The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-12
HOLIDAY BOOKS.
THREE YEAR

| THREE YEARS WAR, by Christian
Rudolf dc Wet:
| published by Charles Scribner's Sons
For sale by Preston & Rounds. 81. 50)
None Of the Boer chieftains were more
widely known than de Wet when the
! South African struggle closed Begin
| ming service as a plain burgher in the
| ranks. he rose rapidly through several
| commanding positions until for about a
year before peace was declared between
Briton and Boer, Christian de Wet SEEM
ed to he the fellow that was doing II all.
His military distinction rested on a num-
ber OF spectacular lights and raids and
escapades OF a guerrilla kind and the
neutral reader developed a great liking
for him. His exploits invited favorable
comparison with the most dashing cav
airy leaders of military history and the
English, themselves -attested- Ais-prs-
eminence over all the commanders left TO
the Beers In the closing period OF the
war and over most OF the captains from
their own host who engaged him from
time to time, undertook to catch him or
fruiuessly endeavored to hold him when
they bad him "cornered." He was a rare
good soldier. stout patriot. strongly and
sincerely religious, n man OF more than
ORD mary intellectual parts, thoroughbred.
In word, and he will undoubtedly make
British citizen that will be very handy
to have around II Great Britain should
need his services I'm her own defence at
some time In the future.
This fine volume, Three Years War"
Is de Vets story OF his own military
operations and of those OF the Boer forces
rs far as he was a personal eve witness
and participant. IL is dedicated Ito my
fellow subjects of the British Empire"
IL tell It's story with only such Incidental
reference TO the political side OF the war
as is necessary TO a ready understa nding
OF the military operations IL Is essential
ly a book Of incident. episode and ad-
venture. II reads like one OF the late
Henty books. At the same time. there In
plainly no romancing, no exaggeration
The simple facts are spectacular enough
and the writer has had the good sense
TO rely upon them to make his tale suf-
ficienty strong and entertaining
The reader may be curious to discover
how far the newspaper reports OF the
various picturesque actions in which de
Wet figured are borne out by the fact.
He will find them fully borne out.
while the simplicity OF their relation is
singularly more forceful than the lam
guage I'm which the war correspondent
frequently clothed them. Perhaps. IT
was the curious story OF the fight with
Colonel Broadwoods column that first
attracted general attention 10 de Wet
on this side OF the water The extraor-
dinary accomplishment OF Turing trained
soldiers into a defile and holding them
IN one by one. as hghwayman might
hold up the peaceful traveller until he had
gobblcd considerable number before the
operation was discovered and a general
engagement was brought on. had touch
OF humor to IL that revived popular in
terest in the tiresome struggle and Gre
ated a lively curiosity as 10 the person
atty of this soldier OF such novel fightng
methods
IL was just this capacity for suitIng his
hghting style to the suddenly developed
condition and OF making prompt change
OF plan at an unexpected emergency, OF
being not only ever ready and watchful
but brim full OF expedents. that d,stin-
guished de Wet and made Ii possible for
him to keep the field with kaleidoscopic
changes OF his war game after the Brit
ish had learned all the plays Of the other
commanders and had worn them down at
their own game. De Wet himself was
surprised once quite as completely as ever
he surprised his foes and he got n sound
thrashing on that occasion. But consId-
ering his opportunities and the odds
against him. his record is one that any
cavalry leader might be proud of. Per-
haps he will remind most readers ec-
quainted with our Civil war history az
the Confederate chieftain. Forrest. whom
ne seems 10 resemble both In temperament
and IN dash and style OF hghtlng.
This book will strike the reader as un-
doubtedly like" the man who write Il IL
is simplicity itself I'm style but Il ia clever
sometimes really humorous. alwavs sin
cere and straightforward and I'm dass.rln-
ton and narration the strokes are slnRii-
larly effective. 10 possesses an unbounded
interest simply for the readings sake
And It Is part OF history that Is mighty
interesting and absolutely worth while
knowing as much about as possible.