28 JANUARY 1911, Page 12

DOUGLAS JERROLD AND "PUNCH."

Douglas Jerrold and "Punch." By Walter Jerrold. (Macmillan and Co. 12s. 6d. net.)—Mr. Walter Jerrold's book is in two parts. In the first we have described the founding of Punch, with a notice of its forerunners, and the personalities of Jerrold and his fellow-contributors, with some special information about the share which he took in carrying it on. He was, to begin with, a great Radical, never approaching that detachment which is a characteristic of the thorough humorist. The account of his general contributions is highly interesting; the possession of such a man was a piece of great good fortune. He would hardly have succeeded as a ruler; but for the first subject he could not well be exceeded. Part II. consists of his principal serials. These are " Caldicott House for Young Ladies" and "Miss Robinson Crusoe," both unfinished, "Our Honeymoon," and "Exhibition of the English in China." A bibliography of all that he wrote in Punch covers more than forty pages, with fifty items on each page. The quantity fell off in later years. He wrote the bnannek for 1857; on June 8th in that year he died. Punch furnishes without doubt some very important materials for history, and Mr. Jerrold's book will greatly help in the utilising of them. And it is, as one might expect, often very entertaining. .