KIWIS ON TOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26200, 10 July 1946, Page 2

KIWIS ON TOUR

TRAVELS IN WAR-TIME

Kiwis on Tour in Egypt and Italy. By A. S. Helm. Whitcombe and Tombs. Illustrated. 13s 6d. The author of Fights and Furloughs in the Middle East had a long record of service when he returned to New Zealand towards the end of 1943, but as he was a member of the Ist Echelon, he returned only on furlough, and at the beginning of the following year he was again on his way overseas to serve for another year. The record of his doings during this time is now published in Kiwis on Tour in Egypt and Italy. Between Cairo and Florence there are an almost unequalled number of attractions for the visitor who is interested in history and art, and the author made as good use of his time as “ the exigencies of service ” permitted. He was fortunate in that his duties on this occasion enabled him to pursue his hobby of sight-seeing with greater ease than before. After a short period in Egypt, he was sent to Rome m charge of the trips and tours section of the Education and Rehabilitation Service. It was one case in which the army made use of a man who was particularly well qualified for his task. If Mr Helm personally benefited by this appointment, there were thousands of soldiers, not only New Zealanders, who owe to his knowledge and zeal the fact that they saw so much of historic Rome as they did in the usually limited time available to them. Although Mr Helm's first book dealt with more unusual material, and therefore offered greater opportunities to an author, this new book is in some ways a better one. He has profited by his writing experience, and he now handles his material more freely. There are, however, still several occasions when he abandons the personal style to incorporate rather long sections of purely historical material in the guide book style. Such material is certainly necessary, and the author has drawn his information from good sources, but it gives the impression of not having been properly assimilated into the narrative. One other quality which was notable in the first book is, fortunately, equally displayed in this one. This is the enterprise ' which he displayed in making long tours in short periods of leave, relying on his own “luck” for transport. Only one who has been similarly situated can appreciate the risks which were involved, not only in the consistent ignoring of military regulations, but also in- penetrating alone by day or night into insalubrious quarters in search of some interesting feature. While there was actually only one occasion on which the author landed in trouble—he was wandering by moonlight on the old walls of Cairo, well ‘“out of bounds” —there were on several occasions a possibility of actual danger, or at least of unpleasantness with military police. Mr Helm wrote much about Cairo in his first book, but he has here several highly interesting chapters of new material which give an indication of the richness of the field which this .city offers to the sight-seer—a field which, unfortunately, too many New Zealanders almost wholly ignored. The Coptic monastries at_ Wadi Natrun, although fairly accessible at the cost of a little effort, attracted very few soldier visitors. The "moulids,” or native festivals, were another fascinating aspect of Cairo life which was almost unknown, even to many residents of the city. It is good to notice that the author has paid a passing tribute to Mrs Devonshire, an authority on Moslem architecture, who. in spite of her advanced years, conducted weekly tours' around Cairo for the troops. Throughout the Great War and this war she gladly gave her time and knowledge with little official recognition or encouragement, finding her only reward in communicating her enthusiasm to her proteges. Most of the book is concerned with Mr Helm’s activities in Italy, and he has covered the country between Syracuse and Florence fairly thoroughly There are several chapters on Rome, but the highlights are his trips from Rome to Florence and from Rome south to Sicily. This latter was a particularly characteristic venture. There were many sights off the beaten path to be located, and there - were many interesting and amusing encounters by the way. „ , The book is well produced and contains a number of well-selected illustrations. D. G. B.