Napier

New Zealand Tablet, 26 November 1908, Page 14

Napier

(By Telegraph from our own correspondent.) November 23. The Catholic Club has opened a tennis court in ■ conjunction with the club. The opening ceremony took' .place on Saturday, there being a large attendance: It is i the .. intention of tlie committee to prepare three courts for -play, the work being already in hand. -The Catholic Club tendered a reception to Mr. J. C. Gleeson, ex-secretary of the club, who has just returned from the United Kingdom and America. The early part of the evening was devoted to -euchre, interspersed with, musical items, after which light refreshments were handed round by the committee". During the evening songs were given by Miss V. Higgins, Mrs. ■ Treston, "and Mr. T. Liddle. Messrs. Collins and Langford danced an Irish jig and reel. Mr." A. Mullaney won the euchre prize, and Miss Murphy was presented • with a prize won at the previous tournament. An oratorical contest was Held by ' the members of the club for the - New Zealand diploma, and fa " watch presented by one of the members. Mr. J. .W. Coe was' successful in winning the contest, and took as his subject ' Napoleon.' Mr. R. P. Clarkson, M.A., acted as judge.

, After ten years* preparation, and an expenditure of £70,000, The Times [London"] hat published this year, under the- title of «' The Historian? History of the World," a booh which meets what has long been tlie most notable want in English literature — a history of mankind. Judging from the importance, the supreme importance, of the subject, and the appeal which -it makes to every man and woman, one might well expect to find in every house, where books are read at all, some history which had already taken its place as a standard work. So little is this the case, however, that anything but the most fragmentary and one-sided knowledge of history is the rarest attainment. The comvion experience of the human race — if anything is profitable to know, it must surely be this, and if use did not blind the eyes to odd phenomena, it would seem a very strange thing that even the man who is exceptionally well informed has to admit that most of what has hap" pened in the world remains unknown to him. Strange, indeed, for it is his own story, embracing the best knowledge that the world holds, and constituting such a narrative as not the most exciting fiction can match for interest. For the manner in which the Historians' History of the World achieves its task, the reader is referred to the 84-page pamphlet which the Times has issued, and sends gratis and post free upon request, in order that everyone may form his own independent judgment. With a very full description of the work, and the manner of its composition, there are also included a large number of specimen pages and illustrations, and an outline of the contents of each volume. From this pamphlet the reader will see that the Historians' History of the World is the result of a vast scheme of collaboration ; that the first living authorities in every branch of historical knowledge have assisted in its composition, which yet retains the best of the priceless work done by their predecessors ; that it realises the ideal of presenting history as one consecutive whole from first to last, and in all countries, yet with Buch8 uch detail that the treatment of each country in the History is as full as that to be found in any standard history dealing with a separate country ; that the narrative begins with the earliest known records of man, forty or more centuries before Christ, and comes down to the year 1908. Above all, the reader will tee that throughout the entire work, the prime object has been to give history — or rather to

One word, however, must be added as to the sale of the Historians' History of the World. It wad the desire of the Times to • place within easy reach of all a work which appeals with equalattraction to all sorts and conditions of men. It has attained its object in this respect by naming a price which is about one-sixth of the" prices ordinarily charged for books, and by rendering this low price payable in sma.ll instalments. For a first payment of only 716 the r.nviplet* 25 volumes (with the oak bookcase if required) will he delivered, carriage free and purchase may be completed in a series of monthly payments of the same small amount. The History -is thus indeed brought within the means of anyone who wishes to have it. . . „Bxit this low price and these easy terms are named only in respect of copies for which, prompt application is received. The subscription list for the United Kingdom closed on June Bth last, and already the price of the Hintory to London has b> en raited by £3 2s. 6d. The subscription list which opened in New -Zealand on October 10, will now- very soon be closed, and then

the price of the History will be raised by a similar amount in New" Zealand also, plus the cost of freight from London. You Bhould therefore use the Inquiry Form AT ONCE, and so *make the acquaintance of the work while it may be secured at the lowest price, and upon subscription terms. - Inquiry Form — To The Times, (London), N.Z. Office, 2 Harris Street, Wellington. Please send me, jiost free, the Bi-pUge pamphlet describing " The Historians' JZistory of the World" and form of subscription at prevent, introductory price. JYamc •>••"* R. Address- .«■

allow it fully to retain — its great quality of strong: human interest. For variety of individual character, intensity of situations, swift Sequence of events, history far surpasses in interest the most exciting' romance, and-in the volumes of the Historians' History the possessor will have a library of the most entertaining, as well as of the most profitable, reading. The 84-page pamphlet gives ample data from which to form an independant and satisfactory judgment of the History. In addition, those who are able to do so, are cordially invited to inspect the volumes themselves, which by the courtesy of the newspapers mentioned, are on view in the following places : -*• Auckland — New Zealand Herald ; Christchurch — The Pre°s ; Dunedin — Otago Daily Times ; and in Wellington at the N.Z Office of the Times (London) 2 Harris Street, corner of Jervois Quay.

ANS' HISTORY OF THE WORLD " IN THE OAK BOOKCASE WHICH STANDS 4ft. HIGH. The volumes measure Zo£ inches high, 7 inches wide and 2\ inches thick.