existence, too. There aro two kinds of -war; and war for freedom is la. holy war." Every chapter in this book is provocative, of profitable thought'. In tire chapter headed "The Outcome," Sir.Oliver says:—"We must keep our leaders up'to flic mark; we must make them use all their abilities' for-the good ,of the nation; we must call them away from the game of Party Politics, from a consideration of party gains and personal careers; or, rather, we must show' them ;t'hat their l careers will bo ruined Iby persistence in such trivialities.' We have ben counted amongst the champions of Christendom; we nave' stood up for Christ against Belial. The cause of the Nation is now the cause of Christ.

. . . "We have been faco to face with the powers of evil; the powers of good have., been on our sido. We must be faithful to tho highest that we know: tho Nation must raise the standard of the greatest revelation 'in human history." . . . Wo shall-have learnt that death and sacrifice for. the good of humauity is not too high' a demand, even on the most ordinary . of the sons of men; whilo as to the highe?— the mountain peaks of the race —the atmosphere is tremulous with tho wave of sympathy whioh is passiug through it, and death' is but the prelude, to immoral victory." A helpful, noble littlo book. (Price, Is. 3d.)

Nelson's "History of the War." Volume VII of Nelson's "History of tho War" (Nelson and Sons, per Whitcombe and Tombs), is now on sale, in New Zealand. As the work proceeds one is able to grasp the astonishing success with which the author, Mr. John B.uchan, has summarised the main events of tho war, and analysed l their details, showing them in their exact importance to the campaign as a whole. In this, the latest volumo of a wotk which is far and away tho most useful publication for the average newspaper readers the war has yet produced. Mr. Buchan tells tho story of the war, from the. second battle of Ypres to the beginning of tho Italian campaign. The various chapters bear the following headings:—"The Second Battle of Ypres, "The Political Situation," "Great Britain and Italy," "The Allied Offensiro in tho West," "Tho. Clouds Gather in the East," "Ivanov's Retreat," "Tho Struggle at Gallipoli," The Beginning of Italy's Campaign"; the story of the war, in its various theatres, being brought up to tho end of May. New Zealanders will, of course, turn first to the Gallipoli chapter. The description of Ivano.v's retreat is also specially valuable as a record of a wonderful achievement. As in the earlier volumes, Mr. Buchan makes no pretence at "fine writing" ;' there is hero none of that theatrical glitter which so often obscures, the reality in the laboriously striven after "picturesque" effects of the war "specials." Mr. Buchan's first and foremost aim is to bp accurate in his record. It is not his metier, not horo at lca6t, to poso as political or. military prophet. The numerous maps and diagrams add mucE To the interest and value of a

work whioh is both a pleasure and a duty to cominond as a simply eloquent and admirably lucid record of tbo greatest war that the civilised Euuropo has yet known. A set of Nelson's "History of the War" should find a place in every home. A careful perusal of its pages will remove many misconceptions, and above all overy Briton who reads it should bo prouder than over of tho splendid deeds of his countrymen, more determined than over to do his individual share in_ securing victory for the Empire to which lio is, or should be, so proud to belong.- Tho various volumes cost lifteenpnuce each. They are astonishingly cheap. Some Cift Books. A volume, which is sure to be welcomed in many New Zealand homes dur-. ing the approaching holiday season is "Tho Wotider-Book of Empire" (Ward, Lock and Co., per Whitcombe and Tombs). This latest addition to a series which has always been deservedly popular contains many well-written articles, descriptive of life in almost eveiy part of the Empire, the habits and customs of the various races, of so many various shades of colour, which own allegiance to the Britisli Crown, being agreeably and instructively described. As in previous "Wonder-Books" from the same publishers, the illustrations, including a large number of well-executed coloured plates, form a very attractive feature. A better Christmas present for any intelligent boy or girl could not well be imagined. From Messrs. Ward, Lock and Co. (per Whitcombe and Tombs) also come two interesting 6tory-books, specially suitable as gift books for girls in their later teens. These are "War's Heart Throbs," by Lilian'Turiier, and "A War of Girls," by Vera G. Dwyer. Miss Turner is by this time quite a practised author, and her wholesome and pleasant-ly-written story should be very popular. Miss Dwyer 1 s story is also very readable. Both- stories contain some pretty lovemaking, and exhibit the special ability of their writers to depict feminine character' in its earlier stages of development. Each book contains several welldrawn illustrations' by artists . whose names, unfortunately, do .hot as they should do—on the title pages, and whose signatures, on the plates, are difficult to decipher.

Miss Edith Graham, the author of "A Littlo Bush Poppy" (Melbourne: T. C. Lothian), is; I think, a new-comer amongst Australian lady writers. Her story . introduces the reader ,to 6omo jolly little people, the author showing no small skill in tho description of juvenile joys and woes. With more experience, Miss Graham bids fair to achieve decide/1 success as a writer of stories of child life: The illustrations, hy May Gibbs, include a coloured frontispiece,' several full-pago' plates, and a number of pictures in the text. Some of these latter are rather crudely done, but many of the initial letters and tailpieces exhibit a clever conception of pictorial fancy and humour.