RECORD OF THE WAR YEARS

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 226, 20 June 1936, Page 23

RECORD OF THE WAR YEARS

“The Anvil of War,"” letters between F. S. Oliver and his brother, 19141918, edited by Stephen Gwynn (Loudon: Macmillan).

The name of F. S. Oliver is not one which the general public will associate readily with English political activities, yet actually Oliver, working always out of the limelight, was a great force in politics immediately before and during the war. He was an impressively brilliant man and he had much influence, not only by his writings, though by these—particularly “Ordeal by Battle”---he quickly became a recognised force, but also by his close’association with the men who were actually in the public eye. These letters which are now published, were written during the war years by Oliver to his brother in Canada. He was throughout the period intimately in touch , and consultation with those having the responsibility of directing the affairs of the nation. “I should say,” writes Mr. Gwynn in an introductory memoir, "that in the years of Mr. Lloyd George’s Ministry be was deeply though unofficially in the counsels of the War Cabinet.” The correspondence forms a record written week by week of happenings which could not be given in the public press, and an invaluable commentary on the men and actions of the time by one of the most acute minds in England.