Evening star., 1936-01-29
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
SWINGING THE EQUATOR. BY Will
liam j. Maxim. New York: E. P. Dut-
Margaret Cermond.

liam j. Maxim. New York: E. P. Dut-
ton & Co.
Over the Equator and down to the
Cape is the route over which the rocking
chair traveller is invited to share the
alllring and exciting experiences Of
an adventurer who explores the magic
carpet of the earth for the sheer
love of revisiting the known and dis
covering the unknown centers of the
living and the long dead civilizations OF
Africa. In picture and in text is told
the story of remarkable journey by air
over nearly half the world and into the
highways and byWayS from London to
Cape Town.
If there were only the recording of the
totally new descriptive aspect of the
familiar old planet which air travel has
made possible the book would be worth
while, but in addition to this privilege
of looking down from the heights upon
the vast pattern of the earth there are
many landings, each one holding within
it's relatively small circumference a
minute world apart, active or desolate,
peculiarly its own.
The first stop after patience-ex-
hausting delay in the start from Croydon
Field is Paris. Then across France to
Marseille, over Corsica to Naples, with
a look into the crater of Vesuvius down
the coast of Italy to Malta, across the
Mediterranean to Tripoli, eastward to
Alexandria and Cairo, and then along
the Nile through Egypt, the Sudan,
Libya. Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tan
panvika, North and South Rhodesia,
skirting the Drakenberg Mountains into
Afrip on6 down
to the southernmost tip of the continent.
A Journey that is undertaken primarily
for the purpose of going places and see
ing things is likely to lead to strange
encounters and weird adventures, and
this junket over one of the most troubled
areas of the world today proved no ex-
ception to the rule. Mr.. Maxim and his
companion found much to observe along
political social and economic lines IN
Rome. Naples, Sicily, Malta and Llbya
They seek diversion in the night life OF
Paris: witness new discoveries IN the
Catacombs of Rome: traverse the Nile
and describe the engineering operations
now in progress to reclaim and tame
that famous river. There are stories OF
weird encounters with mummleS, the
plight of the despairing Fascist prisoners
on the Island of Lapari. descriptive views
into the craters of some Of the worlds
most famous volcanoes new slant on
the fabulous Kruger millions: the in
vestigation in Khartoum OF the mystery
of General Gordon's lost head; the un-
believable treasure that is the gift OF
nature to the Rand; encounters with
slave traders and dope runners; eXplor-
ing expeditions into the ruins Of lost
civilizations; visits to famous temples
and shrines, and countless other activ-
tiles that are intensely interesting and
enlghtening to the Would-be adventurer
whose sole opportunity to crafty an in
herent desire to wander far from the
fireside is through the eye of the camera
and the written word.
Swinging the Equator" has unique
ness Of style and quality OF presenta-
ton that is satisfying and enduring. 1t
is profusely illustrated with photographs
and contains a map showing the full ter
rtory covered and marking the entire
route of the unusual journey Of its
author.
BLACK THUNDER. BY Arna Bontemps.
New York: The Macmillan Co.
HlCIlIllOIlU, SlISillld, III lIlc year 4OUu
is the scene Of this compelling novel.
which deals with the beginning Of the
serious slave troubles which little more
than half a century later reached an in
evitable crisis and played major role
in the fate of the Nation. Tenseness OF
atmosphere and restlessness of spirit
marked those early months of the turn
of the century, for Thomas Jefferson
1o+,v holt hi
own person broader conception of
free democracy. Throughout the civil
lied world the effect of the French revo-
luton was being felt. Unscrupulous
leaders were exploiting the ignorant, and
the rapidly growing slave population was
steadily becoming more conscious Of the
hand of oppression.
A tiny spark was all that was needed
to inflame passions to the point of re-
bellion, and Mr.. Thomas Prosser, brutal,
merciless planter ignited that spark by
wantonly killing an old slave. The wit
Messing of many cruelties and the knowl-
| edge that countless others of his race
| were daily the recipients of such treatment
had generated in the heart of an ideal
istic and ht-thinking young slave
named Gabriel sincere desire to bring
| ABOUT more humane ALTITUDE Oh Ine
| part of the white man toward the slaves,
| and this novel is the story of his efforts
| through organization and insurrection to
| achieve the ideal which he believed to
| be right.
Stormy days followed the death of old
| Bundy, in which the slaves muttered and
| planned to free themselves from brutal
ity and oppression. Eleven hundred of
them pledged themselves to joint march
on Richmond seize the arsenal and fight
their way to the rights and privileges of
human beings Juba, old Ben. Melody.
Drucilla, Martin, Blue, Criddle and others
are representative types, drawn with pre-
| cision and clarity by the author to play
their important roles in the ill-fated
drama in true, unf,rbished character.
1t will be remembered by those who
read God Sends Sunday" that Mr.. Bon
temps work is notable for its lyrical
| fluency and its artistic finish. The deep
understanding of the innate spiritual
character and the genuine quality of his
people gives beauty and grace to this
| appealing narrative of a period in Amer
ican history that has been Sorely neglect
| ed in the field of fiction.