LITERARY PERSONALITIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 192, 15 August 1931, Page 14 (Supplement)

LITERARY PERSONALITIES

Wc are interested to see that Mr D. B. Wyndham Lewis has entitled his new book Welcome to Ah'This. Ou behalf of Mr Robert Graves w r e acknowledge the compliment to Good-bye to AU That. We recently saw Mr Graves’ book referred to as a classic autobiography. We are not prepared to say that this is true. Time has a way of reversing literary judgments. An unsuccessful book may be the classic of to-morrow, whereas the book which is highly successful immediately on its publication is often a book of the day and not a book which is read in fifty years’ time. We incline to the opinion that Good-bye to All That has the quality of permanence. Julian iDuguid, the author of “Green Hell,” is now back in Brazil again. The object of his expedition this time is to film tiger and wild animal life and if possible to capture some cubs for various European Zoological Societies. The leader of the party is Tiger-man of “Green Hell” fame. Tiger-man’s luck has deserted him for the time being, for during the first hunt by night he was badly bitten by an alligator. However, he is expected to have recovered by the time Mr IDuguid reaches him at the Ranch Esqualvados, two hundred miles up river from Corumna. On the voyage ou to New York on the Aquitania, Mr Duguid met Sir Wilfred Grenfell, who tried to persuade him to go to Labrador after his next expedition in South America. At the beginning of the autumn season Messrs Ernest Benn will publish a study of “Air Gladstone as Financier and Economist,” by Mr Francis Hirst. Tho author has had at his disposal not. only all the public utterances of Air Gladstone, but many of his private papers and official records. Herr Emil Ludwiu. the German biographer of Napoleon, vtoethe, Bismarck, Lincoln, and others, has decided to resume his orignal name of Cohn. He says this name is “distinguished and honourable, and nobody who bears it has any reason to be ashamed of it.” At present in Germany it requires courage to confess to being a Jew, for antiSemitism, it is said, has probably never been more rabid anywhere than it is now in that country. ‘ lhe Tragedy of Winston Churchill.”' a critical study by Mr Victor Wallace I Germains, will shortly be published, and ! is being looked forward to in some ! quarters as the most provocative book' of the season .

Mr Douglas Gordon, the author-natur. alist, who specialises in the study of the wild life of (Devon and Cornwall, has written a book on “Dartmoor In All Its Moods” which will delight all lovers of the West. It tells us of the history, customs, flora and fauna of this great moor in ill the changing seasons of the year, and is illustrated with photographs and. with reproductions of water colours by Lord Gorell. It -will, be published by Mr Murray on July 8.