Steeplechasing (The Lonsdale Library, Volume XXXII). By Lord Willoughby de
Broke, Lieut.-Colonel W. E. Lyon, etc. (Seeley Service, 25s.) THIS volume, the latest in the Lonsdale Library series, unleashes a series of experts upon their particular aspects of the subject. On the whole it is an excellent, well-illustrated production, which achieves its aim of imparting detailed information and advice. It is not a book which should be picked up and read right through, and neither is it meant to be; some of the chapters, notably those on breeding and the construction of fences, are necessarily so de- tailed and full of statistics that they are almost unreadable except by the student of that particular subject. On the other hand Peter
Cazalet and Neville Crump, on training and on buying a steeplechaser respectively, can be en- joyed by those with only the most casual in- terest in the subjects. And H. A. Brown, writing on riding, delightfully introduces the real tang of racecourse conversation.
When so many experts write on so many overlapping subjects there is bound to be repetition, but even so it does seem that the editor might have done a little more pruning.. Another fault may be that most contributors, being old stagers themselves, tend to dwell too complacently in the past; a chapter dealing with the modern scene, with, for example, the complete change that has taken place in the status of the amateur rider, with the 'new hurdles' controversy, and with the financial problems which the modern owner has to face, would have beentefreshing. But in general the book is admirable, and I defy anyone, how- ever expert, to read it without profit.
C. H. BLACKER
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