... A readable and interesting book, The Valley of the Pyrene (Cassell 2 is.), is about one of the more ...

... THE first edition of Wild Fowl Decoys, by Joel Barber, appeared about twenty years ago, and very rarely indeed do copies come into the market, which is the measure of, its popularity amongst those who know a new edition (Dover Publications, with Mayflower Publishing Co. 65s.) is therefore very welcome. This is without any doubt a collector's piece in every sense written with the devotion and ...

... MAURICE LINDSAY, in writing his ROBERT BURNS (Macgibbon and Kee; 18s.), deals with the Man, his Work, and the Legend. He also delivers a knockout blow to a good deal of senti mental Burnsism. Much of the Burns cult has gone too far: to the non-Scot it is wearisome, putting-off; and to a Scot (himself a poet and critic), impassioned for the authentic genius and for the realities of his country, ...

... Elizabeth Bowen CORTÉS AND MONTEZUMA, by Maurice Collis (Faber; 15s.), relates a story more strange than imagina tion could have devised: a page out of history at its most dramatic. Prescott's Conquest of Mexico-- a masterpiece, in spite of what may be said of its starched prose-- was written, we are reminded, a hundred years ago: since then, scholar ship has thrown light upon much of which ...

... Anthony Cookman MOSCOW was generous in its praise of the Hamlet that came to them recently as the first piece of English theatre made available in Russia since the Revolution. Just how generous we can learn now that the company, led by Mr. Paul Scofield, is home again and quartered at the Phoenix Theatre. The courtesy proper to visits from foreign artists commonly puts some thing of a strain ...

... Anthony Cookman THE present Old Vic Company are settling down all too comfortably into ordinariness. Set to plough the whole of the Shakespearian field (perhaps an ill-timed plan) and coming in due course to Richard II., they are satisfied to take this still challenging tragedy in their workaday stride. That is to say, they set it going with trumpets flourishing and banners aswirl, and leave ...

... AA^HETHER or not the new TV doubles the money of v advertisers or of studio audiences, it more than doubles the chances of members of the acting profession. All but the topmost reaches of that profession have been suffering an even leaner time than the rest of the community. Nobody now need grudge satisfaction at seeing the opportunities for actors suddenly doubled. suddenness, of course, is ...

... Elizabeth Bowen GOLDEN INTERLUDE, by Janet Dunbar (John Murray; 18s.), is a singularly attractive book. Its interest is, given its subject, obvious, but also there 's the flavour of personality. This is an account of the six years spent in India by two Miss Edens, Emily and Fanny, with their brother, the second Lord Auckland, while he was Governor-General, from 1836-42. The ladies were ...

... Anthony Cookman AROUSING Henry the Fifth is the pick of the season at the Old Vic this year, and the most youthful gallery in London acclaimed the turn of the theatre's long run of lack-lustre productions by cheers of relief. All things, big and small, had worked happily together to justify the cheers. Mr. Richard Burton has added a full inch to his stature since he played Henry at Stratford ...

... DAVID ATTENBOROUGH deserves the honour of making the B.B.C.'s Saturday Retrospect of 1955. Mr. Atten- borough's Zoo Quest programmes have been among those which enable the B.B.C. to keep its lead, while he himself has developed into one of the pleasantest but least obtrusive of TV personalities. ITA's New Year resolution to cease morning TV is welcome, if only as abating the too-great total ...

... Anthony Cookman well at the Arts. UGO BETTI-- introduced by the B.B.C. boys in Mr. Henry Reed's admirable translations-- is the latest foreign playwright to become the fashion here. His best play, The Queen and the Rebels, has been picked by the Haymarket for itself. T he Burnt Flower Bed has been doing There is at least one more Betti to come. The Italian's posthumous fame in London is more ...

... Anthony Cookman NEITHER Broadway (for making it) nor Mr. Jack Hylton (for importing it) need apologise for Kismet. Critics may deride it as a piece of Oriental stage hokum; but it is hokum for which the public is always hungering and periodically insists on having, whether in the form of a Chu Chin Chow, a Hassan or a Christmas pantomime. All that matters is that the hokum should be prepared ...