INFANCY OF AVIATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 90, 12 October 1940, Page 19

INFANCY OF AVIATION

Mr. Harry Harper, author of "Lords of the -Air," who was the Aeronautical Correspondent of a great national newspaper before most people had begun to think seriously of aeronautical affairs, has put his recollections of early days into attractive form. They introduce most of the pioneers and bring to the tales of their adventures the intimate touch which personal acquaintance alone can add. Mr. Harper knew most of them. He saw the beginnings of British flying at Hendon, Brooklands, and Eastchurch. He attended the early flying meetings. He watched Bleriot succeed in his attempt at crossing the Channel, and Latham fail. He chased Louis Paulhan and Grahame White across England on their race from London to Manchester. And he was closely associated with Cody. He has stories ti> tell of all the early figures, and he contrives to convey in easy fashion an impression of their characters and personalities to the reader. But he has also remained in touch with developments in .British flying right up to the present and he traces the growth of commercial air transport in the years since 1918. The book is pleasant to read and it contains enough of the flavour of assured reminiscence to recreate the atmosphere of days when there were excitements and grave risk in flying.

Rather more than two years ago "The Post" reviewed,' under the heading "The World's Only Hope," an interesting book, "The Marvels of Bible Prophecy," by Major-General H. N, Sargent. The work, which displayed a wide and deep knowledge of the Scriptures, together with a parallel command of history, attracted much attention at the time—l93B—and ran into several impressions. In this changing world there is a natural desire on the part of people to link up events with predictions and prophecies derived from a study of the one book universal to all nations. The second edition of General Sargent's work carries his studies further, and the concluding chapters on the "Signs of the Times" and "Lest We Forget" bring the volume up to date. It may well prove a consolation in days of stress. The publishers are the Covenant Publishing Co., Ltd., London.'