BOOK REVIEWS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 21, 20 October 1943, Page 6

BOOK REVIEWS

A History Of Vichy Collaboration

“Behind the Battle of 1,!lllCL , Jacques Lorraine, translated by Gerald Hopkins (Oxford University I ress). There have been many books on tire plight of France published during tire past tlncc vein’s. Nearly all of them have been urincipallv concerned with examining the political and social reasons tor 1< rance s fall before the German onslaught anti from the title of M Lorraine s book ore would expect, it aso to fall into this class. Actually, it has a much less hackneyed subject—tire foreign policy ot the Vichy Government since the armistice ot J 940. This policy M. Lorraine traverses in detail, supplying documentary evidence for all the points Ire makes. u<begins with the assertion that, though at the time many Frenchmen considered the terms of the armistice relatively moderate, actually Hitler made them as severe ns it was possible for him to make them in tire circumstances. By offering 1* rance "acceptable” terms which would bring her out of the war immediately, Hitlei expected to secure the cessation of hostilities in the west, he aud a advisers being firmly convinced that Blit ain, seeing herself abandoned by her ally, would throw in her baud. Flint belief, incidentally, was why Germany never devoted the thorough planning characteristic of her military operations to the proposed invasion of England, it never occurred to her that she would need to do so. M. Lorraine explains how tire actions of Petain and his colleagues were tire outcome of their miscalculation of tire chances of an early German victory. He describes how Germany attempted to rectify her original mistake in thinking * , t she would have no need of France and he examines the unstable and sometimes conflicting policies of Petain and Laval. The result is a valuable study ot the earlj history of Vichy collaboration with Germany‘and, as M. Lorraine tells it, it is an exciting story. , i xv;ii;.,n> “Social Security, edited by M illi.im A. Robson (London : Allen and Unwin). Published for the Fabian Society, this is a valuable survey of the social economic and political implications of the social security’ movement in Great Britain. It consists of a number of articles, each written by an authority in his or her particular field, covering such subjects as public assistance, workmen s compensation, national health insurance, unemployment insurance, pensions, blind welfare, social services generally, superannuation and industrial life insurance. The principal value of tire compilation is as a textbook for students ot tire Beveridge Plan, but it should not be overlooked by those New Zealanders who wish to gain a broader understanding ot social security principles in their relation to existing methods of social assistance and alleviation. “Behind That Door” by George Goodchild (London : Ward Lock). Mr. Goodchild is an experienced novelist who can be relied on to provide an entertaining, well-constructed story with usually a combination of mystery and adventure to excite the reader's interest. His latest book is no exception. The setting is a house in Cornwall, filled with poignant memories of the past, to which come as holiday-makers the young inheritor ot lar-e estates and two companions. Here they find adventure and excitement enough in unravelling a mystery of the dead past, strange happenings in the underground workings of an abandoned tin mine providing an excellent climax. “Far Horizons” by Elsie K. Morton (Auckland: Oswald Sealy). Some of the chapters of this small book appeared first in the form of radio talks and others are reprinted from articles m the Press. The titles of the chapters show how widely the author’ has travelled—The Dutch East Indies,” “Land of .the. Mid; ni"ht Sun,” “Winter in Switzerland., “We Visit Sicily,” “Wayfaring in Europe,” “Highlights in Italy, “Middle East,” “Anzac Pilgrimage.' She writes pleasantly and has much that is of interest to say about her travels. The book is well illustrated with the author s own photographs.