BOOKS REVIEWED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 193, 29 May 1934, Page 3

BOOKS REVIEWED

THE FIGHTING CAMELIERS. AUSTRALIANS IN THE WAR. There have been many war books in the last 15 years, and the great struggle has been dealt with from every conceivable angle. Few of these books, however, have dealt- with that great feat of arms in which the Now Zealanders and Australians were engaged in Sinai and Palestine. For this reason, if for no other, "The Fighting Cameliers," by Frank Eeid (Bill Bowyang), should be much enjoyed, for it deals with that romantic body drawn from almost every unit in the force, Anzacs", Indians and English yeomen joined to do work that could be done only on specially-trained camels. If a book which shirks nothing of the horrors and miseries of war may be described as rollicking, "The Fighting Cameliers" deserves that adjective. It is a man's story of the living and dying of brave men, a story filled with blunt and honest pathos, and with humour of, perhaps, not the most subtle kind. The style is easy and conversational, with no straining after literary effect, but there are rare moments when the author, by bis very sincerity, rises above his intentions, and presents a picture that cannot easily bo forgotten. Not the least interesting part of this tale is .the sidelight thrown on the camels, their queer characters and expression, their "smellfulness," and their unpleasant habit -of going insane. "The Fighting Cameliers" contains enough of history from, t-he per* sonal angle to interest the war student in one of the unusual phases of modern warfare and a sufficiency of bright anecdote to entertain the casual reader. The publishers are Angus and Robertson, Ltd. <

"1 WAS A PAGAN." Scverfcl books dealing with the Oxford Group Movement have been published by Ho.dder and Stoughton, Ltd., and the latest from their press, "I Was a Pagan," by V. C. Kitchen, are fully as interesting—both to the seeker .after guidance aind to the student of contemporary life — as any of its predecessors. "Pleasure Possessions, Power, Position, and Applause," were the goals of life whicti the author says he pursued in the days when he was a pagan. He was born in New York, and, in due time, became a successful business man. He portrays, with considerable skill, the vulgarity ofthe ideals which dominated him and multitudes of other peoplo in the United States and elsewhere. In the course of time, he found himself w!:croughly disillusioned with life, and sought some basis on which to build lasting happiness. He found that philosophy, morality ,and much traditional religion gave him fine ideals—die sense that he needed to grow a soul —but the power to do the good seemed to be lacking. He found himself in the very ancient dilemma, "I see the good, and approve it, but I do the worse." At last the discovered the power that could transform his life in the Group Movement, which attempts to "change lives" on Christian principles, as set forth by Dr. Buckinan.

"LIFE BEGINS AT FORTY." A book that will be of interest to readers of all ages is "Life Begins at Forty," by Walter B. Pitkin, Professor hi Journalism at Columbia. University,' New York. It is a collection of lectures on the subject delivered during the last few years. It is of that order'that is so popular in the United States just now, over 100,000 copies ■having been sold in nine months, the edition under notice being the first Australian edition, published by Angus and Robertson, professor Pitkin combats the fallacy that people are old at forthy. Hte shows what the middle years have in store for any person of intelligence and courage. His book is no easy lesson in happinesss, but a wise, vigorous, good humoured appeal to men and women to enjoyi to the full the great riches that lio latent in every life beyond forty. " / / "BACKBONE." ~~~ ; The little book, "Backbone," extracts collected from various sources by S. deWitt Clough, has proved so successful that Augus and Robertson, Ltd., have published another edition, containing also a reprint of another popular booklet, Elbert Hubbard's "A 'Message to Garcia." "Backbone" is i described as "a straight-up antidote , for the blues and a straight-ahead sure cure for grouch." To that section of readers who find pleasure in epigrams and extracts of a philosophical and helpful nature, "Backbone" can bo safely recommended. i