HISTORY WITHOUT TEARS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22546, 13 April 1935, Page 4

HISTORY WITHOUT TEARS

CLENNELL WILKINSON'S "RUPERT" "Prince Rupert the Cavalier." By Clcnnell Wilkinson. London: Harrap. 12s 6d. Although it traces the career of Prince Rupert from his troublous beginnings in the Palace at Prague to his unexpectedly serene maturity and middle age, up to his early" death, this book is not a biography proper. As its name implies, it deals in greatest detail with that period of his history when the name " Cavalier might properly be applied to him; that is, the duration of the civil war in England, when he, who foreigner as he was had adopted England as his home, came over to help his uncle, Charles I, against his rebellious Commons. Mr Wilkinson lrmself remarks that every man in England, once he has learnt his history, is either a Cavalier or a Roundhead. The author himself is an ardent Cavalier, as of course he ought to be, to undertake such a biography. In consonance with this view he gives Charles a far better character than does the average historian, and adduces no little evidence in favour of his contention that Charles was a much shrewder general than is usually admitted. The relations of Rupert with his roval uncle are made the keynote of the book, as they were the most important influence in Rupert's life. Mr Wilkinson, whose earlier biographies ot Nelson and Bonnie Prince Charlie are among the best of their type, has made an excellent book of this very promising subject. He has given us the whole atmosphere of the time, and, without making either Rupert or Charles into saints, or" their opponents into rogues and ti&itors, has managed to enlist the reader's sympathies for the royalist cause, and to make crystal clear the reasons for Rupert's later adoption by the English nation as a great English figure. His popularity with London crowds after the Restoration was sometimes positively embarrassing. The author's explanation of the conversion of Rupert the fire-eat-ing cavalryman into Rupert the ultracautious admiral, and later Rupert the retiring courtier, is most convincing. He has in fact drawn such a complete and well-rounded portrait that one feels that his interpretation of that intriguing character must approach as near the truth as at this distance of time is reasonably possible. Perhaps the side of Rupert's character that was not concerned with soldiering is too lightly touched upon Love, art and chemistry (every schoolboy knows Prince Rupert's drops) are but glanced at in passing. But as these subjects are hardly within the scope of the book, to complain is perhaps like (bjecting at breakfast that there is no dessert. -And for such a book as this, entertainingly written, excellently documented and adequately illustrated, both the student of military history and the creneral reader who likes his history without tears should offer up only the most grateful thanks. P. H. W. N.