The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-29

E4- AallYrand and Lord SalISDI
hat il was all about. Irhe dates
raember them, the wars were apr
ngs and generals and the great
oyiding names for periods. Abo
{ heroes Of fable than human be
rough the ambitions, good or b
as little more than a chronology
ult Of the teaching, but it was ais
The present generation OF young
ers has no such excuse for re-
hiding history in this light now
at Hendrix Van Loon has written
he Story OF Mankind" Mr.. Van
bon is neither a novelist turned
|stOrian nor a historian turned
BVeHst. He is a scholar with
nse OF proportion. He knows how,
oreover. to write of great events
I'd great men in a way which is
tn comprehensive and interest
e.. More than that, he can draw
Etures to illustrate the things he
describing. which will delight the
ys and girls for whom the book is
FIFTEEN primarily. 1t is a children's
edIy wrong with any grown up
o can not read it with enjoyment
q profit.
Mr. Van Loon says that he want
to write "a history that should
We rhythm-a story which gall
bed rather than walked" and he
5 succeeded in doing so. Some
rists and, perhaps. some teach
and writers OF history. will OBJ
Il to The story" because it does
Hop, but no one who has struG-
ID through the old familiar gem
u history will give to that OBJ
stIon any more consideration than
deserves, which is not much. II
more important that Mr.. Van
on has not been obsessed by any
theory other than that already
ted: that he has given color and
bvement to the story OF human
bSress without being superficial.
b that he has told the whole story
less than 500 pages.
i've like this beginning of the
kpter The Rise of Rome" The
bman Empire was an accident. No
IL planned II. 1t happened No
nous general or statesman or
-throat ever got up and said'
riends. Romans, Citizens. We must
hind an empire. Follow me and
Eether we shall conquer all the
nd from the gates OF Hercules to
bunt Taurus Rome produced
nous generals and equally dis
xuIshed statesmen and cut
roats. and Roman armies fought
nyer the world. But the Ro-
n emptre-making was done with
a preconceived plan. The av-
"a Roman was a very matter-ot-
h citizen. He diSliked theories
but government. When some one
zan to recite eastward the
rs. of Roman Empire. ETC. etc.
hastily left the Forum. He just
ttnued to take more and more
A because circumstances forced
N do so. He was not driven
ambition or by greed. Both by
nr. and inclination he was a
ner and wanted TO stay at home
when ha was attacked he was
"a to defend himself, and
IN the enemy happened to cross
,ea TO ask for aid in a distant
1trv then the patient Roman
ob.d MANY dreary miles to de-
+bI, dangerous foe and when
bac been accomplished ne
ID behind to administer his
~ conquered provinces lest they
Jrto the hands OF wandering
L.n, and become themselves
.,are to Roman safety. II
nd, rather complicated and yet
tbe contemporaries, 1t was very
ple, as you shall see IN mo-
T."
NaDoI.on. Mr.. Van Loon writes:
ting the first twenty years OF
lie, young Napoleon was pro
;ona1 Corsican patricia Corsi-
sim Felncr, who hoped to de-
his beloved country from the
NJ the bitterly hated French
~ BUT the French revolution
unexpectedly recognized the
~ the Corsicans and grad
Nsnoleon, who had received a
traininE at the military school
1-isnne. drifted into the service
-. adopted country. Although
.vsr learned to spell French
.ctlv or TO speak IL without
italian accent, he became a
Lehman. In due time he came
+and as the highest expression
II French virtues. At present
rararded as the symbol Of the
Il genius. Napoleon was what
I,sd a fast worker. His career
.ot cover more than twenty
In that short span of time
Eoupht more wars and gained
yictories and marched more
meters and killed more people
brought about more reforms
generally upset Europe to a
ter extent than anybody Gin
nr Alexander the Great and
[bis Khan) had ever managed
D."
n. chapter on The Holy AL
"a" considerable space is de-
a To the Baroness Won krudener,
RussIan woman OF uncertain age
sImilar reputation" who after
converted" made a specially
tbo conversion" of kings and
,ces-and her influence on the
Alexander. Mr.. Van Loon eX-
rs why 50 much space Is given
H. baroness, and that explana
Is a significant one. You may
why l tell you this story in
great detail? Arc not the So
changes Of the nineteenth CEN
pf greater Importance than the
Icr Of an Unbalanced woman
had better be forgotten? or
-se they are. but there exist any
her of books which will tell you
bese other things with great &C
~ and in great detail. l want
80 Learn something more from
history than mere succession
acts / want you TO approach
a franc nf