ENGLISH CHOICES FOR GIFT BOOKS

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26593, 1 December 1951, Page 3

ENGLISH CHOICES FOR GIFT BOOKS

[From the London Correspondent of “The Pres?”] Give a book for Christmas—but what? Here are the ideas of a writer in the bookselling journal “Smith’s Trade Circular” as to what are expected to be in the greatest demand in Britain in the coming weeks. He expects to sell a great number of “useful” books as against “general” books and novels. One notable exception is the war biography; another is the futuristic book.

Certain biographies not connected with war but by colourful personalities who have lived adventurous lives, he also expects to sell well. Best-selling novels will continue to be those stories which “could be” the type of novel that is based on fact. Most popular biographies he lists as: “The Big Show” bv Pierre Closterman (Chatto and Windus), “The Dam Busters” bv Paul Brickhill (Evans Bros.). “A King’s Story” by the Duke of Windsor (Cassell), “The Hinge of Fate” by Winston Churchill (Cassell), “His Eye is on the Sparrow” by Ethel Walters (W. N. Allen). “Rommel” by Desmond Young (Collins), “Ivor Novello” by Peter Noble (Falcon). The writer’s choice of “general” books is: “Conquest of Space” by Bonestell' and Ley, “Exploration of Space” bv Arthur Clarke (Temple Press), “Nature of the Universe” by Fred Hoyle (Blackwell), “The Mysterious Universe” by Sir James Jeans (C.U.P.), “Nelson’s Encyclopaedia” compiled by H. L. Gee (Nelson), “New Hopes for a Changing World” by Bertrand Russell (Allen and Unwin), “Modern Ballroom Dancing” by Victor Silvester (Jenkins), “American Cowboy Square Dance Book” by Clossin and Hertzog (Bell), “Treasury of Humorous Quotations” by Esar and Bentley (Phoenix House). Only two novels are expected to be in heavy demand. They are: “The Cruel Sea” by Nicholas Monsarrat (Cassell) and “Children of the Archbishop” by Norman Collins (Collins). Other novelties likely to be bought in numbers are: Monica Dickens (whose latest book “My Turn to Make the Tea” is selling well), Nevil Shute, C. S. Forester. Thorne Smith, Erskine Caldwell, James Hadley Chase, Edgar Wallace and Leslie Chatteris. Talking of continuing demand the vzriter mentions “The Kon-Tiki Expedition,” “The Wooden Horse, and the three biographies by Betty Macdonald: “The Egg and I ’ The Plague and I,” and “Anyone Can do Anything.” Finally, he emphasises again the popularitv of “useful technical books as presents. Another popular line will be long novels where the reader can settle down for a really worthwhile session.