Evening star., 1928-04-08
IDA GILBERT MYERS.

Illustrated. New York; G. p. Put
nam's Sons.
y OLD fact is "Skyward," though
it reads like the sheerest OF
fiction. A business man OF
~ practical training and modern
outlook Is Comdr. Richard Byrd,
though he sounds and looks like an ad-
venturer from the days Of Haroun al
Raschid, The facts of his career are
so in the present as to admit OF no
suspicion of invention. even though
they are of so spectacular and incred-
ible a strain But this Is the DAY OF
miracles, and he Is one OF them. And
he was born an adventurer OF
mother in whose breast beat the heart
of a true adventurer. Did she not Iet
the boy go sailing the whole Worlo
round when he was only dozen years
old? Was it not she who, when sail
ing the skies was matter of debate,
argued for the boy to go II he wanted
to. while the more land-bound father
was less ready in encouragement ana
consent2 1t seems to me that IN
counting Richard Byrd there must be
a very clear counting of the mother
of this incorrigible outfarer. How
ever. the question in hand at the mo-
ment is "Skyward." Byrd's account OF
his own career. Maybe you have read
these chapters before, or some Oh
them. They are worth many readings:
Particularly are they worth TINS, II
you are boy. seeing far visions ana
dreaming wide dreams. For these per
sonal accounts Will assure you tnat
visions alone will not do, nor will
dreams alone turn to realities. Here is
work. and more work and then work.
Here is the true story of learning to
be a bird cleaving the air Here IS the
record of hopes gone to nothing. But
between the lines. there is the story,
too of an uncomfortable spirit. Flight
across the Atlantic. fight over the
North Pole. You know the story, Tor
you've read it many times over IN
newspapers. And now there Is to be
another fight. To the South Pole, OF
course why not? Why the discrimi-
nation of one Pole against the other
Yes, truly an old story. But here is
something that Is not old about IT,,
never can be old. That Is the courage
of this man. That Is his unconquefaoie
spirit. That is his generosity. ms re-
fusal To think harshly or envlously ana
meanly of any man. There Is ms tlne
courtesy and outstanding frlendilneSS
I'm thinking that these personal
great qualities of this book. at present.
Bv and by. years from now. the story
will have the historic substance and
connotation which, now. are not ripened
10 their best value. Its meaning now Is
that of current information. OF COM
municable ambition. of fair sight into
the future of aviation. Here is hero
he doesn't like this sort OF talk, out
that's exactly what he Is. Besides here
is a man Of scientific mind and training
and achievement. Here Is human
being, generous, kind. a friend TO just
about everybody new age hummlng
with adventure as did the English age
of Elizabeth and Drake and the other
sea rovers of the Renaissance. This is
the period Of the air when the Byrds
and the Lindberghs and dozen more
arc making history OF unimaglnaole
pattern and significance. An exciting
business is this 'Skyward.'
LITERARY BLASPHEMIES BY Ernest
BOYD. author of "Ireland's Literary
Renaissance" etc. New York: Har-
per &: Bros.
THE particular impiety of Mr.. Boyd
Il is. in this case, directed against
the great gods of academic tradition
operating IN the field of literary criti-
cism. Now this is a subject OF grow
ing concern. Indeed. sort OF rebellion
Is on over the prolonged edorts 10
thrust an outworn literature upon the
public in the name of culture. SO.
right at the outset there Is Quickened
interest toward even the name OF this
volume. Just inside the book the battle
il found to be on in full fury. The
'.blasphemies" 60 slithering TO right and
left. Like the good Irishman that he Is,
Boyd steps out, Shillalah in one hand.
bludgeon In the other. since no mere
mouthings of sacrilegiouS intent can
work the destruction upon which he
appears to be bent. It's going to be
fine scrap. So we think as We JOY
ously so along.
Shakespeare, Milton. Byron. Swift.
Poe. Whitman. Henry James and
Thomas Hardy are the victims OF the
great onset. And only one OF them
comes out of the Tumpus with breath
of life in his body That Is Jona-
than Swift. born in Dublin. Ernest
BOYD was born IN Dublin also. The
Irish are quite notoriously loyal to race.
A fine thing to be. too. While this
battle Is, in the main. just one II Is
too vehemently. too ferociouSly pressed
TO be as successful as IL might other
wise have been. Moreover. IL Is If too
personal cast, too concerned with the
private affairs of these overborne men.
The family scandals of Byron do not
affect his poetry, nor does the aloino
pigmentation of Milton initiate against
the noble quality OF the poets verse.
Before writing these essays Mr.. BOYD
should have reread Pen Pencil. and
Ds,f hi
couutryman. Oscar Wilde, There Wilde
makes study of Thomas GrifiithS
Wainewright--artist. writer. poiSoner.
He finally reaches the conclusion that
the fact of his being poiSoner has
nothing to do with his prose as, IN
deed. II had not.
However, this lusty battle in an es-
sentially good cause win at least jar
readers out of their easy completeness
and acceptances. In a blend of shock
and delight they viii follow this brill
liantly outspoken Irishman In his
trampling course over the sanctities Of
cherished tradition.
THE WEALTH OF THE SEA. BY
Donald X. TrcsSler, Phi D.. Mellon
Institute OF Industrial Research IL
lustrated New York The Century
Co
no we, the average readers, make
- positive acknowledgment Of our
debt to those who are, In growing mum
bers, translating q whole world of sell
entttic research into the plain terms of
common understanding l wonder
These men and their books offer educa-
ton to every one who can read and has
few minutes each day To devote to
such reading Here Is another one OF
the useful books now iioeking TO the
hand OF waiting man and woman. Talk
about fairy tales and the other wonder
literature of the agcS' There IL
nothing in all that to compare with the
wonders that every day is now bringing
into the open under the inspiration Of
these middlemen of strangely expand