Chapter V: Preface (5)

“It has none of the tediousness of the sugar-coated tract, nor has it the melodramatic obviousness which is perhaps suggested by a bald rehearsal of its incidents.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 563. Je. 3, ’09. 370w.

“The story at large is one of compelling truth where in Anglo-Saxon hands it would almost certainly have been one of utter falsehood.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 158. Mr. 20, ’09. 520w.

“Another of René Bazin’s sweet, wholesome stories of rural France.”

+ =R. of Rs.= 39: 760. Je. ’09. 80w.

“A story simple enough, but M. Bazin colours every page with his sympathetic understanding of rural life, of the call of the land, of the allurement towards town life that so easily grips the farmboy who discovers that he has brains and yet so rarely leads him to happiness.”

+ =Sat. R.= 107: 48. Ja. 9, ’09. 200w.

“Not equal in power to M. Bazin’s last book, ‘Redemption.’ The novel is quite adequately translated.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 466. Mr. 20, ’09. 110w.

=Beach, Edward Latimer.=^{[10]} Ralph Osborn, midshipman at Annapolis.
†$1.50. Wilde.

9–25972.

A story that offers a true portrayal of midshipman life at the Annapolis naval academy. It affords the young American an accurate conception of the routine of drills, studies, customs and environment of our naval college.

* * * * *

=N. Y. Times.= 14: 712. N. 13, ’09. 120w.
=R. of Rs.= 40: 768. D. ’09. 30w.

=Beach, Rex Ellingwood.=^{[10]} Silver horde. †$1.50. Harper.

9–24324.

“A thrilling record of struggle against the elements and of struggle also against the duplicity of man in the newly opened country in Alaska. The plot turns about the establishment of salmon-canning factories in a district where the wealth to be obtained easily through the marvelous incoming of the fish has led an unscrupulous man to establish a monopoly and to fight newcomers by every means, fair or foul.”—Outlook.

* * * * *

“A lively tale.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 89. N. ’09.

“Undeniably there is good stuff in it, if that happens to be the kind of stuff you like.” F: T. Cooper.

+ − =Bookm.= 30: 280. N. ’09. 450w.

“The reader, who has been fascinated by the author’s graphic descriptions of the cold and the hardships of the country, begins to recognize that he is really reading Frank Norris’s ‘Octopus,’ with the scenes laid in Alaska rather than in California.”

+ − =Ind.= 67: 1262. D. 2, ’09. 660w.

“The book has verve and go, a stir of life that affects you like a deep breath of sea or mountain air. There are some excellent pictures of the world out there in the grip of its deadly winter and the brief bright glory of its summer.” Hildegarde Hawthorne.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 607. O. 16, ’09. 900w.

“No one can deny that this story has rugged vigor or that it holds the reader’s attention closely, but it lacks just what Sir Gilbert Parker has—that is, literary finish and a sympathetic touch.”

+ − =Outlook.= 93: 317. O. 9, ’09. 140w.

“Love and adventure crowd upon each other so swiftly that the reader almost gasps for relief.”

+ − =R. of Rs.= 40: 635. N. ’09. 60w.

=Beadnell, Hugh John Llewellyn.=^{[9]} Egyptian oasis: an account of
the oasis of Kharga, in the Libian desert, with special reference to
its history, physical geography, and water supply. *$3.50. Dutton.

9–22221.

“A record of solid and painstaking works conducted under many difficulties and real hardships. Mr. Beadnell gives a very fair account of the historical monuments of Khargeh, but he is at his best when describing things of a more modern and practical nature, such as artesian wells, desert routes, and the work of the Geological survey.”—Sat. R.

* * * * *

“It will be read with profit by many besides professional water-engineers.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 101. Jl. 24. 1000w.
=Ind.= 67: 1267. D. 2, ’09. 190w.

“The accounts of the various deposits laid down in these old lakes, with their interesting contents of worked flint-flakes and pottery, are among the most novel and interesting portions of Mr. Beadnell’s book.” J: D. Judd.

+ =Nature.= 81: 70. Jl. 15, ’09. 1050w.

“What he has to say about the water supply is perhaps the part most apt to interest the ordinary reader.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 522. S. 4, ’09. 600w.

“Told in a simple style without any embellishments.”

+ =Sat. R.= 108: sup. 3. Jl. 17, ’09. 90w.

“Mr. Beadnell gives us a very complete scientific account of the region, of its geological formation and other physical conditions.”

+ =Spec.= 103: 210. Ag. 7, ’09. 330w.

=Beale, S. Sophia.=^{[5]} Recollections of a spinster aunt. Reynolds,
Paul R., N. Y.

Letters and a diary which throw light upon social and political England as well as on the Continent during the period from 1847 to 1882. “The contents of the book are too varied in subject to catalogue. In a charmingly unconnected fashion are recorded the child’s first ideas of ‘Don Giovanni,’ of the queen and Prince Albert, and of the opening of Crystal palace. Then follow the art student’s impressions of London and Paris; and we are shown glimpses of an intimate acquaintance with the art of Europe, with English politics, letters, religion, and music, all in the simple personal narrative of an evidently unusual and interesting woman.” (Dial.)

* * * * *

“In a book of this kind there is no need to dwell on inaccuracies. Miss Beale has produced a refreshing and lively book, full of good things, and however she ‘put together’ these ‘old letters,’ she has done it very well.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 281. Mr. 6. 1400w.

“To the catholicity of interest is added an unusual lucidity and delightful simplicity of style.”

+ =Dial.= 46: 300. My. 1, ’09. 260w.
=Nation.= 88: 139. F. 11, ’09. 60w.

“Miss Beale has given the reading public an opportunity of enjoying many shrewd observations and well-considered judgments.”

+ − =Spec.= 102: sup. 643. Ap. 24, ’09. 340w.

=Bean, William Joseph.= Royal botanic gardens, Kew, historical and
descriptive; with introd. by Sir W: Thiselton-Dyer. *$7.50. Cassell.

9–6520.

“The author of the present work is the assistant curator, who not only knows all the circumstances connected with the internal management of the gardens, but is also full of their spirit and traditions.” (Ath.) “Besides history, it contains a capital description of the most remarkable plants and the latest improvements.” (Spec.)

* * * * *

“He has told the story of Kew in a straightforward and interesting manner, without any superfluous matter.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 230. F. 20. 1200w.

“Mr. Bean has most happily succeeded in combining historical and descriptive chapters.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 227. F. 6, ’09. 660w.

=Beard, Charles Austin=, ed.^{[12]} Readings in American government
and politics. *$1.90. Macmillan.

9–25160.

“A source-book to accompany the author’s text upon this subject, now in course of preparation. The selections are 237 in number, grouped in 32 chapters, from ‘Colonial origins of American institutions’ down to recent ‘Social and economic legislation.’”—Dial.

* * * * *

“The selections are well suited to accompany an elementary course in government in either college or secondary instruction.”

+ =Ann. Am. Acad.= 34: 610. N. ’09. 130w.

“The book affords a very valuable adjunct to the work of instruction in American history and political science.”

+ =Dial.= 47: 291. O. 16, ’09. 70w.
=Spec.= 103: 796. N. 13, ’09. 100w.

=Beard, Daniel Carter.=^{[12]} Boy pioneers. **$2. Scribner.

9–28484.

Every true American boy, to whom Daniel Boone is a hero, will be interested in the Society of the sons of Daniel Boone, an organization now numbering over twenty thousand members. Here is a book by the founder of the society telling just how a branch may be organized and how its business should be conducted. It also tells how to erect a fort, handle a gun, throw a tomahawk, talk Indian sign language,—in short, how to be a boy pioneer.

* * * * *

“Were a boy to put into execution all the admirable directions given by Mr. Beard he would be such a pioneer as one would imagine Boone himself dreamed of being.”

+ =Lit. D.= 39: 1016. D. 4, ’09. 150w.

=Bearne, Mrs. Catharine Mary.= Royal quartette. *$3. Brentano’s.

9–13597.

In the lives of four women is traced the history of France from the reign of Louis XIV thru the first third of the nineteenth century. The heroines of the quartet are Marie Adélaïde de Savoie, Duchess of Burgundy; Madame Adélaïde, daughter of Louis XV, granddaughter of the earlier Adélaïde; Marie Luisa, Infantà of Spain, daughter of Carlos IV; and Marie Amélie Thérèse of Naples, wife of Louis Philippe, King of the French.

* * * * *

“Although the author has the command of several languages, a certain familiarity with the Continent, and some facility in narration, she seems to possess little or no powers of concentration or sense of perspective.”

− + =Ath.= 1901, 2: 65. Jl. 17. 930w.

“Mrs. Bearne, as always, has a good scent for the telling anecdote, and in the present arrangement, especially, there is an added interest in the historical changes of such lives as we pass from the autocratic court of Louis XIV to the Paris of Louis Philippe.”

+ =Nation.= 87: 601. D. 17, ’08. 140w.

“She has gathered her material from the most authentic sources and enlivens her recital by vivid pictures of the times of which she writes.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 704. N. 28, ’08. 200w.

=Beaumont, Francis, and Fletcher, John.=^{[6]} Works. Variorum ed. v.
3. *$3.50. Macmillan.

=v. 3.= Contains five plays as follows: “The faithful shepherdess”; “The mad lover”; “Rule a wife and have a wife”; “The loyal subject”; and “The laws of Candy.”

* * * * *

“The high standard of scholarship and accuracy, to which we called attention when we had our first opportunity of welcoming this edition of Beaumont and Fletcher, is well maintained in the third volume lately published.”

+ =Sat. R.= 107: 435. Ap. 3, ’09. 330w. (Review of v. 3.)

“Set forth in all the perfection of careful scholarship and charming form.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 420. Mr. 13, ’09. 800w. (Review of v. 3.)

=Becker, Carl H.=^{[9]} Christianity and Islam; tr. by H. J. Chaytor.
(Harper’s lib. of living thought.) **75c. Harper.

A comparison of Christianity with Mohammedanism, of interest to the missionary, the ecclesiastic and the inquirer, which traces the course of analogous development and the interaction of influence for the purpose of increasing one’s knowledge of religion.

* * * * *

“The subject is one with which English readers are not very familiar, and it will be found exceedingly suggestive.”

+ =Sat. R.= 107: sup. 5. My. 22, ’09. 100w.

=Becquer, Gustavo Adolfo.=^{[10]} Romantic legends of Spain; tr. by
Cornelia F. Bates and Katharine L. Bates. **$1.50. Crowell.

9–23730.

A mother and daughter have here rendered into English a score of short stories by a latter-day Spanish writer. The tales are romantic and imaginative, full of such delicate mystery that they cannot have lost much in translation. They tell of such things as a young noble who spent years following the trailing robe of an illusive vision whom he thought he loved only to become a hopeless pessimist on finding her a moonbeam; or of a hunter who pursues a strange white doe hoping to stay it to gain his mistress’ favor but when his arrow flies true he finds to his despair that he has slain the loved one herself; or again, of the wronged maiden whose love was gone to the wars and after her death her unburied hand bearing his bethrothal ring warns him of dangers. The volume is illustrated with photographs of Spanish scenes.

* * * * *

“Tales containing some of the morbid elements which distinguish Poe’s stories. However, their delicate imagery, close observation and tendency to mystery and symbolism establish a closer kinship to Hawthorne.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 89. N. ’09.

“His writings are well worth reading and are given to the public in excellent form in the volume before us.”

+ =Ind.= 67: 1209. N. 25, ’09. 100w.

“It is a real service to literature which Prof. Bates and the late Mrs. Bates have performed, in giving us this admirable translation of the work of a powerful and poetic spirit.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 550. S. 18, ’09. 570w.

=Bedell, Frederick, and Pierce, Clarence Albert.=^{[12]} Direct and
alternating current testing. *$2. Van Nostrand.

9–26810.

“A manual for use in the electrical engineering laboratories of technical schools, and in conjunction with standard texts on electrical engineering.... The book consists of a carefully selected series of typical tests on direct and alternating apparatus.”—Engin. D.

* * * * *

+ =Engin. D.= 6: 429. N. ’09. 180w.

“A little book of great general and practical interest. The study of the actual working of electrical machinery, together with a continuous interlacing of theoretical exposition, as found in this book, is immensely valuable reading, apart from its purpose as a hand-book for the testing floor. The description of test procedure is clear and thorough.”

+ =Engin. Rec.= 60: 693. D. 4, ’09. 150w.

=Beeching, Henry Charles.=^{[6]} William Shakespeare: player,
playmaker, and poet: a reply to George Greenwood. *$1. Lane.

9–18622.

A small volume “containing three lectures, the first a direct series of arguments against Mr. Greenwood’s ‘Shakespeare problem restated.’ The two others ‘endeavour to set out the player’s life as simply as possible, and show the congruity of what is recorded of his character with the impression made upon our minds by the dramas themselves.’”—Ath.

* * * * *

“That it would have been well if Canon Beeching had cut himself adrift from his lectures, and spent a little more time and trouble on his work. Nevertheless, even in this little volume there are collected some very hard problems for Mr. Greenwood’s ‘replication.’ There is unfortunately no index.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 143. Ja. 30. 450w.

Reviewed by Edward Fuller.

+ =Bookm.= 29: 633. Ag. ’09. 50w.
=Nation.= 89: 147. Ag. 12, ’09. 40w.

“Somewhat more coherent and saner than most of its predecessors.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 302. My. 15, ’09. 630w.

“But full of interest as these pages are, most readers will probably be of opinion that so fine and scholarly a critic has done too much honour to a ‘weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable’ theme. The value of Canon Beeching’s essay lies in the opportunity which it affords him of discussing several curious and obscure points connected with Shakespeare’s biography.”

+ − =Spec.= 102: 185. Ja. 30, ’09. 770w.

=Beer, George Louis.= Origins of the British colonial system,
1578–1660. *$3. Macmillan.

8–29307.

A full account of the origins, establishment and development of the British colonial system up to the outbreak of the dissension that resulted in the revolution. The author “gives an account of the laws of trade and navigation as they prevailed in the reigns of Henry VII, Elizabeth, under the Stuarts, and during the Commonwealth. He goes deep enough into his subject to treat of the general fiscal system of England as far as it concerned the colonies.” (Lit. D.)

* * * * *

“The chapters which contain the exposition of his main thesis are the most important portions of his book.” C: M. Andrews.

+ − =Am. Hist. R.= 14: 808. Jl. ’09. 1150w.

“The first comprehensive and scholarly treatment of this subject, based on records heretofore generally neglected.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 71. Mr. ’09.

“Several of the more political chapters contain much that is both valuable and new.” C: H. Hull.

+ =Econ. Bull.= 2: 123. Je. ’09. 350w.

“If present-day politicians were willing to learn lessons from history, no publication could be more timely for the tariff reformers and imperialists of England than Mr. George Beer’s two volumes on British colonial policy.” A. G. Porritt.

+ =Forum.= 41: 605. Je. ’09. 2500w.

“He is obliged to tread the same ground again and again, until the repetition becomes a little wearisome. Still, altho this may detract somewhat from the readableness of Mr. Beer’s present volume, it does not lessen its value as a contribution to the history of the British empire.”

+ − =Ind.= 67: 198. Jl. 22, ’09. 430w.

“Writers, especially those in this country, undoubtedly have too long overlooked or failed fully to appreciate the [British] side of the issue, and we are under no slight debt to Dr. Beer for the admirable way in which he is developing it.” C. W. Wright.

+ =J. Pol. Econ.= 17: 303. My. ’09. 1100w.

“The author sets about the task of elucidating his points with praiseworthy accuracy and lucidity.”

+ =Lit. D.= 38: 103. Ja. 16, ’09. 280w.

“Mr. Beer’s style lacks grace and charm of presentation, and his treatment is rendered heavy by excessive detail and by a lack of clearness of exposition. His book would have been more readable if he had introduced more summaries and generalizations to show the bearing of his facts and statistics. He has, however, performed a very important work, and future volumes will be awaited with interest.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 632. Je. 24, ’09. 900w.

“His laborious compilation of authorities is rather a marshaling of facts than of thoughts.” E: A. Bradford.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 13: 719. D. 5, ’08. 1350w.

“No student of this or any other period, whatever his predispositions, can fail to welcome a work which is so effective and so satisfying in its conclusions as this.” H. L. Osgood.

+ =Pol. Sci. Q.= 24: 127. Mr. ’09. 1400w.

“Not only does credit to his patience in research, but is also a most readable volume.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 940. Je. 12, ’09. 380w.

=Beethoven, Ludwig van.=^{[5]} Letters; a critical edition, with
explanatory notes by A. C. Kalischer; tr. with preface by J. S.
Shedlock. 2v. *$7.50. Dutton.

9–18573.

Tho deficient in the “deliberate niceties of composition” Beethoven’s briefest note is “characteristic of his deep, sincere, and passionate nature.” These letters furnish an insight into the soul-struggle of a great genius. Dr. Kalischer “does not profess to give us _all_ Beethoven’s letters, but a complete and carefully collated collection of all those which have already appeared in book form, _plus_ a considerable number which have not hitherto been printed. To the English edition Mr. Shedlock has added a few more new letters and a brief introduction.” (Spec.) There are indexes to the references to Beethoven’s works in his letters, and to the names mentioned in the portraits; facsimiles, etc.

* * * * *

“Of small service to the average public library, and less readable than the standard biographies but a valuable addition to large reference collections.”

+ − =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 1. S. ’09.

“It is not too much to say that no other man was so well fitted as Mr. Shedlock to edit and add to this collection.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 162. Ag. 7. 2000w.

“For students of Beethoven, this edition of the letters is now the only one. His annotations and commentary give his work the character of a biography, and it is brought up to date.” L: J. Block.

+ =Dial.= 47: 15. Jl. 1, ’09. 1900w.

“His letters constitute perhaps the best biography of this titanic genius of the tone world, certainly the basis of all that we know of his life and character.”

+ =Ind.= 67: 255. Jl. 29, ’09. 470w.

“All that was really worth reading could have been easily held in one volume of 400 pages.”

+ − =Nation.= 88: 470. My. 6, ’09. 1200w.

“The letters are endless in their suggestions of characteristics of the great composer, and their interest for admirers of the man and his music is far reaching. The English edition is not free from misprints—in fact, they are rather surprisingly frequent.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 254. Ap. 24, ’09. 1650w.

“Of actual new material there is not much in these volumes, and the new portion is not of very great musical interest. Mr. Shedlock has done his work of translation extremely well on the whole, and that fact renders his occasional lapses the more surprising.”

+ − =Sat. R.= 107: 663. My. 22, ’09. 850w.

“Where Dr. Kalischer differs from Nohl, Thayer, and other experts as to dates or the identity of Beethoven’s correspondents, he does so on good grounds, and his notes, though somewhat ponderous in expression, show a pleasant combination of careful research, good feeling, and enthusiasm.” C. L. G.

+ − =Spec.= 102: 665. Ap. 24, ’09. 1600w.

=Belabre, Baron de.=^{[5]} Rhodes of the knights. *$9.75. Oxford.

“Six years’ residence in the island as French consul has given [the author] special facilities for his task; he has been allowed to inspect several buildings hitherto closed to scholars, and he has produced a very complete account of the walls, public edifices and shields of the knights, profusely interspersed with excellent photographs. He does not profess to deal with the history of the island, except where it is necessary for the explanation of the monuments, but he gives a brief historical introduction with a list of the Grand masters who held office in Rhodes, and he has carefully read the works of his predecessors, whom in several cases he is able to correct.”—Eng. Hist. R.

* * * * *

“We must be grateful to Baron de Belabre for a most valuable collection of views and plans of Rhodes, which make his monograph a work of permanent value. A few slips in dates deserve correction.” W. M.

+ =Eng. Hist. R.= 24: 400. Ap. ’09. 430w.

“A scholarly publication. Most of the photographs with which the book is illustrated are unique and were taken from places to which access is usually denied.”

+ =Nation.= 89: 184. Ag. 26, ’09. 200w.

“An elaborate and amply illustrated account.”

+ =Spec.= 102: sup. 644. Ap. 24, ’09. 240w.

=Bell, John Joy.=^{[5]} Oh! Christina! 2d ed. **60c. Revell.

9–8994.

A new edition of a story which has for its heroine an irresistible child of the Glasgow streets. This little girl, an orphan, goes to live with a prim aunt who keeps a shop. The child’s perspicacity in matters pertaining to store management is exceeded only by her intense enjoyment in grown-ups’ love affairs. She is a refreshing little creature near of kin to the author’s Wee Macgreegor.

* * * * *

=A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 185. Je. ’09.

“Scotophobes and other dull folk are warned off, but most people will, we think, appreciate the sterling and winning character that underlies the little rough husk of the Glasgow ‘keelie’ of twelve.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 528. My. 1. 140w.

“Christina and her nonsense are likely to be much laughed at and quickly forgotten, which is, of course, laying more to her credit than to her discredit.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 607. Je. 17, ’09. 230w.

“‘Christina’ will help to pass a very enjoyable hour.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 371. Je. 12, ’09. 130w.

“The book may be read in an hour, and that hour at least will be one of jollity.”

+ =Outlook.= 92: 21. My. 1, ’09. 80w.

=Bell, John Joy.= Whither thou goest: a romance of the Clyde. **$1.20.
Revell.

8–30130.

An unspoiled, unselfish girl left at her father’s death with a fortune becomes the victim of a jealous, ambitious aunt’s cunning and cruelty. The niece discovers the woman’s perfidy in time to save from her doom a cousin who had been auctioned off to the highest bidder on the matrimonial slave block, and to woo back her own happiness at the expense of pride and fortune.

* * * * *

“An interesting story of average merit.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 90. Mr. ’09. ✠

“The story is chiefly remarkable for the careful drawing of the minor characters.”

+ =Ath.= 1908, 2: 756. D. 12. 180w.

“A sweet, simple story, sweetly and simply told.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 443. Ap. 29, ’09. 180w.

“‘Whither thou goest’ is a much better piece of work [than ‘Thou fool’], closer and finer in construction, its interest better managed, its characterization more vivid. It shows the hand of a man with a native gift for story telling growing stronger and more skillful with practice.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 131. Mr. 6, ’09. 370w.

“The story is not on ordinary lines; it is most skillfully constructed and includes a variety of characters which make it bright and unfailingly entertaining.”

+ =Outlook.= 91: 815. Ap. 10, ’09. 220w.

“Is full of that genial humor and kindly philosophy applied to things of everyday life that made his other stories so attractive.”

+ =R. of Rs.= 39: 762. Je. ’09. 80w.

=Belloc, Hilaire.=^{[12]} Marie Antoinette. **$2.75. Doubleday.

9–28753.

An introductory chapter on “The diplomatic revolution” emphasizes the importance of the great alliance between France and Austria in relation to Marie Antoinette’s entire life. “Her marriage, her eminence, her sufferings, and her death were each directly the consequence of that compact; its conclusion coincided with her birth; from childhood she was dedicated to it as a pledge, a bond, and at last, a victim.” Following a lead thus established, the biographer sketches against a background of historical events, terror-wrought towards the close, the fascinating story of Marie Antoinette. The modern viewpoint and method give special force to the work.

=Belloc, Hilaire.= On nothing and kindred subjects. **$1.25. Dutton.

9–8424.

“Mr. Belloc’s little collection of essays and reflections is quite one to put in the pocket or portmanteau for the end of the week; and it is one to be taken out and read. But it is probably small beer compared with the stuff Mr. Belloc could brew if he chose.” (Sat. R.) “Among the topics chosen for treatment as ‘kindred’ to nothing are these: On ignorance, On advertisement, On a house, On a dog and a man also, On railways and things, On a child who died, On the departure of a guest, and On coming to an end.” (Dial.)

* * * * *

“The book has the air of being designed for a small circle of the elect. It is, however, the work of a clever man.”

+ =Ath.= 1908, 1: 320. Mr. 14. 270w.

“The book is written in a fine spirit of carelessness and spontaneity; nevertheless the author need not have pushed laxity to such an extreme.”

+ − =Dial.= 46: 143. Mr. 1, ’09. 280w.

“The book is passably entertaining, but it lends weight to the assertion in the fourth essay that ‘you must not take things for granted because they are printed.’”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 294. My. 8, ’09. 240w.

“His new volume is quite up to the standard; fresh, frank, versatile. It sparkles all through. He gives us here the result of his play, and a most pleasant result; but many of his admirers may be beginning to look for the result of his labours.”

+ =Sat. R.= 105: 343. Mr. 14, ’08. 220w.

“Of Mr. Belloc’s satire we have no very high opinion. Some one may suggest that he makes fun of things which we respect. But if we are not pleased we might at least be hurt, and we are not hurt.”

+ − =Spec.= 100: 545. Ap. 4, ’08. 140w.

=Benedict, Clare.= Resemblance and other stories. †$1.50. Putnam.

9–5526.

“Fresh and charming sentiment, care for lively and ingenious plot, faithful presentation of social life, sunny humor, convincing characterization, and graces of style” are the points that make their appeal to Miss Benedict’s audience. There are ten stories in the group. The first or titular story is an example of the suggestive method in story writing. It begins and ends in mystery of which the reader’s only inkling comes through the agitation and fear manifested by a husband and wife who are witnessing a performance of “Macbeth,” both of whom are further terrified by the resemblance of the wife to Lady Macbeth.

* * * * *

“It is a good, sensible, workmanlike fulfilment of the formula. One may read these stories with a sense of gentle satisfaction, if with no thrill.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 1: 727. Je. 19. 160w.

“Miss Benedict unquestionably has great ability as a writer of delicate psychological problems. What she lacks in technique is sure to come with practice, while she starts with the possession of a quality which subtler and more finished writers, such as Mrs. Wharton, might well envy, the quality of heart.” F: T. Cooper.

+ − =Bookm.= 29: 319. My. ’09. 800w.

“A volume of short stories that, although of quite uneven merit, are distinctly of some importance.” Philip Tillinghast.

+ − =Forum.= 41: 394. Ap. ’09. 1000w.

“Miss Benedict writes gracefully, though without a great deal of distinction. Her stories are mildly interesting and belong to the class of magazine fiction which is too well-bred to be very striking.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 148. Mr. 13, ’09. 300w.

=Benjamin, Helen Mina (Helen Melville, pseud.), and Benjamin, Lewis S.
(Lewis Melville, pseud.).=^{[7]} London’s lure; an anthology in
prose and verse. *$1.25. Macmillan.

9–29607.

“An anthology of brief passages in prose and verse, classified with more than ordinary intelligence, relating to the great city, its sights and scenes, its denizens, and its natural beauties.”—Dial.

* * * * *

“Attractive little book.”

+ =Dial.= 47: 24. Jl. 1, ’09. 60w.

“The volume is delightful.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 786. My. 15, ’09. 140w.

=Benn, Edith Fraser.=^{[12]} Overland trek from India by side-saddle,
camel, and rail; the record of a journey from Beluchistan to Europe.
*$5. Longmans.

A record of travel “far too rough for a lady, and still less suited to a child.” “Starting from Quetta, in Beluchistan, Mrs. Benn, after a sojourn in Seistan, made her way to Krasnovodsk, on the eastern shore of the Caspian. She crossed the Caspian to Petrovsk, and journeyed from this place to Batoum, on the eastern extremity of the Black Sea. Along the southern shore of the Black Sea her three methods of progression, side-saddle, camel, and railway, had to be given up for conveyance by sea. But of this part of her travel she takes small account. It will suffice to say that she went home by Constantinople, Sofia, Belgrade, Budapest, Vienna, and Dresden. Indeed, from Tiflis to Batoum occupies but twenty-five pages out of three hundred and fifteen.” (Spec.)

* * * * *

“Interesting book. Though the account is not up to date, it has the special importance of recording the state of affairs at and around Seistan before the consulate was built and the telegraph laid from Mashhad (Meshed) and Quetta.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 490. O. 23. 650w.

“The book is full of noteworthy things.”

+ =Spec.= 103: 851. N. 20, ’09. 450w.

=Bennet, Robert Ames.=^{[11]} Volunteer with Pike: the true narrative
of one Dr. John Robinson and of his love for the fair Señorita
Vallois. †$1.50. McClurg.

9–26323.

A picture of life in Washington during Washington’s administration stands out in clear contrast to graphically described frontier experiences which include the sighting of Pike’s peak by the man whose name it was given.

* * * * *

“Robert Ames Bennet deserves not a little praise for the historical setting he has given to his romance of love and adventure.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 768. D. 4, ’09. 220w.

=Bennett, Enoch Arnold.=^{[11]} The glimpse: an adventure of the soul.
†$1.50. Appleton.

9–27998.

A Londoner, devoted to art and literature, finding that he had ceased to love his wife and that she preferred the attentions of a certain genius whom he numbered among his friends, suddenly succumbs to a stroke of apoplexy. He is left for dead when, in reality, he is conscious but unable to move. In this state he gets a glimpse of the world to come which the author amplifies with skill and imagination.

* * * * *

“This is not a real novel; it is a ‘tour de force,’ but there is no denying its extreme cleverness.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 522. O. 30. 230w.

“Although not to be put in the same class with that author’s strong, big, and rather grim volume, ‘The old wives’ tale,’ is none the less a work of distinct originality. Whether it was really worth doing is quite another question.” F: T. Cooper.

+ − =Bookm.= 30: 386. D. ’09. 370w.

“There is much mysticism and some metaphysical felicity in the book, which will hardly make a strong popular appeal.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 750. N. 27, ’09. 220w.
=Spec.= 103: 851. N. 20, ’09. 200w.

=Bennett, Enoch Arnold.=^{[9]} Old wives’ tale. *$1.50. Doran.

W9–196.

“Paints in minute detail the commonplace events of a rather dull middle-class provincial English family.” (Outlook.) “Mr. Bennett takes as the subject the separate histories of two sisters, who in the first chapters of the book are in their later teens, while the curtain does not fall till they have both died as elderly women.... The other characters in the book are grouped round these two salient figures, and though they stand out from the canvas, yet do so in due subordination to the two heroines.” (Spec.)

* * * * *

“A story of unusual length but unfailing interest.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 54. O. ’09.

“There are very few books in English which mirror back so truly and with such a fine sense of proportion the relative amount of joy and sorrow that enter in to the average human life.” F: T. Cooper.

+ =Bookm.= 30: 186. O. ’09. 830w.

“A remarkable work of fiction, a book of such sincerity, truthfulness and insight as to make the ordinary novel seem hopelessly shallow and artificial by comparison.” W: M. Payne.

+ =Dial.= 47: 236. O. 1, ’09. 950w.

“It is a solid chunk of reality, a character study in three dimensions. Intensely interesting because the author has the uncanny power to turn ordinary people inside out so we can see what they think of themselves.”

+ =Ind.= 67: 548. S. 2, ’09. 200w.

“When he has ceased to speak, there remains nothing for us to learn about these people, body, mind, or soul. For the rest, it is enough to say that there is nothing about them which we are not grateful for knowing.”

+ =Nation.= 89: 356. O. 14, ’09. 570w.

“Not a book to be readily forgotten by those who read it with understanding.”

+ N. Y. Times. 14: 498. Ag. 21, ’09. 650w.

“In ‘Old wives’ tale’ Mr. Bennett has arrived. It is a great novel.”

+ =No. Am.= 190: 836. D. ’09. 210w.

“To make such a book thoroughly enjoyable, as it certainly is, forms a literary ‘tour de force’ on which Mr. Bennett is to be congratulated.”

+ =Outlook.= 93: 7. S. 4, ’09. 130w.

“An exceedingly clever novel, and one which will well repay perusal.”

+ =Spec.= 101: 950. D. 5, ’08. 550w.

=Bennett, William Harper.=^{[6]} Catholic footsteps in old New York.
$2.50. Schwartz, Kirwin & Fauss.

9–6272.

“Covers a period from 1524 to 1808, with chapters on martyrs like Jogues, bishops like Carroll, and governors like Dongan; it rambles with Father Le Moyne up the Heere-Graft or Great Canal, now Broad Street, and calls on Dominie Megapolensis, that courteous host and would-be theological opponent of the early Jesuits; it pays a tribute to the memory of James II; exposes the fanatical bigotry of Jacob Leisler against the ‘Papists’ and gives a full picture of his downfall; portrays the hallucination of the ‘hellish negro plot,’ following which ‘the law passed against Catholic priests was only once enforced, and then to bring to death a Protestant clergyman.’”—Cath World.

* * * * *

“It need not be said that the author has attempted no critical analysis of movements or of personages; he cares little for sequence, and wanders in many climes, not without bringing home some of their brightness; though he has consulted very many authorities, he makes no pedantic show of learning; he is devout yet just to opponents; sometimes vigorous in style, and never dull. To the growing class of educated Catholic readers it is to be cordially commended for its intrinsic merit and for its loyal tribute to the church.”

+ =Cath. World.= 89: 387. Je. ’09. 500w.

“A valuable as well as a highly entertaining history.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 190. Ap. 3, ’09. 1200w.

=Benson, Arthur Christopher.= At large. **$1.50. Putnam.

8–30590.

Descriptive note in December, 1908.

* * * * *

“Quiet, reflective essays affording new and helpful viewpoints on the philosophy and meaning of life.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 4: 283. D. ’08.

“Is lighter, clearer, and much more sensible and bracing than his previous essays concerning life or things in general. Though there are several things said which have previously been said better.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 99. Ja. 23. 550w.

“Whatever Mr. Benson’s titles ... the welcome thing, the thing we are sure to find, is a genial understanding of the frailties of human life along with a calm optimism, a wealth of thought, and a very fluent style enabling one to wander under any title easily away with the author from the cares that infest the day.”

+ =Ind.= 66: 705. Ap. 1, ’09. 170w.

“On the whole, they stand very well the test of consecutive and continuous reading, though primarily intended to be taken up at monthly intervals.”

+ =Putnam’s.= 5: 494. Ja. ’09. 230w.

“His new book, even if one cannot quite receive all his ideas, has the old originality and haunting charm. His thoughts are not platitudes.”

+ =Spec.= 101: 1105. D. 26, ’08. 500w.

=Benson, Arthur Christopher.= Poems of Arthur Christopher Benson.
*$1.50. Lane.

9–8005.

A collection of Mr. Benson’s poems including old and new pieces. His verse shows “the same vein of quiet, wholesome sentiment that runs through his essays, the same sensitiveness to the beauty of nature and to the beauty of moral dignity and spiritual purity.” (Outlook.)

* * * * *

“Larger libraries having the author’s volumes of essays will find readers for this unpretentious verse, which has the same pleasing qualities.”

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 5: 131. My. ’09.

“Mr. Benson’s aptness for the Laureate-like task of writing both decorously and with distinction on topics of public interest ... is also, we think, significant of his limitations.”

+ − =Ath.= 1909, 1: 285. Mr. 6. 700w.

“Mr. Benson is as fluent a writer of verse as of prose, and his poems are thoughtful, placid and refined, but not distinguished.” W: M. Payne.

+ =Dial.= 47: 97. Ag. 16, ’09. 270w.

“His work is minor in the better sense that it is unpretentious, and that it is replete with conscious reminiscences. Indeed, it might almost be sufficiently characterized by calling it a mixture of Tennyson and Matthew Arnold.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 256. Mr. 11, ’09. 630w.

“Mr. Benson’s verses appeal to a cultivated dilettante fancy.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 102. F. 20, ’09. 470w.

“His verse is in no sense poetry of a high order; but it shows the practiced hand of the intelligent craftsman, well trained and disciplined.”

+ =Outlook.= 91: 385. F. 20, ’09. 250w.

“When he is at his best and simplest there is something very gracious and soothing about his scholarly and assiduous work.”

+ =Spec.= 102: sup. 153. Ja. 30, ’09. 70w.

=Benson, Arthur Christopher.=^{[10]} Until the evening. (What is worth
while ser.) **30c. Crowell.

9–22921.

Six brief essays as follows: Prayer; The mystery of suffering; The faith of Christ; The mystery of evil; Renewal; After death; The Eternal will; Until the evening. In each the author takes a fearless stand, as, for instance, in the opening essay, he says “I confess that liturgical prayer does not very much appeal to me.... Prayer should not be relegated to certain seasons, or attended by certain postures, or even couched in definite language ... the deeper secret lies in the fact that prayer is an attitude of soul and not a ceremony.”

=Benson, Edward Frederic.= Climber. **$1.40. Doubleday.

9–3204.

A social climber is the central figure of this story. “Lucia Grimson, knowing that her dearest friend was on the verge of becoming engaged to X (a rich peer), carries off X. The friend marries Y. Lucia, heartily bored with X, steals the affections of Y. Exposure follows, and the carefully wrought fabric of social success goes crash. We are asked to believe that Lucia, the heartless, mercenary, treacherous, frivolous, falls so madly in love with Y that for a moment she believes the world well lost for love.” (Sat. R.)

* * * * *

“The evolution of the clever and at times vulgar Lucia is logical and consistent, except, perhaps, in the closing scenes. We hear much of the brilliance of intellectual and ‘smart’ gatherings and superb banquets, but something has evaporated in the telling.”

− + =Ath.= 1908, 2: 640. N. 21. 270w.

“Mr. Benson is a very prolific writer, but it is long since he has given us as good a story as ‘The Climber.’” M. K. Ford.

+ =Bookm.= 29: 93. Mr. ’09. 640w.

“Never, perhaps, has the ruthless nature of social ambition ... been more sternly unmaskt than in ‘The Climber.’”

+ =Ind.= 66: 698. Ap. 1, ’09. 200w.

“It is with a sense of dreariness that the reader closes the book with the question in his mind if the society life of to-day is really as bad as it is painted.”

− =Lit. D.= 38: 385. Mr. 6, ’09. 200w.

“A solid book which refuses to be skimmed, and which might even bear a second reading.”

+ =Nation.= 88: 200. F. 25, ’09. 420w.

“An immensely clever and detailed portrait. The background of the novel is put in with dash and spirit.”

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 88. F. 13, ’09. 450w.

“Mr Benson in an unexpected moment of candour about his heroine observes that ‘it is hard to follow the working of so superficial and trivial a soul.’ Conscious of that by the time he has produced some twelvescore pages about her, he forbears to ask whether the attempt is worth making.”

− =Sat. R.= 106: 765. D. 19, ’08. 120w.

“If it is necessary to portray in great detail so unattractive a figure, it must be acknowledged that Mr. Benson’s study is eminently successful. ‘The climber’ is not an immoral book in the sense of vice being triumphant, but inasmuch as the overthrow of the heroine is due to the imprudence of being found out, it can hardly be said to be what our forefathers would have called ‘improving reading.’”

− + =Spec.= 101: 843. N. 21, ’08. 320w.

=Benson, Edward Frederic.=^{[10]} A reaping. **$1.25. Doubleday.

9–35805.

“The record of a kind of sentimental journey through a twelvemonth of a married couple who are still on the sunny side of forty, and is mainly a chronicle of moods and reflections. We find here, besides much introspective matter, discourses on most of the author’s favorite topics: music, gardening, travel, the amenities of town and country life, with a passing touch of the supernatural. The picture of the husband and wife playing with lead soldiers, rocking-horse, and Noah’s ark, to say nothing of the dolls’-house, in the as yet unoccupied nursery appears to us a little curious.”—Ath.

* * * * *

+ =A. L. A. Bkl.= 6: 54. O. ’09. + − =Ath.= 1909, 2: 124. Jl. 31. 140w. =Nation.= 89: 487. N. 18, ’09. 350w.

“The book is a series of essays strung on a shining strand of story. More particularly it is a mood, a smiling outlook on life, to be often taken from the shelf and glanced through, remembered in quiet moments and talked over with a friend at tea.” Hildegarde Hawthorne.

+ =N. Y. Times.= 14: 563. S. 25, ’09. 900w.

“All this is agreeable enough to read, except that the important things touched upon—the bunkers in the course—are a little out of keeping with the small-talk.”

+ − =Sat. R.= 108: 323. S. 11, ’09. 170w.

=Benson, Margaret.=^{[6]} Venture of rational faith. 6s. Macmillan,
London.

A clear-headed, conscientious defense of orthodox Christianity.

* * * * *

“Though not an important book, may interest a good many. She never seems to me to touch the quick of human thought and feeling. I fear that the stuff of her book is conventional, and that the book itself is mostly dull for the reason that she nowhere gives us to see how the conventionalities which she handles have come to be to her so real. I will add that it is not a book written in a hurry, that wide reading has gone to it, and that it is clear and forcible. It has a good many memorable sentences.” H. W. Garrod.

− + =Hibbert J.= 7: 680. Ap. ’09. 730w.

“An able and scrupulously candid book.”

+ =Spec.= 102: 741. My. 8, ’09. 850w.

=Benson, Ramsey.=^{[10]} Melchisedec. †$1.50. Holt.

9–24017.

To bring out strongly the un-Christlike qualities of the orthodox churches of to-day the author has chosen for his hero a child of the wilderness, a nameless quarter-blood Indian to whom civilization and convention are not even names but in whose heart glows the Christ spirit, the obsession to serve his fellowmen. Jean Valjean and St. Francis first inspire him, and, eager to be about his Father’s business, he seeks a white man’s city only to find hate in the church, sneers in organized charity and crime and selfishness in the hearts of his fellowmen. His zeal carries him from revivalists and the Salvation Army to Catholicism and the Jesuits, then in his distress of spirit he turns to the Unitarian ministry. From each new hurt he flees from man to his native woods for comfort, but always returns to his life of service until, too deeply scarred, his soul is at last martyred upon the rack of orthodoxy.

* * * * *

“He has written another book in the same certifying manner, the most improbable and at the same time one of the most veracious stories ever conceived.”

+ − =Ind.= 67: 1205. N. 25, ’09. 900w.

“There is scarcely room for question that Mr. Benson, at least, has failed in his major purpose, though he has given us a psychological study of no mean interest.”

+ − =Nation.= 89: 306. S. 30, ’09. 270w.

“The author has essayed a theme well out of the ordinary, and one of sufficient difficulty to test the powers of a skilled novelist. The practical handling of it has been a little too much for Mr. Benson’s capacities at this time, but it is, nevertheless, a noteworthy piece of fiction. But as a whole the tale is picturesque, unusual, and has the always gratifying quality of suggestiveness.”

+ − =N. Y. Times.= 14: 563. S. 25, ’09. 300w.

=Bentley, Harry Clark.= Corporate finance and accounting; Legal notes
by T. Conyngton. $4. Ronald.

8–9769.

“The aim has been to provide a manual for the use of a corporation treasurer. Various devices and methods for procedure are described in simple, untechnical language, while the legal side has been carefully elucidated by Mr. Conyngton. The volume is divided into six parts dealing respectively with the treasurer’s duties and legal obligations; the corporate books of account; the corporate finances, including checks and dividends; negotiable instruments; corporate securities; and finally the various forms used by the treasurer or for the corporate finances and securities. For obtaining a knowledge of such things this volume should prove valuable for those interested in corporation finance. It does not attempt, however, to enter into the broader and more fundamental questions of policy in connection with this subject.”—J. Pol. Econ.

* * * * *

“Presents the subject in an entirely new and satisfactory manner.” W. K. Hardt.

+ =Ann. Am. Acad.= 33: 206. Ja. ’09. 300w.

“A reading of the text leads to the conclusion that for any other than a general purpose the author has either attempted too much, or has succeeded in doing too little.” F. A. C.

+ − =Econ. Bull.= 2: 46. Ap. ’09. 240w.

“In the selection of materials judgment has been used to give to the uninformed a complement of ideas that may be useful, but in no part is the work systematic. The book possesses considerable pedagogical value for a school offering a ten weeks’ course in business practice, but has contributed nothing to scientific literature.” F: A. Cleveland.

+ − =Engin. N.= 59: sup. 648. Je. 11, ’08. 220w. + =J. Pol. Econ.= 16: 465. Jl. ’08. 150w.

“[There is] a failure, in the presentation of the subject, to distinguish properly between principles and their application by ‘methods’ to specific cases. A manual easy of access and worthy of a prominent place on every business man’s desk.” B: F. Wright.

+ − =Pol. Sci. Q.= 24: 327. Je. ’09. 580w.

=Benton, Elbert Jay.=^{[7]} International law and diplomacy of the
Spanish-American war. $1.50. Johns Hopkins.

8–9495.

“A history of the relations of the United States and Spain during the Cuban insurrection and the resulting Spanish-American war. Especial emphasis is given to the controverted points of international law which were passed upon during the conflict. Though the sources used do not include the Spanish material on the subject, the viewpoint throughout is judicial. Some of the author’s conclusions are, that the ‘reconcentrado’ policy was a justifiable means of warfare; that the refusal of arbitration offered by Spain in the Maine case was a mistake; that McKinley did not exhaust the resources of diplomacy before turning the conduct of affairs over to Congress; and that the intervention of the United States on humanitarian grounds was not good practice in international law. The decisions of the courts in prize cases and allied subjects are reviewed in detail.”—Ann. Am. Acad.

* * * * *

=Ann. Am. Acad.= 32: 440. S. ’08. 180w.

“The material is well organized and clearly and compactly presented. The author’s judgments are generally fair and impartial.” G. W. Scott.

+ − =Pol. Sci. Q.= 24: 341. Je. ’09. 700w.

=Bernard, Auguste.=^{[7]} Geofroy Tory, painter and engraver; first
royal printer reformer of orthography and typography under François
I; an account of his life and works; tr. by George B. Ives. *$37.50.
Houghton.

9–10130.

“A translation of M. Auguste Bernard’s account of Tory’s life and work, supplemented by scholarly notes and by a large number of designs, which represent, however, only a very small part of the immense amount of work accomplished by Tory’s fervid industry.”—N. Y. Times.

* * * * *

“The main value of this book is, then, due to its perfect reproduction of the best work of Geofroy Tory.”

+ =Ath.= 1909, 2: 90. Jl. 24. 550w.

Reviewed by Laurence Burnham.

+ =Bookm.= 30: 194. O. ’09. 930w.

“This beautiful volume is creditable in the highest degree to the author, the translator, the printer, and the publisher.” F: W. Gookin.

+ =Dial.= 46: 401. Je. 16, ’09. 2100w.

“Mr. Ives’s rendering of the French text is accurate and painstaking, but now and then leaves the reader a little conscious that it is a translation.”

+ − =Nation.= 89: 61. Jl. 15, ’09. 1250w. + =N. Y. Times.= 14: 293. My. 8, ’09. 1650w.

=Berry, Charles William.= Temperature-entropy diagram. 2d ed. rev. and
enl. $2. Wiley.

8–32508.

“In the revised edition of the ‘Temperature-entropy diagram’ a more extended application of the principles of the Τφ-analysis to advanced problems of thermodynamics has been made than was possible in the limited scope of the previous edition. The chapter on the flow of fluids has been entirely rewritten and treats at length various irreversible processes. A graphical method of projecting from the ρυ- into the Τφ-plane has been elaborated for perfect gases and its application illustrated in the chapters on hot-air engines and gas-engines. The various factors affecting the cylinder efficiency of both gas- and steam-engines have been thoroughly discussed. One chapter has been devoted to the thermodynamics of mixtures of gases and vapors, and another to the description and use of Mollier’s total energy-entropy diagram.”—Preface.

* * * * *

=Engin. D.= 5: 56. Ja. ’09. 230w.
=Engin. N.= 60: sup. 695. D. 17, ’08. 320w.

“It is evident that the author has put an Immense amount of work into the revision and brought out one of the most complete books that we have on the subject.”

+ =Engin. Rec.= 58: 652. D. 5, ’08. 200w.

=Berry, John B. N.= Some assurances of immortality. 50c. Fenno.

9–7954.

A slight book of sixty-six pages whose short chapters discuss the modern acceptance of Who and what is God? Where is the soul? Man’s immortality; Spiritism; Materialization; Faith; Intuition and conscience; Prayer; Love; Trust; and Hope.

* * * * *

=R. of Rs.= 40: 256. Ag. ’09. 30w.

=Berry, W. Grinton.= Bishop Hannington and the story of the Uganda
mission. **$1. Revell.