... iiiiiTTTT iwriTHfiinniiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuuinuiiii'iniiiiiiiiiniiinniiiniiHMliHiiiiiiiinti'iHiiiiA mn AT THE J£L THEATRE l|,, By MAITLAND DAVIDSON A GREAT revival of variety shows having been mentioned in the House, so to speak, I recently appointed myself to a Royal Commission of One to examine and report on Conditions in the Music Hall Industry, and have since been ...

... TALKING ABOUT BOOKS A Critical Causerie of Good Reading By Richard King THIS WEEK'S BOOKS The Black Candle, by Judge Emily Murphy [Hurst and Blackett 12s. 6 d. Antony in Love, by Charles E. Rose I Duckworth ys. 6 d. On England, and Other Addresses, by the Rt. Hon. Stanley Baldwin Philip Allen), 12s. 6d. I WONDER why it is that almost every bad thing has to become an actual menace before ...

... T he Little S hips HOWEVER you look at Life Line (Heinemann, 8s. 6d.) it is first class reading. Charles Graves has the knack of focusing a story or a section of a story as it were with a spy-glass and leading it up until it gives the impression of being magnified and standing out. In this book Charles Graves has been given by the Admiralty I the chance of studying the small ships of the Navy, ...

... Books: Reviewed by Noel Thompson WHEN the war comes to an end there will be a spate of books about occupied Europe. In the meantime it will be hard to find a better book than Under the Iron Heel (Robert Hale, 12s. 6d.). This deals almost entirely with Belgium both before and after occupation and the most important point is that Lars Moen, the author, does manage to keep such a very fair ...

... by A. G. Macdonell (Jarrolds, 7s. 6d.) THE fourth volume in the My Country series, issued conformably with the already published studies of England, Ireland and Wales. Mr. Macdonell's two main points are that the Highlanders and Lowlanders are, in effect, two separate races, and that Scotland, instead of exploiting England, as is usually held, is the target of her too pressing attentions. ...

... by Boyd Cable (Ivor Nicholson and Watson, ios. 6d.). THE Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company was founded one hundred years ago. In this handsome and modestly priced volume, Mr. Boyd Cable tells the story, the highly dramatic story, of the inception and growth of this great concern. He has performed his task with skill, keeping the book to handy size, including and summarising ...

... I [i Reviewed by Trevor Allen I SMILE when authors are rapped for not doing what they never set out to do. Kay Summersby was General Eisen hower's driver for three exciting years. She wrote Eisenhower Was My Boss (Werner Laurie, 11s. 6d.) as a record of personal experience and to show him and other war leaders in their off-the-record moments. Inevitably some may seem trivial for the simple ...

... : Reviewed by Rrevor zAllen HANDSOME rake has been a stock term of romancers, yet the most successful rakes have often been plain, even ugly men. John Wilkes, passion ately addicted to the pursuit of women all his life, had a jaw that was crooked and prominent, squinting eyes set close together in an odd malevo lent leer, a high bony forehead and a flat truncated nose, but his charm was ...

... : Reviewed by Trevor Allen ALL I know about tanks from per sonal experience was gained when the Canadian Army here thought I'd look nice squirming through the hatch of the co-driver's seat, and took me for a ride in a Ram over some blasted heath. I hated the noise, but appreciated the fascination of the monster for the keen young driver and crew. That pride in mechanism runs through Mr. ...

... New Plays Not up to Standard By Maitland Davidson Deadlock. By May Edginlon. (Comedy.) THE question of how much theatre audiences ought to get for their good money as expended at the box office-- running as high as fourteen shillings for a single stall, with even bigger totals in some cases-- has been spot-lighted into special prominence by the production at the Comedy of Deadlock, an ...

... Reviewed by Trevor zAllen BROWNING never wrote Oh, to be in the Caribbean, now that April's there The misquote is mine, after reading in Rosita Forbes's Islands in the Sun (Evans, 12s. 6d.) Sea-murmur under palm trees, music imported from three continents, fruits of Ceres, fish and flowers unbelievable, are the background for a sturdy meritorious human growth. She tells of a night club in ...

... THE Ordinary Man is undoubtedly the central figure of this century. For him have been designed the phenomena of our civilization-- Holly wood beauties, washing machines, wage negotiations, and indirectly, big business. Sloan Wilson takes his Ordinary Man (typified, in America, by wearing a grey flannel suit) from several rungs up the social and economic ladder. Ex-paratrooper Tom Rath has a ...