The Revolutionary and Napoleonic Era. By J. H. Rose, M.A.
(Cambridge University Press.)—This volume belongs to the ‘` Cambridge Historical Series," appearing under the editorship of Professor Prothero, a series intended to " sketch the history of Modern Europe, with that of its chief colonies and conquests, from about the end of the fifteenth century down to the present time." Mr. Rose's book takes in the period 1789-1815, beginning, therefore, with a sketch of the social and political condition of Europe, and finishing with the decisive battle of Waterloo. We may specially mention the chapters which are entitled " The Girondins and Europe," and that which follows it, " The Jacobins and the First Coalition." In the former of these, justice is done to Pitt's evident desire for peace. It was the French revolu- tionists that provoked the war, one of their reasons being that they were afraid of their own army. In the latter, the military energy of the revolutionists is contrasted with the lamentable folly of our own administration. While Carnot and his colleagues put before their Generals the alternatives of " victory or the guillotine," our Ministry put the Duke of York in command. In the chapter on Waterloo the strategic merits and demerits of the opposing Generals are weighed with impartiality and discrimina- tion.
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