THE FACTS OF HISTORY
THE GREY GOVERNMENT, be T. G. Wilson; Auckland University College Bulletin No. 45, History Series No. 5. ERE it permissible to divide historians into two classes, (1) the sheep who follow the opinions and perpetrate the mistakes of their predecessors, and (2) the sheepdogs, or guarr
dians, who are constantly on the watch to expose accepted errors, I should place the author, of this bulletin in the latter category. By,.concentrating..en a period that he believes to be among the least known in our history, Mr. Wilson has placed himself in the position of being able to correct certain previously held misconceptions, for example, that which concerns the affair of the "Auckland Rats" who appear to have hitherto enjoyed credit to which they are not entitled. Actions can only be satisfactorily explained by one who has made himself conversant with the motives of the actors, and historical events. gain; new ‘ significance when related by a. historian with special knowledge of local and contemporary conditions. Thus Mr. Wilson’s assessment of the forces militating both for and against Grey at the general election of 1879 is no less discerning than his exposure of the essential weaknesses of Grey’s party, which came to grief not only because its leader was inept but also because provincial greed bedevilled the Liberal movement. In a study of this kind it is advisable, though by no means easy, to guard against over-elaborating the background of the subject as a preliminary to starting upon the subject itself. Mr. Wilson avoids this pitfall and gets into his stride quickly without wasting space on a long explanatory introduction. His exposition of involved questions is both lucid and exhaustive, but for the reader who wants facts served up in their
simplest form this essay may bé found unsatisfactory, since thé facts of history are apt to grow less simple the more carefully their various aspects are
examined.
R. M.
Burdon
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 798, 5 November 1954, Page 12
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322THE FACTS OF HISTORY New Zealand Listener, Volume 31, Issue 798, 5 November 1954, Page 12
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