30 JUNE 1900, Page 39

Hector Macdonald; or, The Private who Became a General. By

Thomas F. G. Coates. (S. W. Partridge. is. 6d.)—Privates who become Generals, ploughboys who become statesmen, and log cabins which are exchanged for White Houses have a curious fascination for the writers of little popular books. For such Lives are like a tonic to a certain class, giving the readers hope and, it may be, ambition. Mr. Coates has written an unpre- tentious little Life of General Macdonald, which is so up-to-date that it includes the entry into Bloemfontein. The book is only an ephemeral production, written to satisfy public curiosity, but it is done with good taste and inspired throughout with much honest enthusiasm.