27 APRIL 1956, Page 34

A Traveller in Italy

THE 'Eagle Argent' of Donald Hall 5 (Eagle Argent; Methuen, I8s.) refers le) arms of Abruzzo, that relatively unhaari part of Italy north and east of Monteess Mr. Hall is an amiable traveller, good at ling bambini in a peasant kitchen and ecl good at listening to Gregorian chant in great Benedictine monastery. If one like's t ing the pages of a travel book for a descri.llt of one's own favourite places, Mr. Hall is to disappoint; he is more interested ill Federigo Montefeltro than in the Pal° Urbino, and better at describing C°I1 Leopardi's dinner party than her an Ce5 poetry. But the best travel books are al the most personal, and for those whoItalians as much as Italy Mr. Ha'

pleasantly unselfconscious companion. mAitictO