“Dr. David Forsyth writes for the physiologist, the psychologist, the
schoolmaster, the medical officer of health, the school inspector, the
health missioner, and the medical man.... He recognizes that if the
teachers of boys have still much to learn, the teachers of girls are in
still greater need of instruction; for to a woman housekeeping and
child-rearing are of far greater importance than book learning.... The
later chapters, dealing with the illnesses of children, their diagnosis
and treatment are the direct outcome of Dr. Forsyth’s own
experience.”—Ath.
* * * * *
“The more it is studied and its teachings laid to heart, the better it
will be for the nation. Dr. Forsyth puts forward no extreme views,
because his wealth of knowledge about childlife enables him to survey
the whole subject from the broad standpoint of common sense.”
+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 269. S. 4. 180w.
“This volume should appeal to a large number of readers, medical and
lay, and its publication at the present time is opportune, for it brings
a sane and experienced judgment to the assistance of those who in a
public or private capacity are striving to solve the problems with which
it deals.”
+ =Nature.= 81: 454. O. 14, ’09. 520w.
“Dr. Forsyth has collected a quantity of facts which will certainly be
useful to students of school hygiene in general. But it is too long, and
many pages are devoted to matter so obvious that it is hard to pardon
the author for burdening his text with it; while elsewhere one
encounters subjects which, in the detail accorded to them, can only
appeal to physicians. Nevertheless, we may welcome the book, for it is
an earnest of newly awakened public interest in what can claim to be one
of the most urgent problems of the time.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 108: 354. S. 18, ’09. 1100w.
=Foster, Eugene Clifford.=^{[8]} Boy and the church. *75c. S. S. times
co.
9–18013.
Deals with the questions concerning the boy who is under some form of
religious training rather than with the reclamation of boys. The aim is
to determine the relationship between the boy and his adult advisers and
to learn how the church touches him at certain points in his experience.
* * * * *
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 40. O. ’09. ✠
“A capital little book of practical advice for grown-ups in their
well-meant efforts to be of help to boys.”
+ =Bib. World.= 34: 216. S. ’09. 20w.
=Foster, George Burman.=^{[5]} Function of religion in man’s struggle
for existence. *$1. Univ. of Chicago press.
9–12412.
Cleaving to the “sunnier side of doubt” the author addresses principally
people who have outgrown the traditional church faith, and who for
various reasons have given up church going. He shows that in the history
of the doctrine of the soul there have been three epochs, in each of
which the psychology of the period has assimilated itself to the method
and controlling concept of the natural science of the era, and that in
turn the thought of God has been determined by the psychologist. He
discusses the place of religion in experience, the stages in the
pilgrimage from the lower to the higher development, and the place or
function of the Great Man in religion.
* * * * *
“I cannot help feeling that Professor Foster’s book would have been more
successful, even than it has been, in its splendidly practical and
helpful purpose, had he faced more squarely the one really fundamental
question of religion.” J. B. Pratt.
+ − =Am. J. Theol.= 13: 473. Jl. ’09. 1000w.
+ =Bib. World.= 33: 432. Je. ’09. 90w.
“The title of Professor Foster’s apologia for theological liberalism
cannot be justified either by the contents of the book or by its method.
As a matter of fact, its discussion of religion is more rhetorical than
scientific.”
− + =Nation.= 89: 123. Ag. 5, ’09. 650w.
=Outlook.= 92: 530. Jl. 3, ’09. 550w.
“His work bears the mark of the hasty preparation, he admits. So good a
purpose needed more careful execution.”
+ − =R. of Rs.= 40: 761. D. ’09. 90w.
=Foster, Horatio A.= Electrical engineer’s pocket-book: a handbook of
useful data for electricians and electrical engineers; with the
collaboration of eminent specialists. 5th ed. $5. Van Nostrand.
8–19614.
This fifth edition, completely revised and enlarged, contains 600 pages
more than previous editions. New sections are included on electrolysis,
wireless telegraphy, resonance, electric automobiles, Röntgen rays and
power requirements of machinery.
* * * * *
“The book is one that cannot be omitted from the consideration of those
whose duties lie along electrical lines.”
+ =Engin. D.= 5: 54. Ja. ’09. 370w.
“Apart from a few minor defects, which it is very difficult to avoid in
a compilation of this kind, the tables appear to be trustworthy, and are
readily referred to by the aid of an excellent and complete index.” E.
W. M.
+ − =Nature.= 80: 365. My. 27, ’09. 140w.
“The amount of information given in condensed form is simply enormous,
and certainly the compiler deserves the thanks of all who use the book
for making the information so readily available.” F. B.
+ − =Phys. R.= 28: 231. Mr. ’09. 200w.
=Foster, John.= Shakespeare word-book: being a glossary of archaic
forms and varied usages of words employed by Shakespeare. *$3.
Dutton.
9–8400.
Aims to help the student to “fix upon the precise meaning of the
dramatist’s diverse and often puzzling use” of words as Shakespeare
employed them. “It is a laborious and comprehensive work, compiled from
various annotated editions of the poet, and the notes of such
authorities as Nares, Halliwell, Dyce, and Skeat.” (Nation.)
* * * * *
“Many [words] are included which bear the same meaning they have
nowadays, and consequently there can be no valid reason for their
inclusion. By the judicious excision of words of this description the
735 pages in this volume would have been reduced to more reasonable
proportions. It is only fair to add that much of the work would have
been impossible without the help of the many who have gone before.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 387. Mr. 27. 750w.
“It appears to have let some doubtful words slip thru altogether.”
+ − =Ind.= 67: 91. Jl. 8, ’09. 150w.
“Upon a cursory comparison with earlier publications, it seems to be
both full and accurate. Like many other commentaries of a similar kind,
it is likely to reject the obvious and simple meaning in favor of one
that is more abstruse or far-fetched, while some of its distinctions of
meaning are so slight as to be unimportant or altogether fanciful: but
its explanations of obsolete words and phrases, its parallel quotations,
and copious references will make it very useful to all younger students
of the text and to many of more advanced experience.”
+ − =Nation.= 88: 284. Mr. 18, ’09. 130w.
“There is a great deal of really valuable information in the book. It is
a handy volume to have on the library shelves, even if there is a good
concordance there, also.”
+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 101. F. 20, ’09. 280w.
“It is a summary of the conclusions which scholars have reached
regarding the varied uses of English words in the Shakespearean plays,
with abundant illustrations of those uses.”
+ =Outlook.= 91: 816. Ap. 10, ’09. 200w.
=Foster, Joshua James.= Chats on old miniatures. *$2. Stokes.
9–35043.
“The book in the main, though not exclusively, deals with miniatures
painted and owned in England, but its historic value is greatly enhanced
by the concluding chapter, which gives an excellent account of the
miniatures in the exhibition of works of art of the eighteenth century
held at the French national library in 1906.”—N. Y. Times.
* * * * *
“His ‘chats’ are no mere gossip, but constitute a small handbook on
miniatures which we can heartily recommend to those about to start
collecting.”
+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 564. N. 6. 370w.
“Contains a great amount of interesting information in a small space.”
+ =Ind.= 65: 1186. N. 19, ’08. 40w.
“The book is filled with information of great value to the collector as
well as to the general reader.” W. G. Bowdoin.
+ =Ind.= 65: 1458. D. 17, ’08. 60w.
“Amongst the many experts who have recently published books on
miniatures, Mr. Foster takes high rank on account of his insight into
the peculiarities of technique and appreciation of the difficulties with
which the exponents of the beautiful art have to contend.”
+ =Int. Studio.= 38: 79. Jl. ’09. 100w.
“For the serious student of the history of miniature painting there is
much of interest in the text. To one whose interest in miniatures is
just beginning ... the book should prove exceedingly useful.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 789. D. 19, ’08. 540w.
“No notice can give any idea of the charm of the volume.”
+ =Spec.= 102: sup. 160. Ja. 30, ’09. 320w.
=Foster, Maximillian.= Corrie who? †$1.50. Small.
8–30937.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
* * * * *
“The book is amazingly clever of its kind.”
− + =Atlan.= 103: 704. My. ’09. 300w.
“This is a fairly well-written mystery story, but it is much too long
and would gain greatly in strength if cut down at least one-third.” A.
C. Rich.
+ − =Arena.= 40: 616. D. ’08. 200w.
“It is a story of mystery, handled very skilfully.”
+ =Nation.= 87: 605. D. 17, ’08. 250w.
“An unusually good story, cleverly worked out and well written.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 800. D. 26, ’08. 330w.
=Foster, William.=^{[8]} English factories in India, 1622–1623.
*$4.15. Oxford.
8–20865.
“The main events dealt with are the capture of Ormus by the English, and
the retaliatory measures taken by the agents of the company which
secured from the Mogul compensation for past injuries and more
favourable terms for the future. The volume is full of complaints of the
treatment of the English by the Dutch.” (Eng. Hist. R.) “Of the
calendared documents a majority deal with the activities of the company
on the west coast of India, some tell of the attempts to secure more
trade on the east coast, near Madras, and of the failures of the English
in the Far East; and others give much valuable information in regard to
important events in the internal history of the Mogul Empire.” (Nation.)
* * * * *
“The excellent introduction provided by the editor and the useful index
are good guides to the topics here treated.” A. L. P. Dennis.
+ =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 380. Ja. ’09. 550w.
“First and last, the student is again indebted to Mr. Foster for his
excellent work as editor.” A. L. P. Dennis.
+ =Am. Hist. R.= 15: 135. O. ’09. 650w.
Reviewed by H. E. E.
=Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 196. Ja. ’09. 460w.
Reviewed by H. E. E.
+ =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 833. O. ’09. 200w.
“Documents [are] calendared with discrimination and indexed with care in
this volume.”
+ =Nation.= 89: 98. Jl. 29, ’09. 300w.
=Foundations= of reform.^{[7]} *10s. 6d. Simpkin, Marshall & co.,
London.
Contains papers read before the Defence association and reprints from
the Times and the National review bearing chiefly on army reforms,
national defence and allied questions. “The details of certain
campaigns, which are pertinent to the consideration of England’s insular
position and liability to invasion, are dealt with minutely. Prominent
amongst these is the Danish campaign of 1864.” (Sat. R.)
* * * * *
“In most matters that are more important than such detail, students of
the art of war will agree with Col. Repington.”
+ − =Ath.= 1908, 2: 717. D. 5. 580w.
“As a collection of instances which show up the dangers by which we are
encompassed through our haphazard manner of regarding our national
responsibilities the work must always remain a most valuable handbook.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 107: 692. My. 29, ’09. 450w.
“We must be content with commending to our readers this very full
statement.”
+ =Spec.= 101: 1003. D. 12, ’08. 100w.
=Fournier D’Albe, Edmund.= New light on immortality. *$1.75. Longmans.
8–34723.
A book which “welds into a synthetic whole some arguments based on
physics and physiology, with others drawn from spiritism, to prove the
existence of the life beyond.” (Cath. World.) “Fournier frankly turns
back to materialism, pure and simple. Upon the observations of
continuity and of various grades of complexity in nature and life, he
bases the assumption of the existence of attenuated, unobservable forms
of matter which pervade the living body, and which still persist after
death in forms which are of the essence of the individual during life.”
(Nation.)
* * * * *
“The scholastic will find himself muttering repeatedly an uncompromising
‘nego majorem,’ or ‘nego conclusionem,’ though he cannot fail to be
interested at the ingenuity of some of the speculations.”
− =Cath. World.= 88: 687. F. ’09. 320w.
“His conclusions prove to be entirely unworthy of serious
consideration.” H. R. M.
− =Nation.= 87: 658. D. 31, ’08. 380w.
“It is a curious phase of human thought which can ignore metaphysics,
morality, and faith, and base its ultimate consolations on the
apparition of Katie King.”
− =Sat. R.= 107: 213. F. 13, ’09. 1400w.
=Fowler, Charles Evan.=^{[8]} Law and business of engineering and
contracting. *$2.50. McGraw.
9–6036.
“Not an extended treatise on specifications or contract law, but rather
an instruction book to young engineers regarding the difficulties that
beset contract work and the methods to avoid them.” (Engin. N.) The
chapters based on a course of lectures delivered by the author to the
engineering students of the University of Washington deal with the
relation between engineer and contractor, specimens of ordinary and
special forms of contracts and specifications, inspection of engineering
structures, methods of estimating and bidding on work and upon the
organization of contracting companies.
* * * * *
“Not so extensive as Johnson’s ‘Engineering contracts and
specifications,’ but practical and up to date.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 165. Je. ’09.
=Engin. N.= 61: sup. 34. Mr. 18, ’09. 130w.
“The book is quite elementary, but undergraduate civil engineering
students will find it a decidedly valuable introduction to an important
feature of their future work.”
+ =Engin. Rec.= 60: 251. Ag. 28, ’09. 550w.
=Fowler, William Warde.= Social life at Rome in the age of Cicero.
**$2.25. Macmillan.
9–5190.
A book which meets a longfelt want by supplying a picture of life and
manners, of education, morals and religion in the age of Cicero. The
letters of Cicero, more than nine hundred in number, have been to the
author a “rich treasure-house.” His chapters are suggestive of his plan
of treatment: Topographical, The lower population, The men of business
and their methods, The governing aristocracy, Marriage and the Roman
lady, The education of the upper classes, The slave population, The
house of the rich man in town and country, The daily life of the
well-to-do, Holidays and public amusement, and Religion.
* * * * *
“The book will probably not be superseded for many years, and it
deserves a place among the reference manuals of all students of
sociology and economics as well as among those of students of classical
antiquity.” S. B. P.
+ =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 795. Jl. ’09. 480w.
“A scholarly yet very readable work, of value to students but also of
interest to the educated reader.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 103. Ap. ’09.
“We make these criticisms of detail because we have found the book
excellent reading, and have noticed in it much that will be new to
readers, and seems to us eminently true.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 552. My. 8. 1200w.
“He depicts Roman life in the last years of the republic in a manner at
once interesting and informing.”
+ =Bib. World.= 33: 357. My. ’09. 50w.
“The work is admirably done, and the book will be of lively interest
both to the general reader and to the special student of Roman life. The
main criticism which one is inclined to make of it is that it deals
almost exclusively with the upper classes.” F. F. Abbott.
+ − =Class. J.= 5: 45. N. ’09. 550w.
“For the general reader the treatment is adequate throughout: and to the
student the volume may be recommended just as cordially, with the
suggestion that he will often find in it a starting-point rather than a
resting-place.” F. B. R. Hellems.
+ =Dial.= 47: 17. Jl. 1, ’09. 1800w.
“We find, as in all that Mr. W. Warde Fowler writes, the wealth and
aptitude of illustration which spring from intimate knowledge of his
subject, the ripeness of observation born of leisurely and independent
thinking, and the admirable lucidity of expression which is his own.” H.
S. J.
+ =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 603. Jl. ’09. 330w.
+ =Ind.= 67: 300. Ag. 5, ’09. 80w.
“He writes with sympathy and grace and has filled a gap in the library
of Latin criticism and commentary which has long been deplored.”
+ =Lit. D.= 39: 537. O. 2, ’09. 770w.
“It is a popular book in the best sense of that term.”
+ =Nation.= 89: 215. S. 2, ’09. 1000w.
“The book is interesting and valuable, not only to the student but to
the general reader. Its pages are livelier than those of many novels,
and Mr. Fowler’s style is so pleasantly simple that the reading is a
delight.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 133. Mr. 6, ’09. 1500w.
“So far as we can judge, he has succeeded, as few English scholars
could, in presenting us with a perfectly faithful and vivid picture of
Roman society at one of the great crises in history.”
+ =Sat. R.= 107: 498. Ap. 17, ’09. 1600w.
“It fails the student exactly where he most needs help and guidance.”
− + =Spec.= 103: 134. Jl. 24, ’09. 1000w.
=Fox-Davies, Arthur Charles.=^{[8]} Complete guide to heraldry. *$4.
Dodge.
9–23803.
A comprehensive guide to the law and practice of heraldry. “The
intricacies of the subject mystifying to most of those who have not made
a special study of it, are explained with admirable lucidity. The
interest as well as the utility of the work is considerably enhanced by
the coloured plates and multitudinous designs which Mr. Graham Johnston,
Herald painter to the Lyon court, has executed expressly for it.” (Int.
Studio.)
* * * * *
“The subject is as exhaustively treated as anyone outside the Heralds’
college could wish.”
+ =Int. Studio.= 37: 336. Je. ’09. 100w.
“The book naturally contains a vast deal of curious information as to
the pictorial side of heraldry, much about the Garter king of arms and
the Lyon and the Ulster and the rest who have charge in such matters in
the United Kingdom under the crown.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 512. Ag. 28, ’09. 850w.
“Here indeed are all the familiar errors of the handbooks masked in
their familiar nonsense-language, a tongue which would have puzzled the
mediæval knight as much as it confuses the pedant of the twentieth
century.”
− =Sat. R.= 107: 817. Je. ’09. 1600w.
“Valuable and most interesting.”
+ =Spec.= 102: 615. Ap. 17, ’09. 500w.
=Francis, Alexander.=^{[11]} Americans: an impression. **$2. Appleton.
9–22216.
Equally as frank and friendly in his comments about Americans as Mr.
Price Collier was in his impressions of the English, Mr. Francis is
prepared, he declares, “to undertake the defense of Americans against
themselves and of Americans against the world, and to prove, when
occasion shall offer, that the prevalent opinion that America has a
double dose of the original sin of materialism is the result of partial
observation and mistaken judgment, and is due, in large measure, to the
fallacious theory that a people which has proved itself practical and
efficient in handling actualities must needs be devoid of spiritual
vision, energy, and power.” His attention is confined to America’s
social questions; of politics he has little to say.
* * * * *
“Although more serious studies than those in H. G. Wells’ ‘Future in
America’ they lack the flashes of insight and suggestiveness which
distinguish those essays.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 72. N. ’09.
“It lacks all those engaging qualities which an essay on international
impressionism needs so much more than it needs a sound judgment. For
with a sound judgment the impressionist would decide not to write it at
all.”
− =Bookm.= 30: 326. D. ’09. 930w.
“The matter does not seem new and the manner is not distinctive. No
American reviewer will lay hands on so friendly a book save in the way
of kindness, but the hands of most readers will not be laid on it long.”
F. M. Colby.
− =Forum.= 42: 477. N. ’09. 1100w.
“A globetrotter of such a range should see national life in proper
perspective, and Mr. Francis does show a freedom from that insular
narrowness which has sometimes spoiled the work of British critics of
America. Least effective is the chapter on Race prejudice, which treats
quite superficially America’s most distressing and complex problem.”
+ − =Ind.= 67: 1208. N. 25, ’09. 300w.
“He has strictures to make upon certain aspects of American life: but
his opinion of it in the large is sympathetic and optimistic.” H. W.
Boynton.
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 561. S. 25, ’09. 1600w.
=Frank, Henry.=^{[12]} Modern light on immortality: being an original
excursion into historical research and scientific discovery,
pointing to a new solution of the problem. *$1.85. Sherman, French &
co.
9–20216.
A book that “surveys all history, all biology, and all philosophy in its
quest after evidence concerning the problem of life after
death.”—Nation.
* * * * *
“Since the author has no first-hand and little accurate knowledge in any
of these provinces and manifests no sense for the distinction between
guessing and reasoning, his book, which is written in pretentious and
ungrammatical English, has only the merit of earnestness and of
independence of traditional opinions.”
− =Nation.= 89: 519. N. 25, ’09. 70w.
“There is much in this volume which will stimulate rational thought and
inquiry, even if it falls far short of offering anything positive. The
author is to be commended for his industry, impartiality, and the
generally successful way in which he handles his facts.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 622. O. 23, ’09. 1250w.
=R. of Rs.= 40: 762. D. ’09. 80w.
=Frankau, Mrs. Julia (Frank Danby, pseud.).=^{[5]} Sebastian. (Eng.
title, Incompleat Etonian). $1.50. Macmillan.
9–9253.
The study of the heart of a boy in which are traceable the same courage
of conviction and independent development that one finds in the author’s
“Heart of a child.” Sebastian is the son of mismated parents. The mother
is distant and resigned; the father is a living apology for having asked
so superior a woman to marry him. When the son at nineteen takes matters
into his own hands, leaves Oxford, goes into business with his father
and relieves him of the tired strain, he outrages his mother’s ambition
but brings solace to a dying man. The mother’s eyes are opened to real
living thru the uncompromising struggle of the boy, which is not,
however, free from mistakes and suffering.
* * * * *
“With this wavering as to goal is combined an unevenness in execution,
running all the way from the construction of plot, and the delineation
of character, into the sentence-structure.”
+ − =Atlan.= 104: 684. N. ’09. 250w.
“Mrs. Frankau has begged the issue; but one does not seriously mind it
because the real solution is sufficiently obvious. Only we sincerely
hope that in her future books she will revert to her earlier attitude of
indifference to the public and absorption in her art for art’s sake.”
Philip Tillinghast.
+ − =Forum.= 41: 482. My. ’09. 3000w.
=Ind.= 66: 1343. Je. 17, ’09. 60w.
“She is interesting at all times, and, unlike the novelist Vanessa, her
men and women are more than mere pen-and-ink puppets.”
+ =Lit. D.= 39: 441. S. 18, ’09. 230w.
“Is not in all respects a ‘pleasant’ story, but it is perfectly
wholesome.”
+ − =Nation.= 88: 583. Je. 10, ’09. 300w.
“Mrs. Frankau’s work in this book is curiously uneven. Sometimes she
goes unseeingly past such obvious falsities or weaknesses that the
reader marvels at her blindness to them. And again she creates scenes of
remarkable force and truth. As a whole the book is a keen study of one
sort of maternal feeling.’”
+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 270. My. 1, ’09. 480w.
“Compared with a score of the novels of the day, ‘Sebastian’ is worth
while; it is when it is set beside its delightful predecessor that it
fails to satisfy.”
+ − =Outlook.= 92: 390. Je. 19, ’09. 200w.
“An atmosphere of the consulting-room pervades the book, for which
mentally or morally there are no compensations. The hero himself is a
prig, and as a prig is quite courageously treated, and the best tribute
to Frank Danby’s talent is the fact that one can read his story, however
reluctantly, to the end. Is dreary from an absence of effective charm in
any one of its characters.”
− + =Sat. R.= 107: 529. Ap. 24, ’09. 540w.
“The book is never dull, and is always cleverly, although often
carelessly, written. But the pleasure it affords is intermittent, and
the reader will close it with a slight feeling of dissatisfaction.”
+ − =Spec.= 102: 671. Ap. 24, ’09. 240w.
=Fraser, David.=^{[8]} Short cut to India. *$5. Scribner.
9–17248.
“Gives an excellent account of the state of the Baghdad railway, of the
reasons why construction has not been continued, and of the
international significance of the line.” (Sat. R.) “The geographical
interest of the book is considerable, for less is known of those regions
in Asia Minor or Turkey in Asia, east of Aleppo and forming the northern
part of Mesopotamia, than of the more remote deserts of Chinese
Turkistan; whilst the description of the country passed through bears
witness alike to the power of observation possessed by the traveller and
his capacity for recording results.” (Ath.)
* * * * *
“Special interest—personal, geographical, and political—attaches to ‘The
short cut to India.’”
+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 405. Ap. 3. 300w.
“So far as his chapters touch on politics, [the book] is already out of
date. His book, however, does not depend for its value on political
considerations.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 108: sup. 6. Jl. 17, ’09. 200w.
“It is safe to say that Mr. David Fraser’s story of his travels along
the route of the Baghdad railway will be read as widely as any book of
the kind that has been published for a long time.”
+ =Spec.= 102: 423. Mr. 13, ’09. 1400w.
=Fraser, John Foster.=^{[11]} Quaint subjects of the king. *$1.75.
Cassell.
9–19601.
A peep into the by places of the earth over which the British flag
floats, with an inquiry into the customs and habits of the people who
dwell there. “Africa, with as usual ‘aliquid novi,’ Australia, the
Pacific Archipelagoes, North America, India are among the countries
which contribute quotas of the strange and the picturesque. A book that
is full of strange things, and amply illustrated.” (Spec.)
* * * * *
“Written in rather flippant, reportorial style and not based entirely on
first-hand information, it nevertheless contains sufficient curious
material to be useful in a public library. Not so comprehensive or
authoritative as Keane’s ‘World’s peoples.’ but more popular.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 40. O. ’09. ✠
“This volume is, in its way, full of imperial interest. Mr. Fraser takes
us to many places in the ‘wide, wide world,’ and shows us our brothers
and sisters. He writes from considerable experience of his own, and he
has gone to other sources of knowledge.”
+ =Spec.= 102: sup. 1009. Je. 26, ’09. 100w.
=Fraser, Mary (Crawford) (Mrs. Hugh Fraser).= Heart of a geisha. †$2.
Putnam.
8–31464.
The story of a Japanese girl who by a bewildering, fascinating dance
beguiled an officer into sparing her lover who was under arrest.
* * * * *
“Sweetly pathetic story of a Japanese dancing girl.”
+ =Dial.= 45: 464. D. 16, ’08. 60w.
“A fascinating story of Japan.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 751. D. 5, ’08. 80w.
“Pretty little tale of a by-gone time. The story is not embellished by
the drawings and marginal decorations.”
+ − =Outlook.= 90: 751. N. 28, ’08. 200w.
“Mrs. Fraser has done no better work in fiction than this moving and
dramatic little tale.”
+ =Putnam’s.= 5: 495. Ja. ’09. 150w.
“A well-sustained little story of Japanese social and political life
which makes pleasant reading.”
+ =R. of Rs.= 39: 122. Ja. ’09. 40w.
=Frazer, James George.=^{[5]} Psyche’s task. *80c. Macmillan.
“An expanded version of an evening discourse delivered by [the author]
at the Royal institution. His theme is the soul of good in things
superstitious and he declares that the folk-lorist, like Psyche, has to
separate the nourishing grain out of the rubbish heaps of savage
custom.”—Nation.
* * * * *
“This new book is indeed short, but also very long, in the sense of the
famous aphorism of Hippocrates: ‘Life is short, but art long.’”
+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 443. Ap. 10. 950w.
=Dial.= 46: 407. Je. 16, ’09. 220w.
“The whole essay is as interesting reading as it is instructive and
consolatory doctrine.”
+ =Nation.= 88: 360. Ap. 8, ’09. 170w.
=Sat. R.= 108: 144. Jl. 31, ’09. 180w.
=Freeman, Mary Eleanor (Wilkins).=^{[11]} Winning lady and others.
†$1.25. Harper.
9–27999.
Eleven stories of every day life, the first one of which, the title
story, being a portrayal of the agony suffered by a naturally upright
woman who cheats at bridge for the coveted first prize and bitterly
repents her wrong-doing. During the humiliating adjustment that follows,
she finds that the woman who ought to have won, cheated too, desiring
the second prize, a set of Shakespeare, above the first, a cut-glass
punch bowl; whereupon it transpires that the Shakespeare and the bowl
were both among the dollar-and-something bargains, and that they proved
irresistible to the hostess.
=French, Anne Warner.=^{[5]} In a mysterious way. †$1.50. Little.
9–10498.
In the background of Mrs. French’s story are her favorite “near
neighbors,” one a sort of leaner, the other the cheerful, energetic,
capable woman of many activities, whose constant refrain, “He moves in a
mysterious way His wonders to perform,” “fits everything and accounts
for everything.” Embodying the spirit of this refrain in the “new life”
sense is portrayed the young woman contemplating marriage with a man
who, as the result of an accident, has only a brief span of life before
him. Her spiritual development permits her to believe that bodies and
what they suffer do not count: that love is eternal. When death
separates them before the marriage takes place, there is an immediate
and conscious reincarnation. The soul of the man regenerates a
sin-burdened wayfarer, and so serves a needed end; but as for friendship
between the new man and the young woman, it is torture to the bereft
woman and she goes her own way.
* * * * *
=A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 186. Je. ’09.
“Overflows with humor.”
+ =Cath. World.= 89: 689. Ag. ’09. 80w.
“Mrs. French has not succeeded in presenting a story sufficiently clear
and coherent to make plain just what its message may have been. In the
minor characters, Mrs. French comes into her own.”
− + =N. Y. Times.= 14: 319. My. 22, ’09. 200w.
=French, Anne Warner.=^{[11]} Your child and mine. †$1.50. Little.
9–25821.
Twenty-one stories for little people or grown-ups whose aim is to teach
child values—the values that are bound to expand and develop into strong
manhood and womanhood qualities. Mrs. French proves herself a
past-master at covering the years from babyhood to the altar within the
bounds of a few pages, and doing it so comprehensively as to include the
chief conditioning factors of development.
* * * * *
“Although the charming preface is ‘For children only,’ some of the
tales, certainly might be labeled ‘for grown-ups only,’ while all have
under the surface an appeal to the mature reader.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 718. N. 30, ’09. 170w.
=French, George.=^{[7]} Art and science of advertising. *$2. Sherman,
French & co.
9–5894.
Mr. French “contends that the man who devotes himself to the advertising
business is a professional man in the same sense and to the same extent
as is a lawyer, minister, doctor, architect, engineer, or teacher.... It
was part of Mr. French’s purpose in writing his book to show how the
advertising business may be placed upon the scientific plane where he
thinks it belongs.” (N. Y. Times.) “Emphasis on artistic taste in
advertising chiefly distinguishes this book from other writings on
advertising which the past few months have brought forth.” (J. Pol.
Econ.)
* * * * *
“A well-proportioned work based on many years’ practice and study.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 12. S. ’09.
“Contains many helpful hints and suggestions for workers in this busy
field of modern commercial life.”
+ =Dial.= 47: 185. S. 16, ’09. 330w.
“The author, too, seems to be at his best when he is discussing this
same artistic aspect of the advertising problem. At other times his
style often suggests the would-be essayist, and manner struggles to
cover a paucity of matter.”
+ − =J. Pol. Econ.= 17: 385. Je. ’09. 100w.
“All will agree that his book contains excellent advice and sound
precepts for those who pay for advertising and those who write and place
advertisements.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 289. My. 8, ’09. 350w.
=French, Lillie Hamilton.= House dignified: its design, its
arrangement, and its decoration. **$5. Putnam.
8–28317.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
* * * * *
“Lovers of beautiful and spacious houses will find their knowledge and
enjoyment increased by the volume, while those who are content with more
humble dwelling places can learn from its expert criticism much which
they can apply to their own uses.”
+ =Dial.= 45: 467. D. 16, ’08. 160w.
“The text is more useful than the illustrations in practical
directions.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 4. Ja. 2, ’09. 280w.
“Midas cannot go far wrong in building his golden house, so long as he
has the text and illustrations of this handsome book to guide him.”
+ =Putnam’s.= 5: 495. Ja. ’09. 200w.
=Spec.= 101: 1003. D. 12, ’08. 110w.
=Frénilly, Auguste François F.= Recollections of Baron de Frénilly,
peer of France, 1768–1828; ed., with introd. and notes by Arthur
Chuquet. *$3. Putnam.
9–17249.
Of definite historical interest these memoirs throw light upon the last
days of the ‘ancien régime,’ upon France of the revolutionary period and
of the restoration. The Baron was “a man of quick and alert mind,
possessed of true Gallic humor, a thorough aristocrat, and with an easy
conversational style eminently suited to the sort of book he was
occupying his last rather lonely years in writing, these memoirs rank
among the most delightful which the French have given the world.” (N. Y.
Times.)
* * * * *
“Once begun, will probably be read to the last page, and if read will
not soon be forgotten nor regarded as without historical interest. The
translator has been able to an unusual degree to preserve the liveliness
of the original.” H: E. Bourne.
+ =Dial.= 47: 178. S. 16, ’09. 1000w.
“Most delightful and entertaining volume.”
+ =Lit. D.= 38: 473. Mr. 20, ’09. 700w.
+ =Nation.= 89: 160. Ag. 19, ’09. 360w.
“It would be difficult to find more charming reading than the volume of
reminiscence, anecdote, and history written for his own amusement by the
Baron de Frénilly. Whatsoever he touches upon lives for the reader in
lively fashion, and the volume brims with a personality peculiarly
winning.” Hildegarde Hawthorne.
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 125. Mr. 6, ’09. 1450w.
“Is of extreme interest in its delineation of the life of a class who
resented but ignored the world-shaking events amid which they were
compelled to live.”
+ =Sat. R.= 107: 792. Je. 19, ’09. 120w.
“It is not a little to be regretted that neither editor nor translator
gives us any bibliographical information about these ‘Recollections.’”
+ − =Spec.= 102: 670. Ap. 24, ’09. 430w.
=Friedländer, Ludwig.= Roman life and manners under the early empire.
2v. ea. *$1.50. Dutton.
8–37054.
“An authorized translation of the seventh edition of Ludwig
Friedländer’s ‘Sittengeschichte Roms.’... The first volume translated by
Leonard A. Magnus, has just been issued: the second volume translated by
J. H. Freese, will be ready for publication early this year. Prof.
Friedländer says that the text of the new edition of his classic work is
essentially the same as that of the sixth edition; but at the request of
his publisher in Germany he has omitted the footnotes and excursus and
has supplemented, shortened, corrected and amplified many passages.
Among the portions of the work subjected to revision he mentions those
dealing with Christianity and belief in immortality.”—N. Y. Times.
* * * * *
“It is seldom that we have to complain of the last edition of a German
work being chosen for translation into English; but in the present case
it is distinctly a misfortune. The seventh edition omits all the
foot-notes (even references to authorities) and appendixes which are
among the most instructive and valuable parts of the original book.
Without these an intelligent reader is at a loss to know what weight of
authority even Dr. Friedländer has for many curious facts which occur on
almost every page.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 616. My. 22. 800w. (Review of v. 1.)
“We cannot congratulate the translator, Mr. L. A. Magnus, on the success
of his work, for his renderings are often singularly infelicitous.” H.
S. J.
− =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 183. Ja. ’09. 260w. (Review of v. 1.)
“A book packed with information attractively presented.”
+ =Ind.= 65: 1178. N. 19, ’08. 20w. (Review of v. 1.)
“The style of the book is choppy, not in good impressive paragraphs.”
+ − =Ind.= 66: 150. Ja. 21, ’09. 500w. (Review of v. 1.)
=N. Y. Times.= 14: 12. Ja. 2, ’09. 130w. (Review of v. 1.)
“The book is vastly entertaining as well as most informing.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 489. Ag. 14, ’09. 480w. (Review of v. 2.)
“This is one of those companionable books which one can open at any
point in its series of topics to occupy a leisure half-hour
entertainingly and profitably.”
+ =Outlook.= 91: 865. Ap. 17, ’09. 170w. (Review of v. 1.)
+ =Outlook.= 93: 277. O. 2, ’09. 400w. (Review of v. 2.)
=Friend, John Albert Newton.=^{[12]} Theory of valency. (Text-books of
physical chemistry.) *$1.60. Longmans.
9–18465.
The latest addition to the “Text-books of physical chemistry.” “The
first thirteen pages are of the nature of an historical introduction.
This is followed by thirty-eight pages devoted to the theory of valency,
valency and the periodic law, the valency of carbon, and Thiele’s
theory. Ten further chapters covering sixty-nine pages are then devoted
to a somewhat detailed discussion of the valency of the elements
contained in each of the groups of the periodic system. Finally,
forty-three pages are taken up in the consideration of Werner’s theory,
electro-chemical theories, and the physical cause and nature of
valency.” (Science.)
* * * * *
“It is to be heartily welcomed for there is no English treatise, and no
very recent German one, dealing with the important subject of valency.
The author’s exposition is careful and thorough.” J. C. P.
+ =Nature.= 80: 395. Je. 3, ’09. 580w.
“The introduction and the discussion of the various theories of valency
form by far the best portions of the book.” L: Kahlenberg.
+ =Science=, n.s. 30: 648. N. 5, ’09. 450w.
=Frobenius, Leo.= Childhood of man; tr. by A. H. Keane. *$3.
Lippincott.
9–2054.
A popular account of the lives, customs, and thoughts of the primitive
races of mankind. “In a succession of chapters he talks of adornment,
tattooing, tests of manhood, the communication of ideas by dress,
gestures, drums; and pictures of funeral ceremonies, worship of skulls
and ancestors, the adventures of the souls of the dead, the origin of
the world, the theft of fire, the stone and iron ages, cannibals, and
war. On all these things he discourses in a lively and familiar way,
with many shrewd observations.” (Nation.)
* * * * *
“The author’s desire to popularize his subject sometimes leads him to
the verge of the frivolous.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 697. Je. 12. 700w.
“This unevenness of importance in the topics treated is a defect in the
book. His best material and his real value in discussion is in the
African and Melanesian field. He is at his worst in discussing American
themes.” F: Starr.
+ − =Dial.= 47: 71. Ag. 1, ’09. 730w.
“It is a book to put into the hands of young people, even children and
may be characterized as an unpretentious but masterly summary of its
subject.”
+ =Lit. D.= 37: 810. N. 28, ’08. 900w.
“Not much of what he communicates is new, but his treatment of his
subjects is fresh and suggestive.”
+ =Nation.= 87: 582. D. 10, ’08. 500w.
“It cannot be said that there is much sequence or arrangement in these
studies such as would fit them to constitute in their entirety a
treatise or a text-book. The whole constitutes a splendid work of
reference, and one of interest to the general reader. The translation is
satisfactory.”
+ − =Yale R.= 17: 459. F. ’09. 250w.
=Frost, Thomas Gold.=^{[11]} Man of destiny. $1.50. Gramercy pub.
9–23729.
In this novel, under the thin disguise of the name Samuel Burton, is
traced the career of Grant from boyhood days to the age of 44. “The
change of name has left the narrator free to provide dialogue, letters,
and, above all, a ‘love interest’ departing widely from the facts of
Grant’s life and character as stern history knows them.” (Nation.)
* * * * *
“He has a love for his theme, and he means well by it. He has written
out of a commendable enthusiasm for a great figure of our near past. The
author evidently did not know quite what he intended it to be
‘primarily.’ Eventually, it is an odd mixture of fact, fiction, and
panegyric.”
− + =Nation.= 89: 381. O. 21, ’09. 350w.
“Allowing a certain amount of poetic (or historic) license to the
author, we think it unfair that he should have allowed his hero to
become enamored of so shallow a damsel as the Sallie Custis of the
story.”
− =N. Y. Times.= 14: 504. Ag. 21, ’09. 200w.
=Frothingham, Arthur Lincoln, jr.= Monuments of Christian Rome, from
Constantine to the renaissance. (Handbooks of archæology and
antiquities.) **$2.25. Macmillan.
8–36410.
“The historical sketch contained in the first eight chapters is a
history of the city, with the changes it underwent in the reigns of
Constantine and his successors, after the Gothic invasion, under the
Byzantine influence, as a Carlovingian city and in the dark age from the
death of Pope Formosus in 896 to the accession of Pope Leo IX, in 1049,
by the fire of Robert Guiscard, under the great mediæval popes, and
during the papal exile. This survey of the city, derived from a careful
and exhaustive study of the documentary history and from years of
exploration in situ, enables the author to present, in the second part
of his volume, some fascinating chapters on basilicas, campanili,
cloisters, civil and military architecture, sculpture and painting, with
accounts of some of the Roman artists and of art in the Roman province
and the artistic influence of Rome.”—Dial.
* * * * *
“The only single book covering the period, and valuable as a reference
work, but unattractive in style.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 77. Mr. ’09.
“These and other corrections of the same modest importance must not be
taken as reducing the value of the volume. Prof. Frothingham is proof
against serious criticism.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 591. My. 15. 1000w.
“The book is of inestimable value as an archæological handbook.”
+ + =Dial.= 46: 143. Mr. 1, ’09. 370w.
“The second section of the book is not only an invaluable vade-mecum for
the student of archeology on the spot, but a mine of information for the
general student of history.”
+ =Ind.= 66: 1085. My. 20, ’09. 350w.
“For the space which the author has allotted to the treatment of his
subject we consider the mass of information furnished to be marvelous.
Whether for the tour or the study this book will prove of exceptional
value to those who consult it. The whole work impresses us as scholarly
and complete and as well adapted for the class-room as for private
reading.”
+ + =Lit. D.= 38: 304. F. 20, ’09. 200w.
“To his writing Arthur L. Frothingham has brought wide and thorough
knowledge, ardent interest, and the ability to take the comprehensive
philosophical view, as well as to study detail.”
+ + =N. Y. Times.= 13: 808. D. 26, ’08. 320w.
“The plan of the present volume is simple and admirable.”
+ =Outlook.= 91: 775. Ap. 3, ’09. 300w.
“Mr. Frothingham’s book is not a handbook as are other handbooks. It is
a really interesting study of Roman mediæval art, written by a man who
has lived in Rome and worked in Rome, and written of Rome not because he
wishes to say something but because he has something to say.”
+ =Sat. R.= 108: 170. Ag. 7, ’09. 850w.
“This is a book which the traveller will find very interesting if he
desires to trace the building of the Christian churches out of the ruins
of the Imperial city.”
+ =Spec.= 103: 689. O. 30, ’09. 270w.
=Fry, William Henry.=^{[8]} New Hampshire as a royal province.
(Columbia university studies in history, economics and public law,
v. 29, no. 2.) *$3. Longmans.
9–2759.
Deals with the colonial history of New Hampshire under the following
heads: The executive; The legislature; The land system; Finance;
Justice; Military affairs.
* * * * *
“The work in its entirety presents a view of colonial New Hampshire
which will add a valuable contribution to its history and will afford
fresh evidence of the abundance and value of the material which the
author has found available for his present undertaking.” A. S. B.
+ =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 854. Jl. ’09. 380w.
“A careful treatment.” J. P. Bretz.
+ =Econ. Bull.= 2: 130. Je. ’09. 480w.
“Deals with the constitutional history of the Province in a very careful
and elaborate manner. The absence of an index is a drawback to the
usefulness of the volume.” H. E. E.
+ − =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 619. Jl. ’09. 60w.
=Frye, William Edward.= After Waterloo: reminiscences of European
travel, 1815–1819; ed., with a preface and notes by Salomon Reinach.
*10s. 6d. W. Heinemann, 21 Bedford st., W. C., London.
9–17187.
A reprint of a volume that appeared after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo.
“Major Frye’s descriptions and observations relate for the most part to
the various objects of interest which the ordinary traveler of his time
was apt to encounter as he moved about in the Continental states. The
Major gives us minute accounts of his visits to German, French, Italian,
Swiss, Austrian, and Belgian cities, which are rather entertaining,
because of the contrasts they suggest between his time and our own, in
respect to means of locomotion, hotel methods and prices, municipal
practices, and the manners and customs of the people. A more important
portion of the Major’s book bears upon the politics of Europe in that
period when the allied armies were endeavoring to accomplish the
downfall of Napoleon.”
* * * * *
“We thank Mr. Salomon Reinach for presenting to the world a diary which
gains high interest by his notes.”
+ =Ath.= 1908, 2: 678. N. 28. 900w.
“An interesting post-Napoleonic document.”
+ =Ind.= 66: 1142. My. 27, ’09. 90w.
“He is often naïve, but still this account of his travels is pleasant
reading.”
+ =Nation.= 88: 411. Ap. 22, ’09. 280w.
=N. Y. Times.= 14: 48. Ja. 23, ’09. 560w.
“His psychology, when politics are put aside, is not uninteresting.”
− + =Sat. R.= 107: 276. F. 27, ’09. 1350w.
“Mr. Reinach has written an introduction to the book which is brief and
unfortunate. The bigotry and hypocrisy of the Major are evident on every
page in his book, and it is clear that Mr. Reinach is insufficiently
acquainted with English history or with the aims and achievements of
English Toryism.”
− =Spec.= 102: 98. Ja. 16, ’09. 1700w.
=Fuller, Hubert Bruce.=^{[10]} Speakers of the House. **$2. Little.
9–28103.
A brief, dispassionate story of the development of power by the
presiding officer of the lower House of Congress from 1789, when the
Speaker was merely a moderator, to the present day when the same officer
is the most potent factor in American legislative life. The history is
preceded by an introductory chapter wherein is traced the origin and
development of this office in England and colonial America.
* * * * *
“Less valuable and scholarly than Follett’s ‘Speaker of the House of
representatives,’ but covers a later period and is better adapted for
public library use.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 115. D. ’09.
“The book improves decidedly when recent congressional history is
reached.”
+ − =Ann. Am. Acad.= 34: 603. N. 09. 200w.
“A well-knit presentation of the history of the speaker’s office.”
+ =Cath. World.= 90: 391 D. ’09. 620w.
“Those to whom history is not merely past politics, but past gossip,
past anecdote, and past scandal, will enjoy this book.”
− =Dial.= 47: 339. N. 1, ’09. 200w.
“The book will undoubtedly find a place in the unacademic and readable
literature of American politics.”
+ =Ind.= 67: 1092. N. 11, ’09. 600w.
“The book has been very well put together.”
+ =Lit. D.= 39: 635. O. 16, ’09. 210w.
“Errors of taste and style should not obscure the fact that the book is
extraordinarily interesting; that it fills a want, that it is valuable,
and that in the main the author has performed his task with great skill.
It is entirely non-partisan in tone.”
+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 626. O. 23, ’09. 1450w.
=R. of Rs.= 40: 637. N. ’09. 90w.
=Furlong, Charles Wellington.=^{[12]} Gateway to the Sahara:
observations and experiences in Tripoli. **$2.50. Scribner.
9–25983.
An informing book on Tripoli and Tripolitania. It includes “an insight
into this most native of the Barbary capitals, its odd and fascinating
customs, industries, and incidents; a view of those strange and
interesting people who inhabit the oases and table-lands of
Tripolitania, their primitive methods and patriarchal life; a narrative
of some personal adventures which occurred during a trip alone with
Arabs over some two hundred miles of the great Sahara: and a description
of the daily life and vicissitudes of the camel and the Sahara caravans,
of the trails over which they travel, and of the great wastes which
surround them.”
* * * * *
=A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 73. N. ’09. ✠
“There is real insight into the unique fascination of the most unspoiled
of the Barbary capitals, pictures, full of color and atmosphere, of its
life and of the strange peoples who inhabit the oases and plateaus of
Tripoli.”
+ =Dial.= 47: 461. D. 1, ’09. 230w.
“The book has local color, it is excellently written, the mixed
population, its strange ways and methods of thought, as they reveal
themselves to the unbeliever, receiving as much attention as the country
itself.”
+ =Ind.= 67: 1042. N. 4, ’09. 210w.
“Mr. Furlong’s readable narrative is accompanied by many admirable
illustrations.”
+ =Outlook.= 93: 558. N. 6, ’09. 200w.
+ =R. of Rs.= 40: 759. D. ’09. 100w.
+ =Spec.= 103: 796. N. 13, ’09. 190w.
=Futrelle, Jacques.=^{[10]} Diamond master. †$1. Bobbs.
9–27746.
When a young man proves to New York’s greatest diamond experts that he
has in his possession enough diamonds to flood the market and when these
diamonds are perfect and often duplicates of the great diamonds of the
world, the experts are naturally excited. They have this young man
shadowed by detectives and there are many interesting complications
involving much mystery and even murder. When everything is at last made
clear and the young man explains that his diamonds are manufactured, the
secret process is already lost, and the danger to the diamond market
past.
* * * * *
“An entertaining tale.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 653. O. 23, ’09. 10w.
“A breathlessly, interesting tale.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 783. D. 11, ’09. 270w.
=Futrelle, Jacques.=^{[6]} Elusive Isabel. †$1.50. Bobbs.
9–13428.
A story that deals with an international plot of war in which the
“elusive Isabel” is a delicate and vital instrument. It involves the
determination of the Latin countries to unite in ending the sway of
England and the United States, and to dominate the world—socially,
spiritually, commercially and artistically. How an American secret
service man foils the plan, how he also falls in love with the woman who
engineered the compact is told convincingly and with not a little verve.
* * * * *
“There is a lot of good detective work done in it of the romantic kind.”
+ =Ind.= 67: 425. Ag. 19, ’09. 130w.
“Mr. Futrelle certainly has a knack of making a tangled skein and
unraveling it quite simply. The atmosphere of the story—whether it be
real or not—takes the reader out of himself and away from his conceived
notions of Washington as a ‘city of evasion and conventionalities.’”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 337. My. 29, ’09. 280w.
=Fyvie, John.=^{[5]} Tragedy queens of the Georgian era. *$4. Dutton.
9–22022.
Traces the “personal and artistic” career of the following actresses of
the eighteenth and early part of the nineteenth century: Elizabeth
Barry; Anne Bracegirdle; Anne Oldfield; Mary Porter; Susannah Cibber;
Hannah Pritchard; Mary Anne Yates; Anne Crawford; Elizabeth Pope;
Elizabeth Inchbald; Sarah Siddons; Julia Glover; and Eliza O’Neill.
* * * * *
“The book necessarily savors somewhat of the scandalous chronicle, but
is attractive, on the whole instructive, and furnishes information
hitherto only obtainable from scattered sources.”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 73. N. ’09.
“He furnishes in one attractive and, on the whole, instructive book,
information hitherto obtainable only in a long course of miscellaneous
reading.”
+ =Nation.= 88: 446. Ap. 29, ’09. 700w.
“Of each actress there is a good biographical sketch, full of gossip and
anecdote.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 270. My. 1, ’09. 920w.
=Fyvie, John.=^{[11]} Wits, beaux and beauties of the Georgian era.
*$4. Lane.
Eight essays “illustrating social England in the eighteenth century....
They take the form of biographical sketches with the emphasis placed on
the social aspects of life. Some of these were well worth writing: the
introductory essay on Samuel Foote, the ‘English Aristophanes,’ is
particularly interesting not only as a vigorous defence of the
actor-dramatist, but also for the light that it sheds on the world that
Foote satirized on the London stage. The author supports his conclusions
by quoting liberally from Foote’s plays.”—Dial.
* * * * *
“A pleasant and instructive piece of work. If his style is not greatly
alluring, it is at all events lucid and sober; and although he may not
touch bed-rock on all occasions in his historical research, he marshalls
his facts industriously and avoids serious mistakes.”
+ − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 63. Jl. 17. 1050w.
“Mr. Fyvie’s work contains little that is new or original. His work is
throughout a very readable one; the English is delightful, though at
times somewhat informal.”
+ − =Dial.= 47: 289. O. 16, ’09. 270w.
“Mr. Fyvie’s chapters will be lively reading for those who are not too
familiar with their themes; they will sound pretty stale to those who
have kept up at all with the recent anecdotal literature of the
eighteenth century. Mr. Fyvie writes conscientiously and with a fair
degree of vivacity.”
+ − =Nation.= 89: 385. O. 21, ’09. 230w.
“Mr. Fyvie’s book—which, by the way, contains a surprising number of
typographical errors which careful proof-reading should have
eliminated—is an admirable example of condensed literature, fortunately
unknown to the period of which he writes.”
+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 592. O. 9, ’09. 1150w.
G
=Gadow, Hans Friedrich.= Through southern Mexico: an account of the
travels of a naturalist. *$6. Scribner.
9–6066.
“The present volume is based on two journeys which [Professor Gadow and
his wife] took during the period from June to September in 1902 and
1904, through some of the wilder portions of southern Mexico.... The
material includes personal adventures, short dissertations on fauna and
flora, and on the human inhabitants, past and present.”—Nation.
* * * * *
“More attractive to the general reader than Starr’s ‘In Indian Mexico.’”
+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 12. S. ’09.
“Dr. Gadow’s book is a valuable contribution to Mexicana, because he
went where few have gone, and did what none have done.” F: Starr.
+ − =Dial.= 47: 176. S. 16, ’09. 850w.
“The style is clear, and the author’s observations reveal the keenness
of vision of a thoroughly good field naturalist. A more serious defect
is the lack of a good index. The seven pages devoted to one are almost
wasted.”
+ − =Nation.= 87: 633. D. 24, ’08. 670w.
“A collection of scientific observations and speculations of
considerable value.” J. W. E.
+ =Nature.= 79: 252. D. 31, ’08. 1300w.
“A fascinating contribution to the travel books of the year.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 754. D. 5, ’08. 90w.
=Gairdner, James.= Lollardy and the reformation in England: an
historical survey. 2v. *$6.50. Macmillan.
8–34724.
Descriptive note in December, 1908.
* * * * *
“Though the facts adduced are almost invariably stated with accuracy, it
is not always easy to see how they bear on the main question. No worthy
student of the English reformation can feel otherwise than grateful that
it has seen the light.” R. B. Merriman.
+ − =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 573. Ap. ’09. 770w.
“Dr. Gairdner is neither so clear nor so satisfactory in his general
remarks as in his criticism of evidence; here and there the work would
have gained in clearness by expansion of short judgments. On the other
hand, scattered throughout the book there are passages and notes
containing corrections and accepted dates and received statements which
give us an accomplished authority at his best.” J. P. Whitney.
+ − =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 780. O. ’09. 2350w.
“No student can afford to neglect his book; but the foregoing incidents
are only a few out of many which might be quoted to warn the reader that
Dr. Gairdner’s bias is sometimes strongest where his tone is most
judicial.” G. G. Coulton.
+ − =Hibbert J.= 7: 693. Ap. ’09. 1750w.
“Many of Mr. Gairdner’s chapters are interesting reading, and he has
done a real historical service in presenting the point of view of
authority in the contest with the new forces that were impelling men to
think for themselves and to protest against the abuses and encroachments
of the Roman hierarchy.”
+ =Ind.= 66: 866. Ap. 22, ’09. 950w.
“His particular antipathy seems to be directed against the use of the
Bible as a source of religious certainty to the individual soul. Even
his style, generally dignified and objective, becomes contemptuous and
ironical whenever he approaches this side of his subject.”
+ − =Nation.= 88: 537. My. 27, ’09. 800w.
“Scholarly and valuable volumes.”
+ =Outlook.= 90: 889. D. 19, ’08. 500w.
“Dr. Gairdner moves among his materials with a veteran’s ease. Diffuse
and garrulously innocent of literary artifice, he is yet so learned and
so honest that the scandal he causes by looking at things from the point
of view of the people he writes about rather than from the conventional
Liberal standpoint of the modern historian is almost forgiven him. The
present book will be indispensable to students. Yet it has neither unity
nor form.”
+ − =Sat. R.= 107: 501. Ap. 17, ’09. 1100w.
=Gale, Zona.=^{[12]} Friendship Village love stories. $1.50.
Macmillan.
9–29428.
The little world of Miss Gale’s Friendship Village folk comes into view
once more and with it old acquaintances as well as new. The nineteen
chapters, any of which is quite complete by itself, are united by a
thread of romance—the love of Peter for Miggy; of Peter who “looked as,
in another milieu, Shelley might have looked,” and who earns his bread
at a cannery and feeds his soul on his violin melody and on the
uncertain love of Miggy. There is the charm of personal essay
reflection; there is the deft touch of character portrayal. These
elements, in a final analysis, account for Miss Gale’s success in
depicting the emotions, both simple and complex, of her village friends.
* * * * *
“Romance in its most engaging form appears and reappears in the midst of
capital descriptions of village festivities and kindly neighborings.”
+ =Outlook.= 93: 876. D. 18, ’09. 140w.
=Galsworthy, John.= Fraternity. **$1.35. Putnam.
9–6848.
A book which strikes out from the shoulder at the upper middle class of
English people. Hiliary Dallison, a writer, weary with the peace of
dullness attending his married estate, contents himself with the little
model who posed for his wife’s painting, “The shadow.” The only offset
to the passive courage with which the numerous members in two closely
related families endure this man’s indiscretions is found in the
strenuous cry for cleanliness which a certain busy sanitarian lifts. The
man is cured of his folly by the stale smell of violet powder which
symbolizes the barrier between human beings and their “shadows.”
* * * * *
“Though in story form, this serious study of London conditions will not
interest the average novel-reader and should not be given to young
people.”
+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 113. Ap. ’09.
“As a novel this elaborate study of upper middle-class life and the life
of mean streets can hardly be considered a success; while, on the
sociological side, it throws no illumination upon the problems of
philanthropy or caste.”
− + =Ath.= 1909. 1: 312. Mr. 13. 210w.
“‘Fraternity’ is finely wrought in thought and in art, and one is always
aware of a certain finish in the style, in descriptive touch, in plot,
in character-study, yet it is in certain ways an overthoughtful,
self-conscious art.”
+ − =Atlan.= 103: 706. My. ’09. 1400w.
“Structurally, the book is a remarkable piece of technique. Powerful and
thoughtful volume.” F: T. Cooper.
+ =Bookm.= 29: 316. My. ’09. 530w.
“Mr. Galsworthy’s books are not without a gleam of idealism, but it is a
gleam too remote and wavering to save them from the legitimate
accusation of pessimism.” W: M. Payne.
+ − =Dial.= 46: 369. Je. 1, ’09. 500w.
“There are sound critical grounds for asserting that his new volume,
‘Fraternity,’ is a distinct advance upon all his earlier work.” Philip
Tillinghast.
+ =Forum.= 41: 389. Ap. ’09. 1250w.
=Ind.= 67: 601. S. 9, ’09. 400w.
“There is no denying the power of this story. Mr. Galsworthy is rapidly
taking a place among the foremost of English novelists. It is not
exactly the place left vacant by George Gissing, for he lacks the width
of view and the humanity of that lamented writer when at his best.”
+ =Lit. D.= 38: 764. My. 1, ’09. 530w.
“In spite of his desire to make fiction serve a higher master, he has
produced a book which, even judged purely on its artistic merits, must
rank as one of the most notable of the day.”
+ =Nation.= 88: 466. My. 6, ’09. 680w.
“His realism is infused with poetry, and it deals with universals rather
than with localized pettiness. It has warmth and color, and that
spiritual exaltation of insight into the heart of humanity which is one
of the attributes of genius. In conception and execution ‘Fraternity’
must be justly termed a great novel.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 160. Mr. 20, ’09. 600w.
“Mr. Galsworthy’s latest book must be classed among the best novels this
century has so far produced.”
+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 374. Je. 12, ’09. 250w.
“In sheer ability the novel ranks very high; the characters are alive,
the irony is searching, the imagination is poetical. ‘Fraternity’ is not
a tale to amuse the idler. But it makes one think.”
+ =Outlook.= 92: 19*. My. 1, ’09. 310w.
Reviewed by H. W. Boynton.
=Putnam’s.= 6: 495. Jl. ’09. 430w.
“In the guise of a novel Mr. John Galsworthy has produced a very
dangerous and revolutionary book. The book is quite unworthy of the
author of ‘The country house’ and ‘A man of property.’ It is closely
written and laborious—entirely lacking in spontaneity. In manner it
lacks grace or charm. It is a book that gets upon the nerves.”
− =Sat. R.= 107: 341. Mr. 13, ’09. 450w.