The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-12-04
BOOKS FROM HISTORY.

BUUkS fKUM HlSlUkI.
The work that Mr. John n. Spears has
done I'm THE American Slave Trade" In
gathering together from scattered and re-
mote sources a comprehensive narrative
" the slave trade is as thorough ana EN-
tertainng as would he expected from this
indefatigable deliver into strange and pic
turesuue history. The book is an account
or the origin growth smd suppression Of
the traffic. As a book of horrors II Is
unsurpassed by any work OF the inagina-
tion. The author reproduces dispassion-
ate records which OF themselves are more
blood curdling than could be invented and
his narrative often simply elucidates what
was generally understood at the time
and taken as n matter Of course, but
which today seems Incredible. Mr.. Spears
tells us in his preface that he was moved
10 look up the slave industry through
coming across IL in connection with his
studies for his History OF our Navy"
And he struck a mine of forbidding his
tory than which the dark ages have fur
nished nothing more terribly impressive.
The slave traffic was long and
shameful chapter I'm our national history.
lt seems now impossible that half our
people we're slave holders and that only
a little over generation ago; that men
are now living who can recall how gov
ernments and statesmen dealt with the
problem hypocrltically invoking sham
devices in plenty. as Mr.. Spears points
out. for it's suppression and there was
small public sentiment to encourage a
vigorous onslaught against the most
amazing and most iniquiious traffic of all
human history. No subject that Mr.
Spears has taken up mas been treated
more vigorously than this IL is a vivid
story and valuable, II unsavory, con-
tribution 20 our history. Many vigorous
Illustrations by Walter Appleton Clark
contribute TO the vividness OF the text
published by Charles Scribners Sons.
Price $500
\ book OF exceptional interest, of much
attracuVeness to the eye and of unusual
value is The Worlds DISCOVERIES. be-
ing the story OF bold voyages. by brave
navigators during a thousand years. Will
nam Henry Johnston Is the author and
ne contributes to the tempting facts and
raditlons a dashing style which makes
these sketches immensely readable
There are many Illustrations including
maps'esnd most OF these are OF peculiar
Nsiue because they are the reproductions
oI rare old prints and paintings The
collection is not simply a book Of emi
navigators who exercised successive
ihnuence AT the awaking OF the new
"orld development by their enterprises
III attempting TO make sea route TO tha
lnoies' Inc stories are thus OF a kind
representing common impulse ana All
TO be identified as sucn. as disting,iisAed
from miscellaneous enterprises of cruis-
ing and discovery. Marco Polo. Magel-
Ian, Vasco da CANA, Drake, Sir John
Franklin. Columbus. Hudson are among
the navigators whose adventurous
published by Little, Brown Il Company.
Price t1.50)
stephen Cranes collection OF stories and
studies of Great Battles OF the World"
Is published by the j. r. LippincOtt Co
with an introduction and a brief sppre-
ciative notice of the lamented author by
Harrison s. Morris, and illustrations by
John Sloan. II is a readable and valua BILE
book. Mr.. Morris observes that THE
talent ~ stephen Crane was rnelIovins
under the tutelage OF experience but
that TO his death he lost none OF his
dash and audacity." These tales OF battle
are spirited narratives and vivid descrip-
tons. They provide a quick insight into
the significance OF eng.gemsnts that
were crucial TO the worlds history We
are informed that Mr. Crane selectad hix
own battles from all the worlds military
history. The title OF the book. Il Is 10
be noted, Is not The" great battles OF
the world. The article IL omitted. The |
olinculty OF selecting the" great battles |
With limit OF dozen. more or less
would evidently be as great as that OF |
naming the ten greatest books. Mr..
Crans's selection. however covers a great |
deal OF history. There are the Bun.ker
I'M, Nittoria. Plevna, the storming of |
burkersdorf Heights. The Swedish tri- |
umphs of Leipzig and Lutzcn. the storm |
Ing OF Badsjos the campaign Of New
Orleans and Solferina. The way the
story of these battles ~ written demon |
stratss thorough study not only Of |
the actions themselves. but OF the his |
part II not always the climax. rho |
study of biography as well as history and |
geography entered into Mr.. Cranes pre- |
paration for the work. The condensa- |
tion is remarkable and the styIe crisn |
and entertaining. (The ]. b. Lippinoott |
company. Price s1.50)
A new volume in the Story of the West
series tAppleton) Is the STORY of III. |
soldier written by Brevct RrigadIer |
pehersl George A. Forsyth. T.. s. A., and /
ny LNkbSunl. ltS appearance |
is timely. Thousands OF people are in |
terested In our army today where a !
couple of years ago or SO there were only
hundreds whose occupation or residence |
perhaps gave them knowledge of AZ and |
regard for IL before the sudden starting
up of the march OF events awakened the |
nation 10 patriotic applause for the ex-
ploitS OF the American regular-God bless
him! The history OF the regular army
is an unbrokeh record OF gallantry self
sacrifice, duty performed thoroughly. re-
gardless Of whether glory or even recog.
milton followed upon it-and usually
neither has followed The soldier was
the advancs guard OF western eivillza-
tiou quite as much as the pioneer settler.
Indeed without Uncle SANS regulars at
his back and skirmisniug for him the
pioneer would often have gone down and
would have marked time.
Gen. Forsyth's sketch Is comprehensive.
crisp snd readable as for the manner OF
telling as well as for what It tells. II is
a book that every American boy ought
to read and grasp the full meaning OF