1 FEBRUARY 1919, Page 23

A History of English Literature. By Arthur Compton- Rickett. (T.

C. and E. 0. Jack. Is. 6d. net.)—This is a spirited effort to relate the long history of our literature in a single volume of about seven hundred pages, printed in double columns. The author's plan is to give a short critical introduction to each period, to supply biographical details about leading autbors, and to quote freely from their works. Most concise literary histories are extremely dull ; this, on the contrary, Is very readable, and suggests that Mr. Compton-Riokett enjoyed his stupendous task.