THE BOOKSHELF.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 185, 6 August 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE BOOKSHELF.

NEWS AND REVIEWS.

STUDY OP B. H. liA WHENCE ENGLISH ACTOR'S MEMORIES. On page one "Cyrano" "writes on novelists and life, and incidentally reviews Mr. Hugh Walpole's "Letters to a Modern Novelist." It is altogether a mistake to define economy as meaning parsimony, hoarding, or cheeseparing. Economy is a state of mind, a philosophy, a point of view. —Sir Ernest Benn. We do our best to make democracy impossible by starting with a fasehood: "The voice of the people ('our nation') is the voice of God." It is much as though a navigator were to say: "There are no reefs." —Sir Norman Angell. Mr. Hector Bolitho's "Albert the Good" has been ranked as one of the biographies of the year. It was recommended by the British Book Society »s the book of the week. Mr. Bolitho recently won a "Spectator" short story competition, and work of his has been selected by the editor of "The Best Short Stories of 1932." He has also been, asked to lecture at Heidelberg and Bonn. Of special interest to yachtsmen —and women—in Taffrail's "Cypher K" (Hodder and Stoughton). This post-war story is that of a stolen navy cypher (Code K), in the recovery of which a retired R.N. officer concerns himself. He and his friends cruise, in a 20-ton boat, along the south and south-east coasts of England, having most un-English adventures and finally calling upon police and British Navy for assistance. The two girls aboard are thoroughly English, and enjoy a "scrap" with the criminals involved. This Teviewer knows much of the coastline described and admires the descriptive talent of the author. In Havers, the R.N. seaman, who is the crew of the yacht, Ta{Trail has created a character certain to gain the remembrance and affection of all readers. Naval men must know this able author well, and yachtsmen will find "Cypher K" a welcome addition to their library.