Evening star., 1943-05-30
Brief Reviews
CIVILIAN DEFENSE.


Civilian Defense Manuel on Legal
Aspects of Civilian Protection,
compiled and edited by Henry S.
Fraser (Office of Civilian Defense)-
A valuable reference work prepared
for the OCD under the supervision
of the Special Civilian Defense Com
mittee. divisional committee OF the
Committee on Coordination and
Direction OF War Effort Of the
American Bar Association. Con-
cerned primarily with the legal
aspects of civilian defense.
PLANTS AND THE OUTDOORS.
Now That We Have to Walk, by
Raymond Tiff Fuller Dutton)-A
book of informal pieces on how to
enjoy the outdoors. Intelligent.
The Green Earth, by Harold Will
liam Rickett (Jacques Cattell Press
"A popular text aimed at making
botany understandable to the lay
man. Illustrated with many draw
ings. Agreeable.
Trees and Test Tubes. by Charles
Morrow Wilson (Holt-The story OF
rubber, pOpularly told.
Let's Arrange Flowers, by Hazel
Peckinpaugh Dunlop (Harper-
Directions as to the general prin-
ciples to be followed, together with
list of combinations.
NOVELS.
We Hereby Certify, by Nor
man Wright Welsh (Harbinger)-
Story of certified accountant and
how he foiled the wicked. Trade
article.
Hope Deferred. by jeanette Seletz
Observation-Disclosures novel on the
training and practice OF physicians.
| Serious
112 Elm Street, by Henrietta Rip
peger fPutnam)-Story of strictly
average American family and how
it met war conditions. Mild.
The Wind and the Rain, by joyce
Horner doubleday, Doran)-Story
OF lifelong love affair which was
not happy because the two people
were utterly different. Background
of English life Hair splitting.
Yesterdays Children, by Lamar
Warrick (CrowelD-Story of some
adolescents whose carefree existence
brings up against the war, Mild.
The Dead Look On, by Gerald
Kersh 'Reynal & Hitchcock)-Story
of the annihilation of a Czech Wiz
lage by Germans. War horrors.
Paradise Street. by Henry Farrand
Griffin fAppleton Century, - Novel
OF New Bedford in the great days
OF the whalers. Trade piece.
Farrior Of the Dawn, by Howard
Browne (Reilly & )-Imaginary
adventure tale set to Cro-Magnon
days.
Lilly Crackell, by Caroline Slade
(Vanguard)-Story of an excessively
ignorant girl who is presented as a
heroine chiefly by reason of un-
moral living. Devoid of humor and
over 600 pages long, small type.
You Don't Belong Here, by Sally
Gibbs doubleday, Doran)-Love
story with war angle. Mild-trade
piece.
The Coat Of Many Colors, by
Robert P. St. John (Dorrance)-A
rural romance of the 1905, done
with great solemnity and moral
purpose.
Ezra and Me
By Harry Persons Taber. (Co1u-
drd-McCann.)
II Harry Persons Taber had writ
ten Ezra and Me" some so years
ago 1t might we'll have become a
minor American classic Unfortu-
nately for Mr.. Taber and the medi-
tative Ezra collection of previously
witty dialogues, however spiced with
glib epigrams, will send few of to-
days readers chuckling to their pipes
and armchairs to taste of yesterday
droll wisdom. Mr.. Taber and his
book are remarkably clever, but the
world can no longer be awed by
mere cleverness.
Ezra is the authors closet -skele-
ton, genial old fellow who emerges
nightly from his sanctuary to
discuss such varied themes as
semantics. cemeteries, beer-hall bal
Mr.. Taber. Ezra is rebel against
the present and future. another
prophet with head turned backward
He looses vitriolic tongue (the acid
scented with mild old magnolias) on
the human frailties and social in
stltutions of our too impetuous era
and signs for mellow days gone by
At first he is amusing, but soon the
rollicking Chestertonian wit becomes
a little too precious.
The book will appeal neither to
lovers of the frivolous nor the pro-
found. but to dry-humored old gen.
tlemen whose eyes, like Ezra's, mist
with nostalgia for a calmer, saner
age when the world could lean COM
fortably on tradition and the future
held no urgent challenge.
MEL SABRE.
This War
By James w. Bell. (Epansville
Courier and PreSsJ
This Is a day-by day story of the
first Is months of the American
phase Of the war, from the Japanese
attack on Pearl Harbor to March
6, 1913. 1t is valuable reference
work, and is recommended to libra
rians, newspapermen, historians and
others interested In daily reckon
ing of the progress of our men at
arms. , P. H. L.
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