New Histories
European History, 1814-1878; By C. R. M. F. Cruttwell. Special Periods of History Series. (Bell. 2s.) Machiavelli and Modern Political Science. By Ernesto Grillo. (Blackie. 2s. 6d.) A Concise History of Great Britain. By D. C. Somervell. (Bell. 6s. 6d.) Cloth Boards, Is. 10d. ; Limp Cloth, Is. 8d.) •
IT is decidedly interesting to read this collection of new textbooks; If the memory of the writer's own not too distant schooldays is not at fault, they show a very consider- able improvement on the books which nourished him. For example, Mr. Cruttwell's European History 1.814-78, appears to be something of a model for a textbook on a special period. The improvement is not so much on questions Of accuracy, or arrangement. Textbooks first rate on such points have long been available ; but Mr. Cruttwell comes to his subject with a far wider point of view than the average don of twenty years ago would have had. We quote the summary of his introduction as typical of Mr. Cruttwell's methods :— " To sum up then, we must always remember when we read the history of the nineteenth century that we are continually in the presence of two great paradoxes. The increasing power of the State conservatively organized on a basis of power must be con- trasted with the spread of democratic institutions, and the rise of nationality with the rise of internationalism. And finally, through- out most of Europe everything that happens is placed in a setting of a rapid increase of wealth, very unequally shared, and of popula- tion."
This passage shows the breadth and poise of his treatment. It is interesting, too, to find the late War emerging as a subject for school history. Major Carey and Captain Scott have produced a useful little volume, but perhaps it was unfortunately named. Their book is not really an " Outline History of the .Great War " at all. It is merely an account, readable though necessarily sketchy, of the British military and naval campaigns. Indeed, the authors state definitely that all political issues have been excluded. The actual text is sensible and no effort is made to minimize the horror of modern warfare. On the other hand, its interest would be considerably augmented if we were allowed to see the cam- paigns, first from the British, and then from the enemy's point of view, instead of almost exclusively from the British. However, the course of the fighting is accurately and clearly described, and that is, we suppose, the main thing.
Professor Grillo has reprinted the lecture he recently delivered at Glasgow. It is a sensible little study of that great figure, Machiavelli. As Professor Grillo says, " The Prince " has been " more censured than read, more read than studied, more blamed and praised than criticized." And yet it remains one of the few really important books on politics which have ever been written. It was reserved, we suppose, to Machiavelli to shock the world, in the con- ventional sense of the word, more than any other human being has ever done, before or since, by means of a book at any rate. Yet, as Professor Grillo points out, Machiavelli was certainly an exceptionally honest, courageous politician. He was merely a realist. Professor Grillo discusses the question of whether he was really a democrat or not—whether " The Prince " was intended to be an actual practical guide and assistance to tyrants or was intended as an ironic " show-up." May it not have been that Machiavelli was, in fact, neither— that he had in the last resort, the Civil Servant's mind ; that he took governments as he found them—wishing that they were better, no doubt, but knowing that in any case they had to be maintained? Thus his task in "The Prince" was simply descriptive. Not, of course, that he did not have views of his own. Undoubtedly, as Professor Grillo points out, his great ambition was a united Italy, and he could conceive, probably rightly, of no other way in which this could be achieved than by a powerful prince maintaining a permanent standing army.
Dr. Somerville has reprinted those portions of his school history which deal with British history. He tells us in his preface that he considers that the adolescent should study history from a broader point -of view than the exclusively national one, but that in the present stage of many examina- tions an exclusively British history is still needed. He has brought his history right down to the present day and devotes sixty pages at the end to the Great War and the Peace of Versailles. He really achieves the difficult task of giving us in the brief space at his disposal a panoramic view of the great events of a decade ago.
The Headway Histories are an excellent series, the object of which, their authors tell us, is to explain to young rcaderi the place occupied by British history in the story of the world. The books are intended for children up till the age of eleven. The print seems to us good and clear to a child's eyes and the books are illustrated in colour. This should prove attractive to children ; but we can never help feeling that these bright coloured illustrations must give a wholly false idea of the Middle Ages. None of us, of course, really know what the world in the Middle Ages looked like, but we may be pretty certain, at any rate, that it was far from being the clean, bright, orderly, polished place which is shown in these books. But almost any illustrations are better than none from a child's point of view:
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