WHAT SOLDIERS READ

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2719, 14 March 1916, Page 3

WHAT SOLDIERS READ

Some interesting information on what tlio soldiers road was given by Miss Beatrice Harraden, the novelist, at tlio annual meeting of the National Home Reading Union at the University of London, Soutli Kensington, states the "Daily Mail." Miss llarraden is joint librarian, at tlio military hospital, Endell Street, W.C., tlio only military hospital in this country which is entirely officered by women.

Miss Harraden quoted some of the orders which had been given by men:

Nat Gould, "Regiments at the Front"; Robert Burns's Poems, a book on bird life, "Tho Last Days of Poinj po',"' •'The Wide World Magazine,a scientific book, the "Spectator," Marie Corelli, "Treasure Island," "Kidnap• ped," Rider Haggard, "a good detec-. tivo story," "something to make you laugh," Browning's Poems, "Sexton Blake," "an ordinary novel," "The Prisoner of Zeuda," "Modern High Explosives," Pickens, "a book on horsebreaking," "Cage Birds," "Sherlock Holmes." "The History of "vlystiefiSSi," Tolstoy's "Resurrection," and' "The Pilgrim's Progress."

Thomas Hardy was sometimes asked for, aiifl text-books on wireless telegraphy and scientific subjects were also in request. Ail interesting' fact noted by Miss Harraden was that men asked for books the stories of which they had seen on kinematograph films. She thought that if good-books were thus shown on the kinematograph the books themselves would bo read afterwards and enjoyed.