BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 109, 1 February 1919, Page 11

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

BOOKS or. THE DAY

(By Liber.)

"The Navy Eternal." ...The war lias produced 110 niore picturesque and -entertaining .sketches of naval wariV.ro-.-.tlian tlic.-'e we owe to "jl&viilrieiis," and a: new volume from, his ciever pen k assured of a hearty , wel.ccjir.e. .. "Naval. OcCasioils,'' "A Tall Ship,"- iiiijl "The. Long Trick" are iiow succeeded by-. "The Navy.'Eternai" .(Ifoddervand Stouglilon, jfr S. and \V. Mac? kay); The..full title is "The Navy Eternal, whicli :: -is the Navy' that/I'loals, the Navy,....that; I'lies, and.. Ihe Ncvy Under''the Sea." ''HnrtinHus" provides a -rich feast ofvigorously-drawn pictures of : the draiim-.nnd tragedy,.with a : . liberal touch, also, of the comedy of naval warfare. Inspmbi-f his chapters lie deals with' engagements and enterprises of" which the public has already read in otliciaLrepor.ts, and retells, for instance, the glorious' story of the "destroyer H.JI. Shark:'(which went into action cn May 31,;.'19.16, wiih a ..complement ofDl'of-ficers-nnd men, of whom only' six saw Jnnb Ist dawn), and of the superb' courage'and determination:, displayed hv the officers and men of J!jr. destroyers-Swift and Broke. For' dno 'chapter alone, that entitled "The Day—and ' tli'o 'Horning .After," the book is well worth buying and', treasuring' as.Ja. permanently cherished possession. Never has ttie'splenilid story-of the BatUo of Jqtktid lieosi ;.t6ld so well- for the. ordinary. leader.'That n"personal element- is iiitronncei nuilccs it 'nil the'more realistic.;. Another welcome sketch is..lhnt which records the'' .njiignilicent 'exploits of St; George's Pay, 11118, when Ihe- never-to-be-forgotten raid •was made en'Ze.ebrngge nnd Osten'd. .At the-head of'this particular chapter, cr"The l-lpic of Sr. Gcorgo's Day," the author* quotes a line-.from .Kipling— '. •'■Let 1 a plain-- statement rsuf;fiee.'". . 'Than that"plain statement'' which'follows no moresple'ndidly draiuai ic .narrative.. (if British audacity.' aiid .'lnavery is. lo..|>e found in all the long'anil glorious annals of tho British. Navy. 1 cannot resist-' tho> temptation .to qnote. Take one incident'-alone, the p'M't'played, by' .the submarine which' destroyed the viaduct at Zecbrugge and by litj, attendant pieUct-liontr'.Says' the author:

It, is -deserving of a Saga, all its own, ; bill-until that is written tho tale is -b6st told simply, halting .-.through the prose. Owing-to-a. breakdown* only ono submar- ' ine.i reached. Zccbrugge, under tho conw raand of.-'lricutenant Sandford, R.N. - The : mole -was- sighted, silhouetted against tho blazo'-of gunß and searchlights 1- And ■, .under a heavy: Are of- -four-inch sholl. 'the , craft, with her cargo of high explosives, ■was:-launched nt -full speed at Hlio rows I of .piers!: supporting tho- viaduct, ~ She "struck -at night angles, riding up on to tho; horizontal ; girders,, and - penetrating 1 ,up to., the conning-towor. The crew then launched the skiff, ignited the-fuses, and pulled .-clear,- wjiile a company of riflemen: on. the. viaduct, above -op'encd'- fire upon themi with,'machine-guns, rifles,-and ; pom-poms. Tlioy - • contined ■ pulling •against a strong tid6; and although nearly all-, were .".wounded (Lieutenant Sandford twice), and: the boat,-only kept afloat by tho. use. of a specially-designed pump, succeeded in-getting about SCO yards clear before tho oxplosion took place. As waß ' ; anticipated, a gap; of 150 l'eet was. blown in the viaduct—concrete, girders,, men, guns, and searchlights being lmrled to tho skies;;in .a. column of flame. Tho attendant picket-boat then ■ swooped down and rescued the occupants of the skiff, transferring them later on to one of the destroyers, in the offing. The rcsucuc was carried-out under, the ino9t hazardous conditions, and. • ;the • little steamboat, | manned by-a crew of volunteers, with licr | foro compartment full of -water, returned | to England under her own steam, and thus completed a "journey of 170 miles. The chapters, dealing with tho naval air service are also specially interesting, and one of the best things' in tho book is tiie author's "description of the junction with ..the British Grand Fleet of tho North Battlb Squadrons' (the Americans). As in his earlier books, "Bar'timeus" in • Several of his sketches .draws, with good effect upon his. rich'fund of humour. A more readablo book w;as never Written. Naval JacJc, boy or man, is famous for the naif raciuess of his speech, and .many • of the author's,pen ■■-.portraits are,' .1 should say, drawn from life. Two. titbits fi-o'm '"The - Dny and'the Morning: After": Suddenly a salvo of 14-inch shells "strad-' died" .us, and a .veoman ofa signals, beside tho Onlooker, put out a hand arid pulled him behind •„ a , shelter of a canvas wind-screen!' "Best get behind 'ore, sir," he said, and then, the absurdity of itstruck them ■ simultaneously, .and' they both laughed. ' / , . News -as to how the fight progresses, how the day "goes," "filters down a voicepipe from the upper conning;tower, : and. 18 feverishly, awaited." « Bnt'thiiigs'are not always what-they seciiiV The assistant'cons'tructor (Sometime darl-, ing .of international'.''Rugby .crowds) -'stood with - his ear to the voice-pipo and waited for news as beggar beseeches lalms.'- Suddenly he paused, and his face brightened. "Disabled Zeppelin floating on ; tho surface ahead," ho announced. Thero was a general brightening of the countenances , around. Followed a long pause, Then: ■ .. .. "Wash put. . Not a Zeppelin. Bows of a battle-ci'uiser sticking oi)t of- the-water," . '■Good egg"- said someone, '"Another Hun dono Tti." •- 'v . : 'It didn't, seem to occur to anyone that it might not have boon a Hun. As' a matter of fact it was the Invincible, or all tliat" was left'of her. . During the. heat of.the battle a "littlo group of boy ; mcssengers; electric light 'and'fire and wreckage parties stood anddiscoursed,' displaying .an •'unwonted interest in the-merits and 'demerits of swimming belts." Got yours on, Nobby? inquired ono boy messenger of another.' ' •■ "Yus," was the '.reply ' in tense, grave tones. "An' if we sinks I'm goin' to save Admiral Jellicoq' an' get .the Victoria Gross.". This pious flight of fancy appar-. ently rather took, his friend's breath away, for.'there-was a moment's-silence. • "You can-:'elp," lie added' generously. They were "ltaggies" apparently. A word of praise is due to the capital littlo pen-and-ink illustrations by Mr! Douglas Swale. "The-Navy Eternal" is a .book to buy,- not x to borrow-not to 'lend. "The Foundations of Germany." Mr. J-. Ellis Barker, Who for some years lias made a special'study of international politics, and who, long before the war, was prominent in warning the peoplo of Great Britain of the folly, of. unpreparedness to meet the menace of Germany's military system, has added ten new chapters to an important work from his pen the first edition of which appeared a couple of years ago. In this book, ''The Foundations of Germany;. a Documentary Account Revealing the Causes of Her Strength, Wealth, and Efficiency" (Londoii, John Murray, per "Whitconibe .aiul Tombs),-Mr. Barker: not -only • lays • bnro the .dominating causes of 'Germany's great industrial efficiency, but. gives'a'keenly, analytical sur- : vey of her State institutions. The new. ■ edition of the work contains over two hundred pages of additional-'matter.. In ■tho.new chapters-Mr.' Barker deals with Germany's methods of "making war in peacetime," with-the. subtly mischievous. , tendency of Iter system of education, with the Machiavellian.'influence, in German statecraft, and many other . interesting jihnses. of. his. general, subject. In his preface tho author sho'ivs .how Bismarck desired Germany to follow a cautious and conservative policy. There is, too,, a special chapter on _ the influence oftlie German -Reformation- under '.Luther, in shaping the character of the, German, rulers and of -their subjects. According to Mr. Barker, "The German devolution. originally, a democratic. movc ; nient'," became,' owing to" Luther's action, "all iuft.riiinciil for increasing the autocratic power of the German' princes and Cor enslaving (lie people." ' One. of the 'most- valuable and in. view; of present-day happenings, most interest jug chapters'in the hook is that entitled. "Democratic Germany: Past and Future..".. Mi'..'Barker scouts' the idea, so .widei.v held, so often set forth in the Eng-, lish Press during the war, that the Ger-/ mnns are "an undemocratic and servile race, which has never revolted, daring tho wholo co.urss of its history-, and wlijeli is inilit for self-government." History teaches-us, says tho author, that the German raco'-is as democratic as tho

Give a man a pipe lit can smoh, ■Give a maii a book he can read; And his home is bright with a calm delight Though the room be poor indeed.

—James Thomson.

English race,, 1 and lio quotes historical I fcoof of this. ' In view of recent events |in Berlin, ' the filial sentences of Mr. ii.ir'uir'a book prove ..that-tho author had, •when lie wrote his new chapter, no small •gift of foresight. He./says:— . A revolution jn Germany consequent upon defeat is not absolutely certain,.hut is .highly prohablo. in view of the historic character of the German nation. The German race is natural!!' democratic, and the events of the war have .undoubtedly Etrengthcned the democratic'spirit to a very great extent. That' may lie seen by . tho concessions' whereby, tlii German Government 'trice vainly,, now- to. appease, tho people. What ihe German people requiro is-not tlio reform of tho.l'riissis'n 'ran. .chisc, but the direction of tho policy of 'the State' by their elected represr.-it-'iuvcs. ..... ..I thiiifi the German nation-i.j too •wise to allow again a/ single aisn; nfho ■ may bo a degenerate, -i- madman, a criminal, or merely a fool, to send millions of Germans to their itaii'a. Mr. Lloyd Oeorg& said- in bi«- (treat spi-'j.-;: of April 12, 1918, witli' delightful -.brevity a.iid iroiiy; "Prussia is iio democracy. I'he Kaiser promises thrit she . will bo a -democracy—after .tho war. -I think, lie is ri|jht." - Mr. Lloj'd George and President ■Wilson have probably correctly forecasted tho future of Germany. fh the appendices are given' copies- of fiome of: Frederick tho Great's secret political testaments, drawn lip for .the use of : iiis sMccessow,'#Wtho'{ext- of that very remarkable doeKinejiti !lie potiliiin to tlie German Govcrniaeflt dnnrn up. by the ..--•f.-rman ißdiislriiilhcs. '' From :tbw the ' reader will gat!;?;; a iuoit instructive idea -of the extent- of tlio irJr.iMii inanufaci.'iirer's and mereiiaul'si amfcH-ions as to ihe. 'plunder to be wfunsf ivt-i-i a defonted FrMice. Any;j::j *.vfco "roads this curious testimony ps to 'Ge.-sv.u sse.-sd and dishonesty will ees ;,t oivje -«jy CWmcnceaii and French sfnti.'smen generally are so insistent; itpoi. solid' 'guarantees for Germany's futufa.good.belmvioui- beinj | exacted from H-a Huns.-' Mr. Barker's work shonld fipii':i-place in every public library:-:. 'J.'iie fact-that tho war has | ended. rather Mis -to tliaii decreases its i interest forshsdsats of.mWern Hiirbpcan I history. (Price .jos.) j "Over There With the, Australians." "Over -There With the -Australians" (Hodder and .Sttfughtoiij-is the''title of ft woll-wTittr-n . socoiint of the'exploits of tho Aushalimi'Expaditiotiary Forco in Egypt, at Gaiiino'li, and on the •Western front. The' aiitlior is Captain I!. Hugh Knyvett, who acted as ■ intelligence- oliiee? with the. Fifteenth Australian Infantry. Captain Knyvett's services have been than oiice by Captain Beaii.aiid other War correspondents as having been of n specially important and valuablo,character, -but'the author's, modesty has.no-doubts been responsible for 'the omission of references to his many own, doings. _ Captain lOiyvett gives a most interesting nccount of - the part playod by- the ' Australians during tho war. In tho section devoted to tho fighting on the .Western front he gives a most .dramatic and .deeply/interesting account of the battle of. Fleurbaix and the heroic.struggle..'which took place on the historic Sommif. Instances of individual gallantry quoted in the narrative are described in a why which cannot fail to evoke a thrill of pride in tlio heart of the reader that the men of whom these heroic deeds are recounted are of his race. Tho author's explanation.of the duties of the intelligence officers, and 'Of those "eyes, of tlie Army,'the airmen,"-is detailed and most fascinating. As a record of tlio splendid exploits of the Australian solI dicrs in' tho war, and. an enlightening j survey .of-tlio leading features of; the | everyday.life of our soldiers, on troop : ships, in training camps, in tho trenches and in actual attack,' and in hospital, Captain Knyvfctt's book is one of the most comprehensive I have yet read, and should find a place in ev.iiry collection of war books.,dealing.■■with the part played 1 in' the : "war by tho men of the, .overseas Dominions.'. The book'contains 'several interesting illustrations,' For Youthful Readers. Boys grow into men,' but 11101% boys ■aro nlfra'ysi; thantf 'goodness, ' comiiig .along, and so long as tlieve'are .boys in Ihe world who. speak the English longuo —and how many millions'of'-them I daren't even set out to calculate—there must always bo a'"big-public" for that well-established favourite with youthful readers, the yearly volume of "Chiiinij." A copy of "Chums" for-1318 reaches 1110 from the publishers, Messrs. Cassell and Co., London anil Melbourne, throug'h : Mcssrs.',S. and W.; Maokay. It is tho same, old portly, handsome tome which receives so hearty a welcome -in . every homo wlieo'o boyish voices aro heard. The greeting accorded" to the latest volume ■ should be more enthusiastic than, ever, so splendidly varied 15 the ipenir provided by a,'skilful "editor, backed' by liberal publishing . enterprise. The great war is, of course, to the' fore, both in tho stories'and sketches and in the illustiration§. Two serials by Eric Wood, "With the-'Guns in Italy" "With Haig in tho Greatost Battle," provide a very effective combination of history and romance, and a series of stories, by 'Major ' J. Vernoy Adams, "Secrets of the, Secret Service," is also possessed of a.'strong war flavour. As an old boy, "Liber" is glad to notice that tlio special delectation' of his youth, a good "pirate story," is not m'issiiig froiii the bill of fare, and I have no doubt that Mr. Walkley's "Pirates of Skebton Island" (tlio very title is'of_ delightful promise) will be duly appreciated by ihe lucky possessors of the volume. Man of Silver Mount," by Max Pemberton, "The Captives of the Cave," by Captain Gilson, and "The Mystery Ship," by A. G. Pearson, aro also very alluring titles. As in the past;'the stories and sketches . are interspersed with articles on various' boyish, sports-and hobbies. As for tho illustration's, they are "all Rood," as Sairoy Gamp-.(or 'was it Hetsy Prig?) remarked' of "the drinks." Many of them are 111 colour. The- 'holiday season is almost over, but it i? not too late for parents and friends' of boys to remember that a copy of . "Chums" is a very welcome .gift: . .. - . If hoy readers will revel in "Chums," • their sisters should'find an equally rich sloro of literary and artistic treasure in "Tho Australasian Girls' Annual for •1019" (Cassell and Co., per S. and W; Mackay). Compiled by tjie editor of "Little Folks," this handsomely-produced volume contains a bewildering variety of stories and articles specially written, for girl readers, and covering every possible phase of life in which sinli readers, can be interested. The contributors include sueli well-known ' writers as .Angela Bra7.il, Bessie Marchant. Ethel Talbot, Violet M. Methlcyi and E. M. Wil- : lianis, and among tlio iirtisls are" many weli-known illustrators of high standing, such ns C. E. Brock. I'\ H. Townsend, ; H. M. Brock, C. Abbey, and Noel Harl'old.. In addition to a liberal supply ofblaclc and while drawings, the book contains several, excellent col.iured - plates. An admirable gift book this for an intelligent young -girl, and 0110 which i should be heartily welconv?:! In the household bookshelf. • .

Stray Leaves, Tho»c> vrlio may have imagined that. Prussian, militarism is only, .a recent (loyelopnicnt.il)'Germany are reminded by- an Italian journal that over a hundred and fifty .years ago Villorio Alfieri, the famous poet, wrote In a friend that, on entering Prussia it looked to him "nothing lint a contiiluous large-sized spn try post.." . _ . , Those who enjoyed Hip TTiiplo liennis stories of the late .Toel Chandler Harris (Ihev nnn he hail in Jlonlledw'x Tfniversal liibniiy in.a elienp and handy form) may lie .interested-lo l;iiow Hint a millpcliniVof ten hitherto unnulilished '■lories, entitled-"(Tilde.Hemiis Return?," has recently been published .in .America. : Arnold 'Bennett is in a modest way a clever 'wnter-coloiiir arlisl. .His drirnnxs to illustrate a honk entitled "A Floating Homo" have been warmly praised by several papW's. ' "A.E.V ((iwvrjfe Mnj; sell), tlm . Irish noet and essayist, i* quilo an accomplished' artist, mid both Chesterton and Wells have done gome >clover ihlnok-and-whito work, the for-

mer.for one of Hilairo Helloes stories and the latter for his own brilliant satire, "Boon." Amongst American novelists or story writers, Booth Tarkinglon and Robert W. Chambers set out to bo illustrators, and "Uncle - Renins" (Joel Chandler Harris) and 0. Henry (Sidney Porter) both dabbled ill illustration before they found themselves in their true metier. ■With all tlio meticulous study devoted to tlio works of Charles' Dickens, it is strange that a rather glaring misprint in "Littlo Jtorrit'' lias been long-over-looked. Mr. W. V.' ICer, writing to "The Times Literary Supplement," says: "A misprint in Dickens's 'Litfle Dorril,' •c. iii., easily corrected' by any- reader, neems to have, generally escaped the Notice'of editors.. Jt comes' in the firs.t appearance of the house which' is one of the chief characters of the story.;— An old brick house, so dinc.v as to 'bo all but black, standing by itself within a gateway, liefore it -a■ square -courtyard where a. shrub or two-and a natch of grass . were as rank (whioh is' saying much) as the iron rails enclosing them wero runty; behind'it a jumble of roofs'. 'So in tlie original edition'.' Hut in.'tho library edition of 135!) tlio root's are misprinted roofs,'iiiid roots is read.in almost every edition since; not in the Tauchliitz, nor in the. edition published by Scott, London,, 189!). . ." ■ The phrase recur? c. „xxx.:-,- " ' . . .. ■For aslant >across-.the cit.v, over -it< ■jumbled roofs,\ and -throiißh- the '.open tracery of its church, towers, struck the [long bright rays.'. ... : Special features in Ilia November "Bookman" fllodder ami Hl'oughlnn). 'iiicludo an article on the author of "Tlio Golden Bough" (to which I'make extended allusion chew-lien;), an interesting little essay on "Wordsworth's Academical Honours," by Major Hutterworlli; a review of the latest 11. CI. Wells book", "Joan, and I'eteir," by George Sampson; aiid a' chhraoteristically Shavian.' outburst by "G-.8.5f.," ''The Dominie—New Style." Reviews of many new books of' importance, together with tlio usual literary gossip and a 'lirave show of portraits -and/other .illustrations,; niakeupan excellent number of a -periodical which bookmen liavo long..learnt-.to consider indispensable. Yet another new edition, .of- Shakespeare, this time from the--Yule .'University Press. There, are to lie forty volumes, the edition being' published in' .'England by Mr. Humphrey Milford, :lt is to American scholarship, f liiit we owe tho splendid "Variorum" edition edited by tlu s - lafo Howard Fnrnesv iind: now being continued by his inn. English readers' may well bo satisfied with the delightful little Temple- edition, edited'by Professor Israel Gollancz, and for the wealthier book-buyer- the fine Cambridgo edition in n.ins volunjes, entitled by Professor Aldis Wright. .'-■--. 'Those who remember the ivitty,short stories and sketches of the late Mr./11. H. Munro ("Saki") will be: glad to-.kuow that a posthumous volumc by '"Saki," "The Toys of Peace" (with a liienioir portrait of the'author), is'announced b'y'Mr. John Lane. There is a beautiful. simplicity in 'the late Dora Sigcrson's (Mrs. C. Iv. Shorter) verse, with its ever-present reflection,.of 1 he author's passionate love of her native Ireland. What; for .instance, . could, be moro , poignant than the little, tribute, entitled "Norri,' to the w-itcbery , of'the brogue; which I find in Mrs.. Sliorter's last hook of verse, "The Sac! Years'"; : Within .an English' village" yesterday I c.iirao upon » child at play.' . .■■:•■•'• I.lingered by to watch the baby game And heard sonic voico call gently oil her name., Sweet she replied. How leaped uiy heart to hoar The prcity notes, the accent ever dear, Shy as the wind soft singing from the southl I, hungry, kissed the brogue upon 'tier mouth. . • B. Temple Thurston,' who wrote "Tlio City of Beautiful Nonsense,"-' and that fine trilogy, of which the'young"'artist, luchard Furlong, was the hero, Ji.is' jiist published a now story, "David and Jonathan," in which lie carries'his readers, in compauylof two men and one .woman, into romoto haunts and back to civilisation. Tho book is published by Hutchinson*, who also iinnounce a new long novel, •"Where Your Treasure Is,",by Beatrico liarraden, who, it' must now bo ..nearly thirty years, ago, gave .us that pathetic but beantiihl. story, '•Ships, that Pass in the ■Night." ■ ' . Now Zealand lovers of: a' good American novel long ago discovered ,the sterling merit ,of Irving Bacheller's. fine story, "The Light in the Clearing," and I now notice that -an English- edition of tho book is getting very good reviews. If any young man wishes to understand what is true patriotism' and would fain get mi inside acquaintance .with the bet-, tor, more wholesome, side of American political life, let him read "The Light iii tho Clearing." To my mind it is one of tho best American .novels of the -last fivo years. Gilbert Caiman, whoso "Old Mole" and "Peter Homonculus" were such capital books, but whose more, repent work, is almost as dreary and morbid as is so much Russian fiction, has. written a story of the stage, in pre-war, times, "Mummery" is tho title.