Evening star., 1943-06-13
Brief Reviews

~OA 0A( NOA4VSVAOA "a lOlCAl
papers by American authors, Lowell
to Van Wyck Brooks.
THE WAR.
As Soldiers See 1t, by the Fort
Custer Army Illustrators (American
Artists Group)-A group of repro
ductions Of paintings Of Army life
done by soldiers. Black-and-white
Jeeps and tests, by Bruce BARNS
father tPutnam)-A book Of funny
pictures about Army life, by the
creator OF "Old Bill"
The Army Fun Book, by Lawrence
Lariar (CroWnl-A book of stories
pictures, games, puzzles, gags anc
SO on compiled for the entertain-
ment OF the armed forces.
EMPLOYMENT.
Practice Tests for All Jobs, by N
H. Mayer Grown n,-TestS and pre-
paratory material for a wide variety
of jobs-Army, Navy Air Corps
Government service, industry.
Aircraft Mathematics, by S. A
Walling and j. c. Hull (Macmil-
lana mathematics brusherup, q
practical text designed to assist the
applicant for service in the All
Corps.
BIOGRAPHY.
Joseph Charles Price, by William
Jacob Walls tChristopher)-Life his
tory of the Negro educator and race
leader. the founder of Livingstone
College. Interesting.
COMMERCE.
World Trade in Agricultural Pro-
ducts, by Henry c. Taylor and Anne
Devices Taylor (Macmillan) - A
worldwide survey of the agricultural
situation, with emphasis on needs OF
postwar reconstruction. Technical
RELIGION.
Anti -Semitism and the Voice OF
Folly. by the Rev. Amos Dushaw
Tolerance Press)-A small volume
on the history of the Jews in rela
ton to other peoples.
ANIMALS AND THEIR CARE.
The Home Veterinarians Hand
book. by E. T. Baker 'Macmillan)-
A simple text of directions as to
what to do for sick animals.
ORATORY.
Voices Of History, edited by Frank
lin Watts tGramercy,-A collection
OF the past years great speeches
together with a summary of the
events Of each month. Informative
NOVELS.
A Time to Live, by Michael Blank
fort 'Harcourt. Brace,-The emo
tional life of a successful man before
and since Pearl Harbor. Average.
WESTERNS.
Grizzly Meadows, by Frank C
Robertson 'Dutton)-Riding, shoot
ing romance of the ranch.
Speorheod
By John Brophy. (Harper.)
OF John Brophy's last novel, I'm
mortal Sergeant" the reviewer said
that it was superb tale of fighting
men in action cluttered up by the
forcible imposition of a completely
unrelated love story. The same sort
OF criticism must be made against
this new novel of Mr.. Brophv's, ex-
cept that in "Spearhead" the con-
fusion is greater. Here we have, not
two disparate elements, but three
Mr.. Brophy's trouble seems to be
to decide what he wants to write
about; he has, if one may say so
too many books on his mind at one
time. In the present instance there
IS the Well-told tale of combat again
and likewise there is the slight, un-
real and most uninteresting love in
terest, as one supposes it is called
On top of that there is sort OF
Frank Merriwell-in- the Commands
handbook, as it were, on the train
ing Of the Commando troops.
The hero does not appear as q
human being until page 81, and then
for some 80 more pages, he is lost
while Mr. Brophy tells us about
Commando organization and dis.
cipline. The heroine is not intro
duced as living character until
page 96. Her encounters with the
hero, when they come, are conducted
by means of an agency which usec
to be called "the long arm of coinci-
dence.' The right emotions come
forward at the right places-the
beautiful girl loves the poor but
handsome youth at first sight anc
casts aside rich suitor for his sake
Then love goes into eclipse again
while the handsome youth sets ou,
on raid, and we have several chap
ters Of the kind of writing at which
Mr.. Brophy really excels-writine
about fights and fighters. There is
the real stuff of the book, and the
ties by which the other material
is attached to it are forced and
tenuous.
If he would content himself with
doing novels on battle this author
would occupy place of distinction
in war literature. His determination
to stretch out his brilliant battle
stories to full novel length, however,
loses him his well-deseryed effect.
NC. r.