BOOKS OF THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 223, 14 June 1919, Page 13

BOOKS OF THE DAY

"Tho British Campaign ini France and \ . Flanders." -. ■ '•'•' •: When, as is inevitable*- there com?s a eortiiifr.out- of the books that really count from among the -huge muss ot literature lor. which, tho- Great ■ U'nr. was respon.sible, two works at least should; be secure froiu any chanco of being consigned to the scrap-heap of oblivion. :Jl'hes& aro .Kr..:Buqi)au's "■History oi the. -War" (which; Rives: a. history, of 'the' war• on' nil .'the fronts; ami has' the. drawbacks, ■• as well lis.tln! merits., necessarily attendant upon such comprohousiyene.-,s) and that clear and vigorously-written narrative in which Sir Arthur Connii Doyle has told, and is still telling, the splendidly thrilling story "of'"The British' Campaign! in .tfrance and Flanders." Tho fourth vplunio of this iine work has. now reached ine direct -from the publishers,''. Messrs. Hdikler and -Stoughtqn, London. .; The new- volume"' covers tho. operations in '19J.7-."' , Afier describing the German .retreat upon' tho Arras-Sofeions frout, Sir ■Arthur deals. with the Battle of Arras (April' 9 to April 20); with the operations in the Arras sector from April 23 onwards;, the Battle-'of Mees'ihes; the operations' from June 10 to July .31; ' tho Third Battle of Ypres. July JiV to November 111; ami finally, with the'Battlo of'Criiiibrai. As in previous volumes the author makes a special point- pi ' following the. operations ' of' each unit .right through each separate.' engagement'." He ■' records with justifiable pride that ' •" • •

in the''course of three thick volumes, "in whicn for the ilrst time the detailed battle, line, of thpao great encounters has been net' out, it has not yet boon shown that a brigade haß ever been out of'Hβ. place .and even a battalion has seldom gone amiss. Such good fortune . cannot ■■ last 'idr-ever. Abelt-omenl .But the fact Iβ ■worth recording,- ae it may reaesure 'the reader who has natural doubts whether history. which •is eo recent can also lay claim to be of any permanent value.

Tliq Now Zealand reader will naturally, turn to the pagts wherein tin; exploits of ou'r troons are dealt with. Again and again we'filul the historian according unstinted, eloqiie'ntly-wordecl praise to.the . men from the England of the Paciiio. The'ro' is a description of those'"stark fighters," as Sir Arthur, calls the .New Zealaiulers, capturing Warneton, and a detailod ami -thrilling account' ..of .their gallant ilccils'ju'- tlie Third • Jln'ttle' of Ypres. "That splendid division -which had never yet found its master, either on battlefield or footb'iill ground," is.orie.of the'autlior's references , to the New Zealaiulers,: and again, "this-splendid assemblage of manhood, whether jj|dge<l j)y its tiuality or ciuanhiy," is a Teferenccf to the second and third Anzac Corps. 'Sir Arthur's narrative, fascinating "as it is as a (general record ot the stubborn valour which characterised the British troops, is rich in allusions to outstanding deeds of gallantry. There are [fages in , this book which no man or woman of the British race can read without feelings of deepest pride in his or her nationality. ■ ■ . As thus:— .There can be no more wonderful individual record in the Battle of Cfunbrai than that ot Captain itacEeady. Dinrmid, ■ of tho 17th Middlesex, who loughl like a D'Artagnan of romance, and. is said to have lulled Eome eighty of the enemy in two of fighting before ho hinieelf met that fato from which lie never shrunk. And, again, of the same battle, Sir Arthur writes:— The officers of a company of the.-. 13th '.Essex . . .held a< hurtled council of war, in which they swore' to light to tho death- . . ."With ii bandclaei> they returned to their work. . . . In the evening they lay with their faces to the sky, and their men around, them, all true to their vow to death. -.< - ■ • ■••

■Sir. •Artnitr, does full justice to. the fine, fighting fibre which was displayed in-so many of the battles by the foe. ..When the 2nd- Sherwood 'i'oresters stormed., the .Ilindenburg Line at C'ainbrai they met'iv German "shock battalion." . Then canit, says tlie author. "a- iipriod of dcsperalu lighting during which the Germans displayed a valour which sometimes was almost that of fanatics." On? eye-witness boars testimony in tlie following words :-- \One' of their companies was- cut off. We offered ihem quarter, but they Would not .heat of.it. The lant. to bo was a young Biib. When lie saw that all was lip,,he -drew his revolver and shot,himfelT.' As lit fell I ran. forward in the hope* tp- sav6 him, fev he was. a brave lad.. When I got to his, side, he looked at me witli a look of intense hate, and tried' to take aim with, his' pistol'.' It ; fell .frum his - hand, and he fell dead ■ with that look of hate iti.ll onhie face.

An. excellent map of North-eastern France- iiiul Inlanders and"an , exhaustiveindex-, m"wlueh. the references -to each -regiment are clearly" set out, are'valuablo 'features of -a volume which veil deserves ■amiieh longer review Wan space limits permit.' The author hopes to'completo his : great'work with two-'volumes "devoted to the -'splendid epic of 1918." (New Zealand price 10s.) ' A Little Book for London Lovers. All who hail from the land oi Cockayne, or are lucky enough, as have been, no doubt, so many of my readers, to havo"-'temporarily -.'sojourned 1 in thai deleotablo region,- are 'hereby-.■solemnly enjoined by"'Liber" to go forthwith aim, buy a. copy of a very jolly little book entitled''Out and About:.London in WarTime" (George Allen and Umviu). The author is Mr. Thomas Burke, whoso grim studies of.life in London's; Chinatown, "Limehouse' Nights"-and "Twinkletoes, , ; may have proved a trifle over-realistic for some people, but, whose first b00k,... "Nights in ' Town," _ showed tho author's acquaintance-, with London and Londoners to he as "extensive and peculiar" as was that «f the late and much-lamented'' .Mr. Samuel . Weller, junior. 1 have used the' adjective "jolly" to describe this -book op Mr. liurke's. 1 can 'think of '> none pthor more appropriate. It is so.lightHearted, so delightfully,' unforcedly humorous, and it deals, tor the most part, with the brighter side of London lile in war time. Whether.Mr. Burke bo taking us round the West End at night, with visits to the Cafe JJoyal, to tho Ga'mbrimus where' once the German chess players were wont to congregate, or onb of the innumerable "coffee bars" of Koho.;-'whether he acts as,a geniaraud astonishingly informative ciccrouo ito Dockland and Chinatown; whether he bo expounding tho outlook on life of a Piccadilly 'Circus-flower girl,_ or a '.Russian Jewish cigarette-maker, or a diamondcutter, ho is always amusing: And mingled with, the fun ~ is much.dry but gonial satire on the fails' mid frivolities —for hot even Zeppelins could altogether slide the Cockney's 'trick of persistently seeing tho gayer side of tilings —of the great city as it went through the wiir period. Not even Mr. George |{. Hiins or the late George Augustus Sala knew his London better than' Mr. Burke, and us a stylist Mr. Burke is a hundred times their superior. He is evidently, a great theatregoer, and has a kindly, weakness, too, for the miu'iiabused music-hall. I notice with seme curiosity :ihat he puts down the presentday' ineptitude of many of the London shows to the uncritical' character of lat-ter-day audiences,. so largely. composed of • non-Londoners. He ■■.•grows' almost pathetically indignant over the dceadleneo of tho music-hall>comedian. The music-halls, by the: way, seem ' to have gone; dead.to pieces during tho war. Fancy melodrama at the old Oxford and Hie "Vn\'.,'\ and that idiotic thing the revue at the "'Lainbrn" and the "llempirc." ■ Mr. Burke is specially severe on tho "revue." He says:— We have downs of genuine mmdc-hall comedians on the stage to-ilny, but they are nil ' HtiiCking. Some of them gi-l absorbed by West Knd shows, and at once, when they appear on tho gigantic 'American etagen of eome of our modern theatres, surrounded by crowds of elephantine women, they loeo whatever character and Bpoiitaueity they had. . .'. Gradually tie indjvjdu.a.l i»'being frosen out, mid.

the .etagea are • loaded' .with crowds of horeejy child-apiiig' women, called by a courtesy a beauty chorus; the show being .called, also-by courtesy, a icvue. Thesu ehows resemble α-rcvwas much as the short stories-:of popular, magazinen reaomble a., co'ute. • They dazzle the eye and blast the car, and, instead of entertaining, exhaußt. '

One very amiiiiiij,' chapter is , that in which Mr. Jlu.rkc. .a_imlyscs .'Uio special features of Ixiiitloii's' nios.t: favoured rendezvous. • Amongst these there are Charins Cross i'pst Office, and under tho ■clock' at Victoria Station,'" the big wait-ing-hall at J'Aistoii Station, and each one,;- so the ''author ' tells.-; us,, bus its special type'.of patron. Mr. Burke 'lifts '■•■ made '-JJiber"' long ib Yee London once again. Private' -Stanley Or- • theris, who was "sick fer the sounds of 'er an' the sight's of 'er; and the stinks of 'cr orange jwel and hasplialte comin' mover VhuVall' Bridge," to Say: nothing of "the- Stran' lights," -was not consumed witha grater'desire to seo his beloved London again than Was "Liber" as he put down this fiiscuwting, this—yes, this very jolly book, of Mr. liurke's. (Price, 55.) -' . ■,'■

"The Nelson Touch." - •■ ,Xel?,on is a. figure of. undying interest to, the' British- .race, and any- new ''book in which the "great Admiral appears is sure of a widespread welcome. Of such a reception Mr. Walter Jerrold's little '.lwok "The Js'elspn '.Touch" (John Murrriy, per U'liitcoiiibe and Tombs) should be assured. It has been/-Sir. Jerrold'e happy, thought to compile a selection from' Nelson's official dispatches and private correspondence, and from :various biographies of the great seaman, the compiler's special object'-being-to show that the "Nelsqn I Touch" may", bo .interpreted in relation' to Ike'whole' battle of life, as well as' in relation, to , naval hattles. The book reveals/very 1 largely in' his own .words,. /Nelson as a man' of' thought as well as.of action', and gifted with a rare power of self-expression. The selections cover the whole of Nelson's life from the iime he first, joined tho service of which he-was .destined to prove it's'most brilliant ornament to; his tragic end at Trafalgar. -Throughout the selections..it.is. easy to; discern, the. governing principles of Nelson's career, :kis intense self-sacrifice, and almost passionate love of country, -and respect and regard for 'ditty; The extracts which'refer to .the motions iii which lie was engaged give rich proof .of. his .brilliant powers .of. strategy, his strenuous determination never to leave the .attack to the enemy, but to engage him wherever he met him and force him to fijsht on Nelson's, not his .own', plan. It is in reading Mich, a book as this that the. distinct connection, the connection of an honoured tradition, between the old'fighting spirit of the British in Nelson's day and thai: which animated every branch of the same service during the Great War can be most clearly and readily grasped. • How well Nelson recognised 'hat to England the Navy is all in all, the one great factor in hVr protection and preservation is shown by the note made oft' J)el!e Mare in tfpril. ITilfi: We English hive to regret that we cannot always decide the fate of empires on the sea.

. A ciirouoloiiienl lable .showing 1 the principal events iii Nelson's career and a copv of his famous memorandum -or "hn of attack for (lie flattie of- TrornT<rnr, as. , drawn up on Ihe Victory off Cadiz, on October' !l,' ISO-1, .twelve day; before that memorable pvenl, are uwful .features pf an' excellent litll' , book.' .Mr. IT. W. VVil.-on. tho well-known, liaval expert, contributes itii , 'interesting inlr-oaue-lion, and. reminds us that the keynote to Nekon's success was his readiuef.-s of decision ("Five- minute)," .said Nelson, "makes nil Ihe difference, lielween a victory ond .1 defeat"), and of that sterling .chivalry which made the groat Admiral 'write n.fler Conenliagen: ''When, the Dane? become my Tirisoners I- liccome their protector." and.-.Tgjiin. "Nelson is a warrior, no! n bii.tcheiv' How ditferent . was the underlying sniril of ihe Hun naval commanders during the war. Stray Loaves. A novelist whose pen has lieon idie for Koine lime, but of whose past work many Now Zealand readers will have grateful memories, is Mr. Stanley J. Weyman. I am skid to ?pu thiit Jlr. Weynm'n has tcsumed lii's literary work. A ":iciv serial i'l'oih his pen is now'runi'iing-fsa. serial in the "(.'ornhil! JJ^sazine.'. ,- ''J'lie tillo is "The. Great llousii: A Story or Quiet Times, 1845-Gi-."- - . .. . -.

The: fact. that the London "Grapliio" liiw now started a "Lilpniry Pflge" may be regarded as-a sign that newspaper pinpriel'oi'ti recognise l.iie' greatly-ineraiswl interest in nuittevs..literary whieh is one of the most noticeable results of the olosu of (he war period.' Mr. .lani(>s Milne, who has so 'long coiiducted tlio "J)ook"Monthly," is the editor pf.tho."Grapine's" Literary'Piige... -• ■

To the present day generation the name of James I'ennimoro Cooper is almost unknown,, hut :tliere must- l>e 'jnany iin oldBlcr who,, like "Liber," 'recalls the thrill with, which',, in'boyhood's-'days, lie rend ".The.Pathfinder" , .of "The Last of the .'Mohicans;"- A .|>re.it, Rrandson of Iho novelist, bearing ox-rtoHy' the same name, served naa -captain intluj United Stales • li'ield , ".Artillery;-'and diefl in tho oarly p:irt of Inst-, year'He-left ii volume, of verse, entitled "Afterglow," which is being published by The Yale University Press. ■■'..' • • ;.- '•■■■•■ '■ •

■An .English publishing firm, Cowstables, is',.l.see, .to issue some of the-novels of ■Bliisco.lbfliiez.-tlie Rpanish writer. These stories have had an enormous vogue in America, but so far have not made their npponiance in. the. New Zealand book shopsiy.: •.-'■ ■ : : ■ -.. ; .

.■air; S. .B.: Mais,: whose "April's. Lonely Soldier" ami: other novels, have; been' so ■much -discussed,'-.' is- .publishing, a now story "The Jvdnwitirm cf a'Philanderer" with Grant-Hichards. ■ . ;

Cricketers. espocinKy r.f the.-older spnf;ralion, w.ill be interested to-know that a "Life of Vf. G. Grace" lifts been written- -byMr. Homo Gordon, \vho hns been assisted by Lord Uawke and Lord Harris.

An entirely .new "Life of Frederick the Great". is_ shortly to appear.. The author is' Mr.' Norwood Young, who lins more than one. historical work, mainly on Napoleon, to liia credit. There Can be'little doubt '. Hint ■' Carlylo. either '-unconsciously, or ■ of-. deliberation, , save the world a very one-sided ■• view of Frederick's-character;' 1 shall be' curj , - our jo see-how Mr. Young's estimate compares with that-of the Sage of Chelsea. . ", '.. ;■ . •■' ' '-■■ '• ••