15 OCTOBER 1937, Page 40

MY FIFTY YEARS OF SPORT By Charles Van der Byl

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Major Van der Byl is well known for his vigorous campaign against the trap- ping of fur-bearing animals, That he is no armchair humanitarian may be seen from his racy account of his sporting experiences at home and abroad (Stock- well, 5s.). He travelled round the world before joining a lancer regiment, by way of Cambridge and the militia. In India he learned the art of pig-sticking and played cricket against the Patiala team, once scoring 60 off " Ranji's " bowling. He was wounded in the Boer War and came home to hunt and win steeplechases and shoot pheasants. Major Van der Byl is 'an unpretentious writer but he tells his story with evident enjoyment so that the book is easy to read.