Other New Publications

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23269, 11 February 1939, Page 4 (Supplement)

Other New Publications

"RUSTY'S" DILEMMA

HONOUR OF THE REGIMENT "Royal Regiment" is a story of officers in the Royal Regiment in Mr. Gilbert Frankau's familiar vein, these ilien, as all novel readers know, live according to a strict regimental code, and when, the lifcro, a typical soldier, whoso father and forefathers were all officers and gentlemen, falls in lo\e with his superior officer's wife, there are only two things to do —either give her up oi' get out of the regiment. Most of the officers considered there was only one course open to them, that the regiment came first. Rusty Rockingham had always thought so too until he fell ia love with Lady Wethered, and fourd to his delighted astonishment that she loved him. .He could not give her up, so he decided to retire. A sharp bout of influenza stayed his hand and in the meantime, in higher spheres, a somewhat similar conflict to Rusty's was being; fought out, with a great deal more publicity. In consequence, Rusty began to have misgivings and when lie was well enough to see the lady of his choice ho found that she had something more definite than misgivings. She had decided that Rusty's duty was to his regiment and that he would never be happy if he retired, and the matter was adjusted with a certain amount of relief on both sides. Mr. Frankau tells his story very well. His warning note that the world is no longer well lost for love is perhaps a trifle prosaic for a successful novelist, hut there will he many of his generation who will emphatically agree with him. "Royal Regiment," by Gilbert Frankau. (Hutchinson.)

By THE BOOKMEN

THE HOUSE OF DENT

A COMMEMORATIVE HISTORY jj _ To mark its jubilee, the House of Dent has re-issued the memoirs of its founder, John Malaby Dent, together with some additional chapters on the last 16 years by Hugh 11. Dent, whose death was recently announced. Although these memoirs were written for private circulation only, it is fitting that they should have been given to a wider public. To-day we so readily accept Everyman's Library as one of out English institutions that a history oi its publishers should meet with a good response.

The story is that of a long, uphill fight, and that it ended in final victory was duo to the idealism and courage of J. M. Dent. Even tlio phenomenal success of Everyman's Library was at first an embarrassment.' The publishers had counted upon using to some extent the money received from the sale of one issue to produce the next, but instead they had to invest it in reprints, which did not sell so rapidly, and the money became tied up. Although the founder did not live to see the realisation of his ambition of a democratic library of a thousand volumes at a democratic price, it is now not far from attainment. Tho House of Dent has. however, much more to its credit than Everyman's Library. One need mention only tho Temple Classics, Temple Shakespeare, which sold over a million copies, New Temple Shakespeare, Kings Treasuries of Literature, the collected works of Ha/.litt, Lamb, Conrad, Hudson, Peacock, Balzac, Dickens, Scott, Thackeray and others. Amassing fortunes was never the aim of the Dents, either father or sons| so that they were able to pay attention" to the well-being of those hundreds of persons whom they employed. Much of the credit for the building up of tho business must go to the late Hugh H. Dent and, although after J. M. Dent's death it ceased to bo a family concern, it is pleasing to know that there is a grandson in the firm to perpetuate the name.

"Tho House of Dent, 3888-11)38" (Dent)