29 JANUARY 1943, Page 20

Tins is a very unusual and superior travel book. It

deals with that part of French Indo-China which is predominantly of Anna- mese speech, i.e., Tongking1 Annam proper, and Cochin-China, and the author, who has anthropological and archaeological interests, has given the name, Little China, to these three Annamese lands which together are about four times the size of England, with a population of about twenty millions. This country of rzo,000 square miles is, according to the author "the refuge of ancient Chinese customs, traditions dead or dying in the land of their birth," as well as being very beautiful and of great archaeological interest Mr. Brodrick has an incisive style, and is free from the prejudices of most Europeans, consequently he has a lot to say that is fresh, and sometimes disconcerting. His journey took place in 1939, thanks to special facilities granted by the French Ministry of the Colonies, so that it is as up-to-date as possible. With him the reader may travel through this almost unknown country accompanied by a witty, agreeable and well-informed companion The book is enriched by a number of photographs of unusu excellence, taken by the author.