Evening star., 1934-05-27

y,
ity because he was unable to join the Union
Army and later because his novels failed to
make him rich. left America and finally found
his spiritual home" in Victorian England;
Alice, never knowing good health after a severe
illness at l6, remained in New England until
1885, when she joined Henry in England. There
four years later. she began her journal which
forms the second part of this volume. Though
the journal of a woman who had abandoned
all hope of health, it is not morbid nor entirely
concerned with her Illness even with her
own reactions. Her interest in people in books
in ideas, rose superior to her interest in herself
When her nurse suggested that she must have
had dreary day, she said: "Oh. no. it hasn't
been dreary, it's simply destiny and as destiny
nothing is dreary, you know" The final entries
in the journal were dictated to Katherine
Loring her companion and little nurse" just
two days before the bewildered little hammer
that keeps going fulfilled her wish of
ending his distracted career" william James
insisted that despite its terrific Illustrations
her life was triumph" Mrs. Burr has brought
to her work as essayist and editor an attitude
of perfect understanding.
ITALYS PART IN WINNING The WORLD
WAR. BY Girard Lindsey McEntee Colonel
United States Army. Princeton: Princeton
University Press.
4 %AY "a, the publication date of this volume,
iVI was the anniversary Of Italy's entry into
the World War. Col McEntee believing that
there is perhaps need for better understanding
in this country of the arduous struggle which
was carried on by Italy under adverse circum-
stances has revised and elaborated of his
lectures on the military history of the war,
given frequently before military and non-mili-
tary groups. The narrative is supplemented by
maps and diagrams and Official photographs.
1t is valuable contribution to military history.
It is also sufficiently lucid and free from super
huous technicality so that it will be enjoyed
by the many who have found Italy one of the
most hospitable and friendly of countries in
their travels and have always been enthusiasts
over Italian culture.
In his opening chapter, Col. McEntee gives
a brief of italian history from 1861,
just preceding uniflcation, to 1915, the year OF
entry into the World War. A unique situation
presented to Italy in 1915. On all other
fronts, the war opened one of movement; on
the Italian front the Austrians forced a war Of
attrition, with all its deadly, heartbreaking,
and relentless drudgery." This is the key to
the military operations on the Trent, Alpine
and Isonzo fronts l9l5-19l8. Terrain features
also had great influence. The battle front from
Switzerland to the Adriatic Sea- some 400 miles
long, was almost as extensive as the whole
Western front" The shape of the frontier is
that Of great letter S. and mountains, plains.
The campaigns are traced in detail, until the
final battle Of Vittorio Veneto. in late October
and early November, 1918, when Italy de-
stroyed the Austro- Hungarian Armies'' 'and
Austria quickly signed armistice on Novem-
Der f." An American Infantry regiment, which
arrived in July, participated in this last battle.
italian naval warfare, the chief object of which
was Ito secure and maintain the mastery Of
the Adriatic Sea-" is treated in one chapter.
The foreword to the volume is by former Italian
Ambassador de Martino and the introduction
is by Maj Gen. Charles G. Treat. who was
chief of the American mission and commanded
the American forces In Italy.
THE PHANTOM EMPEROR. By Neil H.
Swanson New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons.
OF The historical novels of recent years,
~ three all American, admirably combine
dramatic historical material, veriSimilitude In
atmosphere characters true to their period
and stirring romance-"ArundeI" and "Rabble
in Arms" by Kenneth Roberts, and The Judas
Tree" by Neil Swanson. Now. Mr.. Swanson,
who is a newspaper man Journalism seems an
excellent stepping stone to fiction writing), has
written another American historical novel, this
time based on a fantastic and almost unknown
episode which occurred in 1886. In the Winter
of 1856, a bizarre parsonage appeared in
Washington society, who called himself Gen.
James Dickson and gave the information that
he was endeaVorlng TO secure recruits TO AID
the Texans in their independence movement
In New York he told the same story in Mon
treal slightly different one. to wit that he
intended to unite the Indian tribes in con-
federacy, drive the Mexicans out of their
colonies in New Mexico and California, and set
up monarchy in California, with himself as
emperor. Using the documents which give
detailed evidence for this piece of nelodrama,
Mr. Swanson has turned Gen. Dickson into his
hero Philip Dufresne, and has produced as
swashbuckling a romance as ever Scott or
Dumas conceived. The chief historical source