Evening star., 1920-01-25

~ France" New York: Dodd, Mead
& Co.
TINE battle of the Meuse-Ar-
IL gonne. in which $4,000 Amer
leans took part, is the theme
of Mr. Palmer's latest war
story Choosing the Army division
as the unit of treatment, the author
is able to include within the limits
of this compact valume the essentials
of the gigantic engagement. In
scheme of such spread multitudes of
individual aspects of the battle must
be suppressed. and in the place OF
these must stand the single great
purpose of the combat, its general
plan. mass movement. comprehensive
results. And it is just this sweep OF
movement. this large oversight, TINS
panoramic effect. that gives the book
in hand its prime value as Visuailzed
war history. Nor is the story devoid
of personal appeal. The elements OF
supreme courage, gallantry, daring.
loss recovery-these, over and over
again are all here. but these are not
allowed to get in the way of the
grand action itself. In this respect
the book stands in sharp contrast 10
the majority of war records ne
average chronicler is absorbed IN the
individual, whom he multiplies ana
multiplies again Mr. Palmer mas
produced lust the book that is need
ed to gather the innurnerabie particu-
lars of the war into single actioh
of simply co-ordinated parts operat-
ing as a unit over a widely EXTENDED
field of action. The book is adm1ra
bly, calculated as starting point
from which one may be able. later 10
int MIA
with which the average war volume
is filled.
THE LAST FOUR MONTHS: How the
War wa. won. By Maj. Gen. Sir
L Maurice. Boston: Little, Brown
* Co.
In effect. this book is an impartial
tributa of homage TO the combined
instrumentalities that. finally. Sc
cured the defeat of the German
army In detail. it is a description
of the important movements that l,
upon the western front. su1itso tt u
Foch's great campaign against the
enemy Within these movements M
stands the real Armageddon OF the
war-Haig breaking the Hlndehpurs
line, Gouraud lighting in Champagne'
the Americans at the Me9se paI-
gium. From this high point the
story moves quickly through the
frnifIess efforts of Ludendorff to
make a fair retreat. and through
the last push that includes the con,
certed action of British, French ana
American armies. upon the retreat
ing Germans. Maps accompany this
exposition of the various movements
The outlook here is that of SOL
djer in command. that of one in
touch with the theory and practice
of war 1t is. as matter OF course
a clean-cut discussion. moving with
business precision through the field
under consider ton Beyond TINS
field of the western front the author
does not assume to go. though, al
the last he does project a Thought
full and informing outlook upon other
battle fronts and does, besides, es-
innate the general effects of the
armistice at the moment of It's ac-
ceptance as against the effects OF
further action against defeated
foe.
FATHER DUFFY'S STORY. By Fran
els P Duffy. chaplain 165th Infan-
try New York: George H. Doran
Company
BY way of Father Duffy's story, 1.-THE
Irish 69th," 1.-The fighting 69th." may
now sit down in peace at home, to read
about the way it cOmported itself 1T
war. And the home folks, too. will read
it with pride, and the friends of the
seth all over the country will read IT
This is a personal tale. with names ant
dates and deeds set down in a grea
fidelity of friendship and admiration oil
the part of Father Duffy Fighting day.
are the great days of this story. Bu
the times between fightings are grea