A SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1919, Page 2

A SOLDIER'S EXPERIENCES.

TARANARI SOLDIER'S BOOK. In its review of "Three Years with the Kew Zealanders," by LieutenantColonel C. H- Weston, D.5.0., the London Times states: This bodlc must certainly be classed as amongst the better of the w&r books which have so far appeared. Colonel Weston, perhaps ilivough his legal possesses a dull in selection and compression which makes his narrative always interesting reading. He is apparently a man who has gone through the war taking an intelligent interest in all his work ar.d surroundings. Though his style would not always please the authors of ''The King's English," he can give a living description, of a scene or episode in a few concise sentences. Most soldier readers will probably feel that ho Ims put what they felt into words better than they could have done themselves. The only parts of the book that I English reSHers will find dull are the detailnd list? of officers, Jvrgeant,-majors, company clerks, etc., •vliich we meet with on several occasions, and those Now Zealand readers no doubt will particularly appreciate. The photographs in the book are very good. Colonel Weston describes his experiences while training m New Zealand, in (htllipoli, Egypt, and France. The description:! of the part his unit played in the Somme battle, at Messines, and in the battle of July 31, l<il7, are admirably clear, and illustrated by sketch maps of which we can only say that we lmd the unusual and pleasing experience of finding on the maps every locality named in the. text in tho areas they cover. It is a pity that the Soinice map does not include Longueval and Delvills Wood, and it would be improved by the addition of contours or levels; bur taking the maps and text as they stand, we cannot recall noy book which will give the civilian reader so cloaf an idea of the work which, a battalia has to do in a modern attaefe.

There is one chapter in tli'o t>ot»k which will probably irritate m'any reader'!. in wliielt Colonel Weston' ceases to describe ii i". own 'experience;?, and gent oraliaos about' yariotu matter;!.' Liltd most men from our various Dominion?, lie t;ndti the Englishman lacking in keenness on his job, and -argues that this (lite i'o Englarid'being «n "old nation " la the 'same chapter he criticises the tsr.rie.m-y-ro iutse the training at''the ••'Army schools" in Ftisla'ud" upon p're«'sr ideas of open fighting. This is not the piece to deal fully with this matter, hut one may jii'rti'say that. If the TJe*ttt ; la, (.okliei tended lo be obsessed bv the idea? of 1913, the 1 keen 'amateur q'oldior wl ; o joined the Arthy carlv in war ii-wlnd to be obsessed by the idesw"-rif' 'when trench v.Mt.'r/e domii'tatetl everything Tho great coldiern of all countries svaliswl'' that v:b>- cou'ld not hv wm; hy crenel- WHTftoVj y.nd irr late Wl". h.v us at 'CairihvM and by the (U yj'' Jtnly, the piohiem o;' hrnuk--1 if' !j Mv priced. '«'• ™. ' ; ure' " thwe ow nn'tc-li to lie ■ ,:'i >e- ; cnciorc. of the :"Onnols. ..i f n nn-o who !-:.d o-iiv seen i v.-arl*:*. of empV'si .ine tee fact : 'i'i i v.'ii■* ■ abnormal pbn.se of war T '' thf- k-H' ch-l |>{«;' of the Book Colonel W-stor. p'aiser, the Tvew TVivlandev, OT v hijblv The tinauimeot vwdici- of all nfHiVM 4 i'! |,< r ]i;> (J ;he» .Ton/1 fortune to eomc ir> contact with these i'lO'.ff will be fiK'.fc no v/ted rf his prai'e I is