The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-06-25
BOUND TO BE READ

|OUENT1N REYNOLDS has done |V another top reporting job in his book, "Only the Stars Are Neutral (Random House).
 He has written about the little things, the human things that hap pened to him while covering the war fronts of Britain, Moscow and Cairo.
 The day he spent with Churchill, having lunch and dinner with the Prime Minister and his family, Is one of his most interesting chap ters, but hardly more so than his realistic pictures of Stalin, Litvinoy, Cripps, Hartman, Hopkins, Stein- hardt and Beaverbrook.
 He fumed and shouted about the censorship in Russia because he was not allowed to say anything un- necessary in his dispatches even though 1t might be the most glow ing praise for the Red flyers or the gallant defense of Moscow.
 However, he formed a real affec- ton for Russia and 1t will not be surprising If he returns to learn more, and write more, about Russia after the war. Reynolds told friend that he knew everything about Russia and could have writ ten Q book after being there three weeks-but he made the mistake of staying three months and learned he didn't know anything about the country.
 Not the least interesting of "Only the Stars Are Neutral are Rey- holds stories of his fellow war cor- respondents, their poker sessions, and their efforts to clear their dis patches through as many as three sets of censorS. From his experi- ences abroad, Quentin Reynolds could give some valuable tips to the censorship authorities in the United States.
 "NEUD ON THE STARS" (Fisch- 1xA er), by William Bradford Huie, is perhaps the most penetrat- ing chronicle ever written about the lives and loves of the hill people of North Alabama.
 The author is native son and he rattles the skeleton in every closet in the Tennessee Valley in a rous- ing flrst-person novel with a deep if inconclusive sociological theme.
 Peter Garth LaFavor, the narra- tor, is tippling in Louisiana honkytonk en route to war as he looks back over the years of his boyhood, youth and early manhood, covering the first bangs of the de- pression through the full bloom of the Tennessee Valley Authority.
 He took side trip to industrial Birmingham and watched vicious Deep South capitalization struggle, then covered as newspaperman the trial and execution of a spindly Negro boy charged with rape. As the tale comes out, even the judge and governor admitted the suspect was probably innocent, but Alabama feeling being what it was, there was no choice but to "burn" the boy.
 Author Huie amends his tndict- ment of his native state by admit ting that with all its passion and pellagra, it probably is the garden spot of the earth.
 His story will cause lot of Ill feeling back in Alabama, but even the characters themselves, vince though they might. will find them selves interesting reading.
 TT c. WELLS turns again to Ike novel writing In his new book, "You Can't Be Too Careful" (Put- nam).
 His hero is the personification of the little men in England, named Edward Albert Tewler, and the tltie of the book describes Edward AL bert's attitude toward life.
 Edward finally managed to unite his mothers apron-strings when he comes into a little money, and the story carries him from adolescence or young manhood through hia mar riage to the present war, VI ch af- fleets him personally more than any, thing ever has.
 MT. wells readers will welcome edward Albert and file him in his rightful place close to the famous MT. Polly.
 "T AND OF UNREAsoN" CHenry
 IL Holt) is just that. Written by r,etcher Pratt. who in other times ix a sedate military critic, and L. sprague de Camp. t is one. one in =. a series of volumes called books TOT Al. 1v..a c,isa q hin11
 The present unreaSonableness concerns the quiet rest which Fred Barber. an American diplomat. hoped to take in the peaceful at- mosphere of Yorkshire.
 However, the peace began to dis apnear when Barber varied an old Yorkshire custom. Instead of leav- ing a bowl of milk outside his door for the Little People on MidSum" mer's Eve, he drank the milk hirn- self and filled the bowl with Scotch whiskey.