Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-11-06
AUTHORS BOOKS.
REVIEWS OF SOME RECENT NOTE
WORTHY PUBLICATIONS.
Richmond Edition Of Greg's History of
tho United stases-A New Work
by Amelie Rtyes, &c.


Richmond. Va: West, JOHNSTON 4 Go.
49,. Price, $3.50.
This IS book Of nearly 800 pages, PRINT
ed on good paper, and well bound in cloth
MIR. GREo was an Enrlishman who was II
| the South for short while during the wa,
aud who afterwards visited our principa
batue-felds, that he might the better un
derstand aud more intelligently writ,
about the military operations of GRAM
and LEE. SHERMAN and JOHNSTON, and
others. We find him q charming writer
and q man of independent judgment
THE Revolution, the Constitution, and
the Civil War" are the three central events
of American history with which he deals
His view of the Revolution is the British
view. He does not consider that the colo.
mes were justified In breaking their allie.
glance to the British crown, and he
ascribes the movement in large part to the
selfishness and cupidity of New England
OF course, at this late day Virgiuians ore
not going to reverse their judgment as to
the righteousness of that cause to which
WASHINGTON. JEFFERSON, HENRY. and al
our patriot fathers gave their hearts
neverthe less, we cannot fail to be inter.
ested in what Mr.. GREG has to say on thi,
subject, particularly as he gives from I'm.
doubted continental sources many illus
trations of the quarrels and chickering's
which went on in those days. and some OF
which nearly tormented the life out OF
WASHINGTON. He quotes WAsHNoToS's
private utterances as to the unreliableness
of the New England troops placed under
him when he assumed command of the
forces at Cambridge. These we take to be
correct, as they coincide with expressions
in letters written home by Virginians who
were with WASHINGTON at Boston.
Few of our people have ever read q
British history OF the Revolutionary war,
and those who can stand little idol.
smashing will find Mr.. GREo's chapters on
that epoch quite entertaining. He tries to
be fair, but he mas Briton's prejudices.
Viewing the quarrel between the North
and the South, Mr.. GREG Is in the position
of q neutral. His treatment of the slavery
question is correct. As a rule, he is dis
posed to doubt if slaves Jared any worse
not hold the southern people responsible
for the introduction of African slaves into
this country. and he sets forth the strenu-
Gus efforts made by the southern people 10
check the evil, and relates how their de.
signs in this direction were thwarted by
the owners of ships engaged in the slave
trade and by the Abolitionist agitators OF
the North.
In detailing the events leading up to the
war Mr.. GREG does justice to the South, as
he does in giving an account Of our four
years. struggle against the overwhelming
forces of the North. He sets forth the
disparity of our numbers and the meagre-
ness of our resources compared with the
enemy's. and speaks with great warmth of
the courage and constsncy of our men in
the field and of our women at home. OF
Gettysburg he says: The charge of the
Light Brigade was less desperate and Its
trial far less prolonged. The bravest
among the victors of Inkerman, or Albue.
IA. of Worth and Gravelotte, might envy
the glory of PIcKETT's defeat
Gettysburg he calls 1.-THE single victory
of the Ever-Vsnquished Army of the Po-
tomac."
This edition is introduced by letter
from General WADE HAMPTON, who speaks
of Mr.. GREG as an unbiased and Impair
tial writer" and the General adds: I'VE
of the South have been dereict in not pre-
senting TO the world our version of the
causes which led to our civil war and our
story of that war, and it is fortunate for
us that O disinterested foreign writer of
established reputation has come to our
rescue, indicating alike our cause and
our conduct, as this work of GREG has
done. fully and conclusively.
We shall be very much astonlshed, IN
deed. if this book despite some of the
authors errors as to details) does not have
a wide circulation in the South. The price,
$2.50, is really very cheap.
The Beauties of Nature and Re Wonders of 1ie
World We Lie In. BY the Right Honor
able Sir JOHN LUBBOCK, Bart, Nj. p,
4. X. s., ID. q. L.. LII. d. New York and
London: MACMILLAN h Co. $3.50.
Sir JOHN LUBBOCK writes of science and
nature as bridegroom would write of his
BRIDE. He is perhaps the greatest all-round
physicist of this day, his Investigations
having led him into many different fields.
Yet in every field be has entered
he has found the beautiful, and
even romantic suggestion. His papers
on archaeology. geology, ethnology,
entomology, or what not bear the distinct
impress of mind in full sympathy with
the aesthetic. The present volume opens
with q chapter on Beauty and Happi-
ness" 1.-The Love of Nature" Enjoy
ment of Scenery" Scenery in England"
Foreign Scenery" 1.-THE Aurora" and
1.-THE Seasons" and IN the succeeding
chapters we are taken through animal life.
plant life, woods and fields, rivers, the
sea, and the starry heavens. The style is
charmingly simple and the illustrations
and plates we'll executed. The book Is to
be recommended to the perusal of young
people especially. as 1t is calculated to in
spire In them desire for independent re-
search into the domain of nature.
For sale by WEST, JOHNSTON j. Co.
Barbara De,.ing. A Sequel to the Quick
or the Dead" BY AMELIE RItEs Phila-
delphia: j. b. Lippincott Company.
Sl.25.
In barbara Dering" the fair Virginia
authoress continues to manifest her In
but this is toned by higher
literary art than marked her first famous
effort, and the characters are harmonized
in their thoughts and actions TO the i'm
Barbara Dering" is in
tenseIy written. but its intensity Is truer
to nature than that of the Quick or the
Dead.n Barbara runs the gamut OF emo
tions. but in the end finds herself and
happiness.
For sale by WEST, JOHNSTON & 90.
49, M, fbo fff(};ip,5.0,gp1f nv