Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-06-27
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

VI
THE MEMOIRS OF WILLIAM JEN.
EINGS BRYAN. BY Himself and
His Wife, Mary Baird Bryan. H.
Illustrated. Philadelphia: The John
e. Winston Company.
"HI3 death of William Jennings
BRYAN left his Memoirs 20
lie completed by Mrs. Bryan.
4 This work accomplished. the
story of Mr.. Blyans life fronts
clearly upon two distinct uses. It's
most immediate service IS 10 selZs
upon and TO project the full quality OF
the man as this is objeetified in his
distinguished national service and to
make this projection in an almost
conplete freshness of effect. But a
short time after his death, this book
comes almost direct out of his own
hand. Ii bears this mark of imme-
aiaCV. as it was without doubt m
tended 50 to do. His own retrospect,
set down In his own words. many OF
his letters and speeches. political cpl
sodes In which he took leading
partial of these retain the person
elitv and force of the man himself.
In this respect the book is OF real
quality and high value, turning over 70
the public, as il does, Il fine man &C
count of the purposes and activities
of his own life--a life that Is ltSel
g. part of the history of the country.
But the book has another use. 1T IS.
in this other sense, u body OF historic
material gathered up tirst-hand ana
laid away for the benefits of time 10
work upon it. When a longer perSpec-
tive has interviewed, when a cer!Alh
politiral period shall have Settleu lh'o
its proper place in the poiltlcai history
of the country, then TINS pook WIN
serve rs one storehouse from Whlch 10
draw certain strands of thought and
action for the weaving of the broader
fabric of national life. 1t is, however,
the immediate use of this record tnat
&c at the moment most impressive.
The author commanded strong leel-
ines from all His friends were afdehl
advocates Those who dld not agree
with his theories, economic ana Pc
liticaI. were equally earnest. But poln
sides will read this clear and earnest
story of one mans life in our great
republic with interest ana enthuSlaSlil'
* x x
WELLINGTON. BY the Hon. John
Fortescue. IL. D.. d. Lift, autnor
of "A History of the BRUSH
ARMY" etc. Illustrated. New
york: Dodd, Mead & Co.
MO doubt a library OF fair size could
~ no filed with the Duke of Well
irgton literature-serieS or Noiuillea'
single hooks. pamphlets, manuscripts,
oarconal letters Yet here is anotler
hook about the great sOldier-oNe, 100,
that i,stifies itself abundantlN. fol
+his is the new biogra ply wherein the
historian and the novelist work 10
gather 10 recreate a character MOVING
in the flesh among the events ', Nc
gave him a lasting hold upon nv
itself. This new art or plosfaPils
causes the great ones to advance co
temporaneously with every PEI ~ ~
mis- author. the Kings librarian Is
nrimarilv the historian, a man OIL
hooks a deliver among old volumes
aud forgotten manuscripts ana purieo
racorde And from such research ne
has brought to the subject under ms
band newly discovered facts concern
inc the great soldier. BY means VI
sucb fresh material certain modlllca-
lions of opinion have arisen ana GER
TAIN reyisions Of old conclusions.
Yet. the browning value OF tli .l7
"Nyellington" lies in the author skil
with the art of the novelist. OF pS
way of it. the man hlmseli Wdlh n.
alive among the events lnat coli9e'
tuted large part OF the h!Sloi! ~
bie dav These events therefore take
an new life and significance. Ana
history is again served. But II Is
tbo man himself that counts here. "A
verv human man this one turns OUT
70 be and, at the last, pathetlc one
as he would have to be--29 an!
oreat figure has TO be that lives lols
hevond the height of his service anu
hayond the times that produced Nun
vet this is one of the great poiiftS
If the story. However, here IS
vivid personality giving reality 10 d
long and important period OF Euro
mean history. An outstanding eh-
smpJe of the new biography that Is
coming into such worthy prominence
I'm substantial literature.
:. = :: ::
RATTLES BY SEA. BY Il. keole
t'hatterton. author of Sailing Shlps
and Their Story" etc. New ofh'
The Macmillan Co.
Upon a fair foundation o. i'noWl'
- edge no other method of study
excels that of making comparisons
and contrasts. The mind appears TO
have an instinct for unity. Even the
child at play asserts his marbles ana
pehbles and other toys, gathering
them into families by one likeness or
another. And so on throughout the
wears the mind acquires new facts py
virtue of their kinship to those al
ready in possession. In no other held
is this method more useful than in
that Of history. To pursue vital
line Of human progress from period
to period is to objectify that line most
strikingly. as it is also to capture 1t
nd off
BATTLES by Sea" is d dramatic ex-
qualification of this method. Pro
iected by "a practised writer of sea
history, this story, by way of dozen
great sea battles, demonstrates the
oneness of sea warfare throughout a
period beginning 400 years before the
Christian era and ending with the
World War. The drama opens with
the battle of Salamis and closes with
that Of the Falklands. the latter an
episode of the World War, disastrous
to German activity by sea. Between
these two are sea fights that every
srhoo!boy knows-Actium, Lepanto.
the NileI Trafalgar. But not before
has the schoolboy seen them in this
brilliant alignment that reveals tc
him the underlying unity of sea
strategy throughout the ages. The
tactics change through the changing
conditions that range from galley 10
sail lighting and from the latter to
steam and the modern dreadnaught.
It is this unity at heart under di-
versity of externals that makes the
story one of particular enlightenment
to the student of history and to the
general reader as well.
A dramatic matter no less than an
informing one. Great men come into
action again, each one of a glorious
company - Persian and Greek and
glo-Saxon and far Oriental. And
here is study for the seaman as
well as an exciting tale for the reader