The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-06-14
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Centups war papers for the current month
are brefcr than the last hut do not lack IN interest
The battle OF Gsiness Mil IA described by Gen.
Fitz-John Porter on the one side and by Gen. d.
H. Hin on the other. They both restrict themselves
closely to the incidents Of this dercey- en-
gagement, and only In q casual way refer TO the
larger problem OF the struggle between Mcclellan
ana Lee Both say enough, however, to give en-
phasis 10 the readers natural inquiry whether Lees
attack by concentrated forces upon McCellans iso-
lated corps would not have sacrificed Richmond and
the Confederate campaign II the Federal commaIi-
der had taken advantage OF the opportauityto push
upon Richmond with the three corps south OF the
Chickahomny. Gen. Hill does not conceal his
opinion that the situation was perilous in the eX-
treme for the Confederate army. The two accounts
the battle, hut the different standpoints Of the
ge,ns, they give very vivid picture q this hard
fought field. Gen. 1mhodtn contributes n lively
sketch of stonewali Jacksons campaigns In the
Shenandoah valley, with number of personal remi.
strongly characteristic. 1t goes without saying that
the Illustrations are abundant and rich. fhe por-
traits are OF Longstreet, Porter, and A. p. Hill.
Mfr. Marion Crawford Ia evidently anxious to re-
peat his first literary triumph for his new novel
(loroaster: BY F. Marion Crawford. Macmillan 4
Co., London and New York. Brentano Brothers,
washington.) is in important respects modelled upon
" MT isaacs" How far II is wise to seek In remote
antiquity for the scene and personages Of fiction
may well be questioned Such efforts always have
an air OF unreaty, but at the time the author
enjoys freedom from many OF the conditions which
make the writing OF contemporary or historical
logical details Is essential to any value in work of
this sort, and the field which has been worked SO
successfully sv, By Ecess the Egyptoogsi is
power Of imagination viii always tell. The greatest
defect In Mr.. 1saacs was that the actors always
Ing on the. earth. we can imagine a book like
"Loroaster" possessing absorbing Interest, II the
ce'en M locale was artistcay put in while the beauty
But while Mr.. Crawfords work will be pronounced
readable It Is too vague, sketchy, and deficient in
lofty or consistent purpose to take rank as work Of
the highest order.
Unabridged encyclopedias there are without end
but 1t is for cassell Co. to publish the only con-
densed, or, a. they,call 1t, "Concise Cyclopedlan
This isa volume of 1,s4O large octave pages, into
which is squeezed with Intelligent compression the
tempt that has been made to make such book, and
u mas been wholly successful. Nearly twelve
thousand articles are treated Of NEUROLOGICAL his
tortcal, biographical, geographical, Typographical,
scientific, and technical subjects. William Heaton'
the editor, has been ably assisted by corps OF
specialists. There are numerous illustrations scat
tered throughout the book.
Houghton, Mifiiin &: Co. have Just published
very Timely work on "Russian Central ASIA in
Guiding Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva, and Merv, with a
map, photograph of the author In Khokand armor
and Syer sixty * shsd by Henry D.
peoples about which the Western World knows
y
work from the fact that it covers the territory for
which England aud Russia have been just ready to
battle.
Lieut. Frederick Schwatka has written a book of
hunting adventure with the attractive title Nmrod
In the North,' which Messrs. Cassel Il Co. will pub
lish this month. The author has In this narrative
confined himself almost exclusively to such scenes
and adventures ns came within his personal knowl-
sons Bay, and more recently in the Interior OF
Alaska. He describes In general way the life Of
the sportsman In the frozen North. his camps. his
eedges. and the native hunter and his weapons, and
the animals that furnish the sport.
very useful monthly publication has Just ap-
peared which Is well described In the title: 1.-THE
United States Military List, containing the Names of
Onicers OF the Army National Guard Militia, voun-
States and Territories; with Complete Index and a
Gazette of all Changes to Date also the Stations
Of Troops by Companies and Regiments, List of
Garris0ns, Forts, CantOnmens, ETC." This Ia evi.
IDENTIFY the best Army List vet Issued Washington
j. II. Soule Il Co.. publishers.
AT Louisville has Just been issued the first number
of new series of the Southern Bfroudc an attract
I've and promising war periodical. Among Its fea-
lures are an account Of the battle of Franklin by
Ma. D. w; Sanders, with colored map of the field
and portraits of generals; "West Point Before the
War," BY Gen. J; NJ; Wright; Confederate War
Songs" by Paul H. Hayne, and "Gen. Morgan's
Escape" by I. II. Hines, with portrait Of Morgan
and views of the prison.
Beginning with the July number, the Magazine OF
american History will publish a series of impor-
tant papers the Civil War. They will he prepared
by men who actively participated in the conflict,
and will be illustrated from portraits and pen-and-
Ink sketches made at the time and before pub
lished.
The price paid by the English publishers for the
copyright OF Gen Gordons " Diary is said to have
been 5000 guineas All the chief publishing houses
OF London were asked TO bid for the copyright. The
net proceeds will be handed over to the funds Of the
National Memorial.
Like DIR. Hammond, Admiral Porter appears to
have runkful of novels all ready for the publisher.
lis new work, announced by the Appletons, is
called "The Adventures OF Harry Marline; or
Notes from an American Midshipman's Lucky Bag