Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-10-20
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

HISTORY OF THE PACIFIC STATES OF AMERICA.
history OF California, 1S4s-lSi9. Hubert Howe
Bancroft The History Company San Fran
cisco
In th;s volume Mr.. Bancroft has reached
period III his historical series which will
prove - It's recon! of more interest to the
larger number OF readers; that is to say, the
yoluue treats of contemporaneous history.
No era III the annals OF the Pacific Coast
compares in roInsnt;c interest with the de-
csde nom 1913 to 1859. So familiar is the
American reading public with the eventful
years OF that time that it is unnecessary 20
enter into any detail of the features of the
chapter before US. We can say, however.
with heaEtiness, that while Mr.. Bsncrofts
task was not less difficult than that en-
joined by the demands for previous vol
umes, il has been accomplished with more
apparent ease. We conceive it to be
more difficult to write acceptably of
coniemporaneous times; in reviewing
present dates the historians work is open
to vastly more of criticism, and to exam
ination by an immeasurable host of critics
II is improbable that this profoundly inter-
eSting volume will pass through the fire of
examination without encountering some
adverse comment. In the very nature Of
things, this must be so yet we feel conf
dent that the work will justify lis author
We say this after long study and search
ing investigation OF its pages, for we have
felt more than usual interest in a large
nunber OF historic questions which we
anticipated must be treated i'll this book
We are more than pleased with the con-
ciseness of the text. Had ii been more
elaborate and wordy there would have
been annoying unbalance. But Mr. Bancroft
has been very happy IN his method. Less
fiorld than In most OF the other volumes of
Pacific States history of earlier centuries,
when he came to the stirring times of San
Francisco-'51 TO '57-we feared that he
might hesitate in judging. But these
pages prove that the author is possessed of
that Judicial calm SO essential to impartial
lty In treatment. There have been histories
OF California and histories, and their name
Is many. Let Us go upon record, after
having read them all, that for directness of
statement, authoritative support, fearless.
ness of Judgment, ana exhaustive research.
no history of the State or any period of
its existence pt Ssesses the value of that
| now before US. There have been more
scholarly results, greater manifestations of
lega. knowledge, but none in which the
general task has been 50 exhaustiyely ac-
| complished, or in which the general result
| has been so satisfactory.
OF Cassell's National Library (Cassell e
Co, London and New York; we have Nos.
| l41 and 142, from G. S. Houghton, Sacra-
mento. These delightful little books are
| Daniel Dutoes Tour Through the Eastern
| Counties of England-1722" and Shake
speare's q King Henry v" When it is con-
sidered that each of these little volumes
cost by the year less than 10 cents per week,
and that they are printed as we'll as the
average standard work, two things appear
marvelous: that everybody does not pos
sesS the series, and that Cassell & Co. can
issue them for such an Insignificant sum.