Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-07-31
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

The Naval History of the War" by Ad-
miral David D. Porter, of the United
States Navy. is being canyassed for in this
State, and is shortly to be issued to answer
the subscriptions, from a New York press,
and delivered in California by J. Dewing &
Co., of No. 400 Bush street, San Francisco.
1t will appear in full library sheep,
and in seal Russia, Turkey Morocco
and muslin. illuminated. Admiral Porter
has within the last three years achieved
enviable distinction in literary walks, and
several of his romances have received high
est critical approval. The work upon which
he is now engaged will be entitled to a
place upon the library shelf beside the Me
moirs of Grant and the best histories of the
war of the rebellion. The book is to be
richly illustrated, and the engravings that
are before us in advance sheets give prom
Use of special attractiveness for the full vol
ume when it shall have appeared. 1t will
be quarto of about 800 pages, and the
subscriptions range from Sc to $40 30, ac-
cording to style of binding. By examina-
ton of the Introductory chapters-and
which read more than well-and of the
contents" it is ascertained that the work
will include full accounts of all the opera
tons of the navy, and of the army in con-
junction with the navy. The text will be
fortified by maps, plats and official tran-
scripts. No man of the navy is better quail
flied than Porter for the task he has
undertaken. His diction is scholarly, his
style finished and forcibie and his powers of
narration very near to the best ideal.
He begins with a succinct account of the
| organization of the navy of the United
States, and thence leads up to its wretched
condition at the outbreak of the civil war
This takes him next most naturally into
the field of speculation as to what could
have been done, and from that considera-
ton he proceeds easily TO the actual doing.
Every naval battle is fully described, and
all the land operations relating to them are
narrated with accuracy of detail. A most
pleasing feature is the simplifcation of
technical reports and official accounts of
sea battles and harbor assaults and repulses.
Indeed, the book is written to the level of
the non military reader and those not
versed in naval technicality. But for this
reason it is none the less a work of official
importance, and will none the less be re
ceived as such by the navy Porter comes
of naval family and a race ofnaval heroes.
His grandfather was made a Master in the
navy by Washington his father was Capt.
David Porter, of the famous frigate
Essex, captured the first man-of war
taken from the British in 1912, and he be-
came Commander-in-Ch of the naval
forces in the war of Mexico for her indie
pendence Admiral Porter himself first
saw service in Mexico, but while yet a
youth entered the United States navy and
passed through all the grades, from Mid
shipman to Admiral Throughout all the
civil war his feats were those of a hero,
and he ranked officially and in the esteem
of the people second only to Farragut, and
succeeded him as Admiral of the United
States navy, which position he now holds.
A naval history by such a man must be q
work of high importance and command a
wide sale.
The Popular Science Monthly" for
August ID. Appleton & Co., N. W has
full pages of choice papers. Among these
are 'sW foods and Other Destructive Fungi"
By P. H. Dudley, C. E.; IAN Economic
Study of Mexico" by Hon. David A. Wells;
THE Extension of Scientific Teaching, >
by Professor T. H. Huxley; "A Canadian
Chapter on Agrarian Agitation" by George
lies; ''Genins and Precocity," by Professor
James Sully; Progress of Psyehical Re
search, by Professor \. NJ. Butler; Causes
! of the Present Commercial Crisis, by Paul