BOOK NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 258, 28 September 1935, Page 12

BOOK NOTES

LATEST PUBLICATIONS. “1001 Wonderful Things” (edited by Walter Hutchinson, M.A., F.R.G.S., F.R.S.A., F.R.A.1., F.Z.S.).—This is stated to be an entirely new venture in modern publishing, a pictorial record of the world, and a veritable storehouse of visual knowledge. New and old marvels are shown in pictures and lucidly explained in pithy legends. There is no text in the usual sense. It is just a book full of beautiful, interesting pictures, with brief explanations for those who like to be well informed. This is an age of giant strides in discovery and invention, and consequently the field of general knowledge lias been considerably widened. This book adds to one’s education, and it has a very definite value for the younger generation. It brings into view the rare sights of far-away travel, deals with some of the amazing features of natural history and insect life, the wonders of the heavens, plant life, human histology, art, antiqniiengineoring, sculpture, science and architecture, including the beautiful shrines of India. Our copy is from Messrs W r hitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., through Messrs G. H. Bennett and. Co., Ltd.

“Erie Water” (W T alter D. Edmunds).—This is a moving story of a great enterprise and of two young lovers, following the romantic narrative of the building of the great canal which made New York supreme among American cities. It tells of men and women of fine character, humour, and Idiosyncrasy. “Erie Water” is a narrative brimful of American characters. Farmer folk, revolutionary veterans, a wandering revivalist, engineers, masons, innkeepers, light-fingered people, gang bosses and rough-and-tumble bosses —the whole procession passes by, first with the jingle of the Pennsylvania l>ells, later with the horn notes of the Canal boats. The “great ditch” had its own taprooms, its legends and songs, and its heyday was a glamorous one, unimpeachably American. The romance of all tliis is laid bare. The canal is really the hero of the storv. We see it digging as it cuts through swamps, hillsides and woods; we see the locks being made, the water creep in, and the boats come down the ways. Our copy is from Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., through Messrs G. H. Bennett and Co., Ltd. “Explosion” (P. G. Wren). —The brilliant author of “Beau Geste,” “Beau Sabruer,” “Stepsons of France,” and other exciting narratives of the desert needs no introduction. The motive and puissant action of the book is revealed by its dedication to the friends of India, and that the sole “political aspirations” of its three hundred million peasants —the peace, the the justice and the protection provided by the British Raj may forever remain to them undisturbed, unweakened, and unchanged. This is a fairly new type of book by P. C. Wren. It concerns the India of to-day and, while avoiding propaganda, gives a picture of the methods whereby, a certain class of politicallyminded, unscrupulous Indian agitator hopes and intends to overthrow the British Government The book, with its story of love, adventure, terror, and plot, is vitally interesting because of the understanding, insight, and broadminded sympathy shown by the author. Our copy is from Messrs Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd., through Messrs G. H. Bennett and Co., Ltd. “Feathered Friends.” —This, the annual of the Gould League of Bird Lovers of New South Wales, is claimed to be, and rightly so, the cheapest, most informative, and most t artistic publication as yet produced in the world at the price. It lias an attractive cover and contains six coloured illustrations from the brush of Neville W. Cayley, F.R.Z.S., and twelve pictures by Australia’s leading nature photographers. Alee H. Chisholm, F.R.Z.S., author of Bird Wonders in Australia, contributes an article entitled “Australia’s Birds on a World’s Basis”; K. A. Hindwood writes a very informative article on the strange habits of the white-eared honey-eater; P. A. Gilbert, the wellknown ornithologist, makes a delightful contribution on the heath wren; Norman Chaffer tells and illustrates with liis photographs the story of the satin bower bird; M. S. 11. Sharland describes the enchanting life-history of Australia’s wonder bird, the lyretail ; David Leithhead gives an illuminating description of the habits and economy, of the black-backed magpie ; and Neville W. Cayley writes of his observations on the pretty blue wren. Our copy is from Messrs Angus and Robertson, Ltd., Sydney. With the title “Unemployment in New Zealand,” Mr A. H. Larkman, A.M.I. Mech. E., M.I. Mar. E., F.R.G.S., of Hawera, has issued m booklet form a series of newspaper articles written some years ago and since brought up to date, in which he examines the problem of unemployment and makes suggestions for its cure. The suggestions propounded are provocative of much thought, and it is easily discernible that here is a student who concerns himself with fundamentals and seeks to go far beyond palliatives for the situation. One interesting theory put forth is that the numbers of unemployed could be materially reduced by education up to a later age, • and a scheme for the individual to cease work earlier in life. Such subjects as technological employment' the rehabilitation of idle youth, the school leaving age and vocational training, as well as the financial aspect of the issue, are dealt with in detail.

DICTATORSHIP IN EUROPE. “The Way of the Dictators,” by Lewi's Broad and Leonard Russell. Mr Broad and Mr Russell have written a book which in virtue of its impartiality and strict truthfulness stands out from the mass oUcomment on the most controversial figures ot contemporary life. Themselves 1 arliamentarians, they are concerned to inquire whether the conditions which have produced dictatorships in Europe are likely to manifest themselves in England—a question which they answer with a slightly qualified negative. Hitler and Mussolini, described by Mr Broad and Mr Russell .as the “constitutional” dictators, open the book. The study of Hitler gains from the attention paid to his beginnings and to his readiness to learn from experience. What experience taught him was that Germany could be won by. propaganda, but only on condition that its control was absolutely in his own hands. There is something uncanny in Hiller s power of using events to influence opinion. Mussolini is a more enigmatic figure, on the one hand a supreme opportunist, on the other the greatest Italian since the days of Imperial Rome. The other essays include a remarkable tribute ’ to' Ivin'g Alexander, and an equally remarkable sketch of the voung Mustapha Kemal. There are also sympathetic accounts of 1 llsudski and of President Roosevelt. In their final chapter the authors salute Mr Baldwin as “democracy s reply to the dictators,” and also note that Mr Lloyd George, who contributes an introductory letter, did much to avert unrest and disorder by introducing the system of unemployment insurance.