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BOOKS OF THE DAY

A History of Serbia. Serbia has played so important, and, nlas, so tragic a part in tho Great Uar, that interest m her past history \i na * ur !L ll y ver y great. Captain H. W. V. Temperloy's book, "The History of Serbia" (George Bell and Sons, per Whiteombo and Tombs) is, theretore, very welcome The author, a I'ellow of the Royal Historical Society and a Tutor in History and Fellow of Pcterhouse, Cambridgo, has for many years past made a special study of the history of the various Balkan States, and has travelled extensively in that stormy corner of Europe. The story of Serbia as lie lias told it is not confined to the nineteenth century, the author having come to the conclusion that modern Serbian history is unintelligible without reference to "its splendid and tragic past." So Captain Temperley goes back to the real beginnings of Serbian national history; that is, tho winning of Serbian independence from the Byzantine emperors in the last quarter of tbe twelfth century, when Stephen Nemanya, the Grand Zupan of the then petty State of Rashka, founded a lino of sovereigns who reigned till 1371. By the early years of tho fourteenth century, Zeta, anothor small State, on the borders of Montenegro, and part, of Albania, had been absorbed, and tho Serbs had also penetrated into Northern Macedonia. The State had hecomo of such importance that it was restored to tho Greek Orthodox Church and given ecclesiastical autonomy. Great progress had been made in agriculture and the working of minerals; art and literature, too, found encouragement. It was under a ruler named Stephen Dushan that Serbia became an actual empire. A (jreat warrior, this Stephen Dushan was a wise- ruler, and law-learned enough to draw up a complete civil code. Stonhen was ambitious, for, not content with subduing all.Albania, most of Macedonia, northern Greece, and part of Thrace, ho _ aimed at reigning at, Constantinople itself. Upon Stephen's death, however, the "SerhoRoman Empire." proudlv proclaimed on Eostor Dnv, 134fi—a day still mainly celebrated bv all patriots Serbians— slowly went to pieces. The Turks won a great victory on the Maritza in 1371, and at Kossovo in '1389. By the middle of the fifteenth centvtrv. the country had completely lost its independence and had become merged into the Ottoman Empire. Captain Temperley describes the splendid struggle for independence waned bv tho Serbs, almost without cessation, in the . eightee-ith century, and follows Serbian history from the advent of the patriarchal monarchy of the' Obrinoyich dynasty down to'tho Rufso-Turkish war, and. the reign of that dissolute and corrupt monarch, King Milan. The-author deals at length with the Rnssophile period in Serbian history which followed upon the Peace of Berlin, and throws much new and interesting light _ upon Austria's schemes for dominance in the Balkans, and the Jugo-Slav question generally. The history is brought to a close when 1910 is reached. "It can seldom be," says the author, "the lot of an historian to find that the nation whose story he has written no longer exists when his book is completed.' Every reader of the book will sincerely trust* that the author, now at the front, may be spared until after the war to bring tho history of the Serbian nation up to date, and that he will be able to .chronicle the complete re-establish-ment, under sound guaranteesof peaceful permanence, of Serbian independence. "If the history of Serbia," he _ says, "teaches anything, it is that her spiritual forces have always been stronger than her material ones. If it be true that rare manuscripts and hooks have been burnt and the dust of King Miliutin scattered to the winds, these acts will hare no more effect upon Porbia than the scattering of the ashes of Hues had upon Bohemia. Disaster has sometimes created and has always intensified national feeling in Serbia. So long as the songp_ of Komoto are snnpr and a Serbian exists in any land to sins? them, so long (here will always bo a Serbia. "There resteth to Serbia a glory— A glory that cannot jjtow old; There remnineth to Serbia a story— A tale to be chaunled and told." Captain Temperley's book, so well planned, so exhaustive in its methods, should long remain the leading authority on Serbian history. Several excellent maps, a full index, and nn extensive bibliography add greatly to its value as a work of reference. No good public library should be without a copy of this admirable work. (N.Z. price, 13s. 6d.) An Ideal Gift Book. Every \year now for several years past Messrs. Ward. Lock and Co. have published a "Wonder Book." We have had the "Wonder Book of Soldiers," the "Wonder Book of Ships," the "Wonder Book of Empire," and many other handsome volumes of the same deservedly popular series. This year's "Wonder Book,", a copy of which comes from Messrs. Wliitcombe and Tombs, is devoted to the Navy, and may be described as an ideal gift book for young people.. Adults, too, can find a bountiful store of information and entertainment in its pages, for the contributors, who include many well-recognised authorities on naval matters, explain many things done by aiifl in connection with the Navy of which the average parent is profoundly ignorant. Every phase of naval life and work is dealt with, and it is pleasing to note how well up to date is the information. Special attention has been paid to the submarine campaign and the naval air service, and to mines, mine-laying, and mine-sweeping. As in previous years, tho artistic features of the "Wonder Book" are a strong attraction. Thero are a number of admirable full-page colour plates, from original paintings by well-known artists, and many illustrations in tints. A specially happy thought was to give illustrations of the distinctions of rank in the Royal Navy, and tho reproductions of national naval flags and international code flags and pennants are also an excellent feature. Good literature ona subject probably nearer to the British heart than any other could be at tho present time, and a wealth of interesting pictures—what more could a healthy-minded youngster desire? Tho "Wonder Book of tho Navy" should be in strong demand as a Christmas present.

Mr. Fisher Unwin has, I notice, added three volumes to that excellent scries—"Every Irishman's Library." Thcso are Standisli O'Grady's "Selected Essays and Passages," edited by Ernest A. Boyd; "Poems of Sir Samuel Ferguson," edited by Alfred Perceval Graves (tho Graves who wroto "Father O'Flyuii, and brother of Miss Clo Graves, who writes under the nom-de-plumo of Richard Dehan); and "Recollections of Joseph Harrington," edited by George A. Pirminsjhap} (Cnnon . Hannay),

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19171215.2.81.2

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 70, 15 December 1917, Page 13

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,111

BOOKS OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 70, 15 December 1917, Page 13

BOOKS OF THE DAY Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 70, 15 December 1917, Page 13

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