BOOKS AND AUTHORS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 195, 19 May 1928, Page 27

BOOKS AND AUTHORS

by

"LIBER.”)

Give a man a pipe he can smoke. Give a man a book he can read: And his home is bright with a calm delight Though the room be poor indeedJAMES THOMSON.

BOOKS OF THE DAY .

A Novelist’s Memories. There is an all-pervading frankness, a frankness never ill-natured, and which is distinctly refreshing, in a book of autobiographical reminiscence, about Sir Anthony Hope Hawkins’s “Memories and Notes” (Hutchinson and Co). The author, Mr. Anthony Hope, as he is still best known to most people, was educated at St. John’s School for Sons of Poor Clergy, at Clapton, a school of which his father was headmaster, and thence went to Marlborough, and later to Balliol, Oxford, of which he was a scholar. His father was at one time the vicar of St. Brides, and as a member of that Saville Club so beloved by “R.L.5.,” had been a London acquaintance of the owner of Vailima, a letter from Stevenson warmly congratulating author of “The Prisoner of Zenda,” being found on R.L.S.’s desk at Vailima after his death. There are some interesting reciniscences of the famous Jowett, of Arnold Toynbee, F. W. Pember (the Hon. W. P. Reeve’s uncle), Arthur Acland, J. A. Spender, L. T. Hobhouse, and other Ballion men, and man. interesting memories of the old teresting memories of the old Oxford Union, the author himself being a Liberal, more Radical than Whiggish type, and being elected President, fellow members ot the great debating society being Lord Robert Cecil, who, though an ardent Conservative, had nominated Hawkins for the chair, A. E. W. Mason, like Hawkins himself, to be of some note as a novelist, and others to make their mark on the world. There is a pleasant chapter Oh “London and the Law,” but it was more as a novelist than as a barrister that "Anthony Hope” was to make a special success. He dabbled in politics, was an unsuccessful Liberal candidate for Parliament, but after “devilling” for such •a then well-known special pleader as the late Lord Oxford, then Mr. Asquith, he succumbed to what must have been g natural ambition for authorship, and made his name with the public with his witty “Dolly Dialogues,” and his first Ruritania novel “The Prisoner. of Zenda,” and henceforth the rights and wrongs of John Doe and Richard Roe troubled him not. A long succession of _ novels must have secured him a good income. The Ruritania novels were particularly popular, but he seems to consider “Quisante,” in which Disraeli was drawn as satirical portrait, is his favourite. His Ruston in “Hie God in the Car” was widely held to have been drawn from Cecil Rhodes, but Sir Anthony says that a friend sending the story to the South African magnate, Rhodes returned it with the remark, “I am not such a brute as that.” Sir Anthony seems to have met a host of interesting peo pie, and gives us in “London Mixtures,” a number of sharply etched portraits of eminent statesmen, judges, authors and others. In "American Interludes” he gossips pleasantly over his experiences of two trips across the Atlantic. A modest but very entertaining volume. (10s.) Crime—lts Detection and Punishment.

i’wo recent books of considerable interest, not only to the professed student of criminology and penology, but to all who are concerned with social reform, are “From Kew Observatory to Scotland Yard,” by Ex-Chief-Inspec-tor W. C. Gough, of the Criminal Investigation Department (Hurst and Blackett), and “Quod,” by Major Wallace Blake (Hodder and Stoughton). Himself the son of a policeman—“A Pup of the Truncheon,” he was often styled, by his Scotland Yq.rd associates—lnspector Gough, after a brief experience at Kew, joined the Metropolitan Constabulary at the age of nineteen, and thence, to the time Of his retirement, was privileged to take part in many very important police inquiries and prosecutions. Starting with reminiscences of his first murder Case, a man named Nobby being charged with murder in a little slum behind Drury Lane, a. case which ended by ii sentence of death, afterwards, owing to intense public clamour, altered to one of imprisonment for life,

the author relates his experiences of the Ardlamont case, when, under Scots law, a verdict of "not proven” was returned against a tutor named Monson, charged with the murder of his wealthy young pupil. The once-famous Yarmouth Beach murder, and a series of other notorious criminal sensations are recorded, the author’s clearness of narrative being accompanied by many humorous points in connection with the cases dealt with, the fine dramatic interest attached to many of which is cleverly outlined. Major Wallace Blake, the author of

“Quod” (Hodder and Stoughton) sets forth the story of his life in the servies of the British Prisons Department. After serving in the East African Protectorate for a few years, finally as magistrate and administrator, he started life afresh in “a home job,” in the humble capaity of prison warder (6 a.m. to 7.45 p.m.), at Chelmsford Gaol, thence going on to Borstal to Camp Hill Prisons, ending up by sevewhose book have already appeared in nil years at Pentonville, there becoming complete his training. After this he spent some time at Parkhurst and governor. Major Blake, extracts from

“Th 6 Dominion,” writes most entertainingly about his many years’ experience of prison control, telling innumerable curious and often very humorous stories about his “charges,” and making clear his opinion that many of his prisoners were deserving of no small pity and .even sympathy. (Pried of each book, 225.)

Kiel and Jutland. Much has already appeared, both from British and German sources, as to the world-famed naval Battle of Jutland, but an English translation of Commander Georg Von Hase’s book, “Kiel and Jutland,” by Arthur Chambers, of F. A. Holt (Skellington), will be read with considerable interest. The German author had acted as liaison

officer to the British fleet at Kiel in June 1914, and but a few months later was gunnery officer on the German battle-cruiser Derfflinger, and acted in that capacity at the Battle of Jutland. How in the earlier stages of the battle the German cruisers, a weaker force than Admiral Beatty’s force, nevertheless succeeded in inflicting the most terrible damage upon the latter, is set forth in some detail. Von Hase from his position in the lighting top of the Derfflinger witnessed what was unquestionably a truly awful disaster to the British ships. He writes, for instance, of what he saw of the action with the third battle-cruiser squadron: At this moment the veil of mist in front of us split across like the curtain at a theatre. Clear and sharply silhouetted against the uncovered part of the horizon we saw a powerful battleship with two funnels between the Frnasts, and a third close against the forward tripod mast. She was steering an almost parallel course to ours at top speed. ... At 8.31 p.m., the Derfflinger fired her last salvo at this ship, and then, for the third time, we witnessed the dreadful spectacle that we had already seen in the case of the Queen Mary and the Defence. As with the other ships, there occurred a rapid succession Of heavy explosions, masts collapsed, debris was hurled into the air, a gigantic column of black smoke rose towards the sky, and from the parting sections Of the ship coal dust spurted in all directions. Flames enveloped the ship, fresh explosions followed, and behind this murky cloud our enemy vanished from our sight. Von Hase’s narrative is what we might expect from a German author in being somewhat theatrical, but One could scarcely call it boastful. He himself claims to relate events solely from an unbiassed, historical point of view, and “to describe the course of the action, so far as I was able to judge, from my observation, as it really developed.” The narrative, so intensely dramatic in the details recorded, is illustrated bv reproductions of many striking effective photographs. (10s.)

LIBER’S NOTEBOOK

The new Kipling, “A Book of Words,” is out in three editions, the best, I shall always think, the pocket edition issued by Macmillan, who have been “Kip’s”, publishers from the earlies days when be came to England from India, where his earliest stories and sketches appeared in an Anglo-Indian newspaper. I hope to give full information next week as to the new volume, in which are collected a number of the lectures and addresses delivered by Kipling on various occasions Viscount Grey of FallOden, once a famous statesman, but now living a life of leisure, largely devoted to angling and literature, is blessed with a wife who shares his love of the latter. Lady Grey’s new book, “The White Wallet,” is, I understand, in the nature of an anthology, being a collection of her favourite passages in literature. Her son, by her first marriage, Stephen Tennant, has done s number of artistic designs for the book, which should be out here shortly. Macmillan includes two of Lady Russell’s best books, the ever-popular “Elizabeth and Her German Garden,” which she wrote in the days when she was the Countess Von Arnim, and the delightful sketch of her residence in Italy, “Enchanted April.” Clever Stella Benson’s “A Poor Man,” is also included in the fresh batch. Macmillans have published so many excellent books in their day, that they have a goodly store of *ld favourites, which would be very welcome in their new “Caravan Library” (4s. 6d.). Yet another book on Capri is to be published, an English translation, by three English authors, Norman Douglas, Francis Brett Young, and Louis Golding, Of Edwin Cherio’s "That Capri Air.” Mr. Thomas Sidey will no doubt be an interested New Zealand purchaser of a murder story, “The Bellamy Trial,” by Frances Noyes Hart, for although Thomas is himself, the most peace-loving of men, the subject of “daylight saving” is, I read, an important factor in the novel. A subtle jokelet is from “New York Times Book Review,” “Indispensable to-day for every automobile, With traffic conditions as they are, is a volume of short stories I” For some years I have possessed and greatly prized a rare 17th century book, Sir Henry WottOn’s “Reliquiae Wottonianae,” a collection of essays, biographical sketches and letters by Sir Henry Wotton, who was a great friend of the diarist. John Evelyn. My copy is the third edition (1685) and cost me 18s. It has a special interest

in being prefaced by an essay on Wotton by good Master Izaak Walton, of “Complete Angler” fame. I now see that a copy of this book was sold at the Holford Library for £4O. But then, you see, it carried an inscription running: “Ffor Honest Will. Isles, Iz. Wa.” Which makes all the difference in values.

Somerset Maughan’s new story, the first “three decker” for a long time from the author of “The Moon and Sixpence,” relates to the English secret service, and is entitled “Ashenden.” I shall always consider the novelist’s best work to be his earlier story, “Of Human Bondage,” which, by the way, few of our booksellers seem to stock. Another new Heinemann novel which should be worth reading is Francis Brett Young’s “The Key of Life,” a “novel of Egypt.” Werner Laurie announces a novel by Edgar C. Middleton, as. “POtiphar’s Wife,” the novel of the play which shocked the critics.”

Three novels which are having a big run in London are Sheila Kaye Smith’s “Iron and Smoke” (Cassell), E. Tennyson Jesse's “Many Latitudes,” and Clemence Dane’s “The Babyons,” both the latter published by Heinemann.

Before he died the late Stanley Weyman completed a new novel, “The Lively Peggy,” which is concerned with the fortunes of a privateer sailing but Of a South of England port about the beginning of the last century, and Of certain people dependent on it. The story is due for publication in September next. Not long before he died Weyman wrote to a friend that he was amusing himself “in a tentative way, for life at my ago Is uncertain, with a romance of the French Court in the last years of Louis the Fourteenth.” “But,” he added, “it is doubtful if I shall complete it.” I hope he did.

SOME RECENT FICTION

Two Constable Novels. val Gielgud’s. “Blgck Gallantry” (Constable), has a prologue dealing with the ill-fated Polish revolution of the Victorian .’sixties, the death bf old Stanislas Konski preceding the life history of his two children, John and Jadwiga. Jadwiga’s character permeates the story of her grandson Ladistas, who visits Poland after the war, the latter-day section of a well-told novel beginning at Warsaw in 1920, Russian Bolsheviks and the Polish patriots playing important parts in the family drama which closes with the murder of that curiously constituted Konski, Michael, by the Reds, and the return to England,' as a Polish commissioner, of LadislaS. This is a story greatly out of the ruck of postwar fiction, giving useful pictures Of Poland and the Ukrainians, and others who have vainly tried to cast off the tryannous thralldom of the MOSCOW “Reds.”

Peter Oldfield’s story, “The-Death of a Diplomat” (Constable), has Geneva as itb background, its thOifle the murder of a German diplomat, and the disappearance ot a valuable document, none less than the draft of a FraficoGerman secret treaty, the purpose of which is the establishing of permanently peaceful relations between the old enemies. The leading actor In the drama is John Lavingtbn, a young Englishman, the missing document, sought after frantically by both French and German eventually falling into the hands of a very charming lady journalist, a special correSpdondent of a great New York daily. How her newly-evoked love for Lavingtbn leads her to refrain from cabling thb “scoop” to New York, how bhe is kidnapped—with the treaty supposed to be in her possession, and how a sOries of most sensational adventures end in the treaty being found to have passed, unknown to him, into Lavington’s possession, and of the results, political and sentimental, of Betty Marshall’s devotion —all this is set forth in an exceptionally well-written and stirring story, the local colour of which has evidently been obtained at first hand. Some Hodder Fiction.

Hodder and Stoughton continue to publish very readable novel?, almost too rapidly for the reviewers to deal with. The latest batch includes a story by Patrick Wynneton, “Zia,” which has a Ruritanan State as background, and records the amazing, adventures of a rlcli young Englishipati, who fails in loVe with the wife of a political intriguer, and thd would-be Dictator of Calendhante. His passion fpr Zia leads him into plots and counterplots, and adventurous episodes innumerable, all set fqrth in a«narrative the fine swing of which does credit to the author’s imagination. The “Carved Trail,” by Arthur Preston Hankins (Hodder), commences in the underworld of San Francisco, and deals with the strange incidents in which a “hobo” herd is concerned, he undertaking to find a man who is the long-lost heir of a Californian magnate. The Story is well told, its principal feature being a series of cleverly drawn pictures of “hobo,” or tramp life. In its own style this is an exceptionally well-written novel.

Edison Marshall’s “The Far Call” (Hodder and Stoughton) is a powerfully written story of seal hunting on St. Paul Island out in the North Pacific. Stirring adventure, grim realism, dramatic pictures .of warring sealers plus a romantic love interest. Patricia Wentworth, the author of “Will d’ the Wisp” (Hodder) is a much-practised novelist, whosp madcap heroine Folly (the nickname of Flora March) makes, as her husband feared, his family “sit up” and gets iiifo mdre than one scrape, in which David faithfully stands by her. There are mutual misunderstandings ‘ and some awkward cdmplications, but Miss Wentworth cleverly rfescues both heroine and hero from the difficult situations, and the end should satisfy all goocl Sentimentalists The Constant Simp.

Nell Martin’s “Constant Simp” (Werner Laurie) is described on its jacket as an uproariously amusing story, and although palpably Of American origin, the heroine a “cheeky” young typist, Styling the constable who objects to her style of motor driving, “you graftin’ old skate,” and is evidently an expert in the art of the great American language, the yarn of her winning through to a permanent position in the office of a highly respectable lawyer is funny efiough in places to afford a few hours’ good entertainment. Novels Received.

For the present, at least, lack of space prevents my doing more than merely acknowledging receipt of “In Search of Herself,” by Mrs. Stewart Erskine (Herbert Jenkins); “The Castle of Doubt,” by Ysabel de Teresa” and “The Back Seat Driver,” by Alice Grant" Rosman, both from Mills and Boon; "The Faithful Wife” (John Long), and “S.O.S. Queenie,” a short of short stores (Hurst and Blackett).