31 AUGUST 1934, Page 30

Mr. Salmond has written an admirable monograph on the military

roads which opened up the Highlands of Scotland and led to the break-up of the old Clan System, and on their maker, General Wade (Wade in Scotland: The Moray Press, 5s.). Surprisingly little mate' ial is available for a life of Wade, but Mr. Salmond has spared no effort to hunt it out and make the most of it. He gives a very pleasant account of Wade's friendship with the Jacobite, Robertson of Struan, whOse common potation in the morning was whisky and honey, and, for a meridian, brandy and sugar. They were great friends—this Jacobite " who at the best was to make an old song, the men of the Highland Companies, the ancestors of the greatest soldiers of the finest regiments in the history of the world," and Wade, representing common-sense pro- gress, realizing and allowing for the views and attitudes of the Jacobites, realizing and making use of the military quali- ties of the Highlanders, and realizing and labouring. in his knowledge that civilization goes along roads and over bridges?' Wade made no enemies in Scotland, with the exception of Simon Fraser. Mr. Salmond's verdict on Lovat is too whole- sale, and not in accordance with the findings of recent research, but otherwise his book is very fair, gives a very clear account of Wade's enterprise, supplies a useful appendix on post-Wade military road-making in Scotland, and is pleasantly eked out with material drawn from the fact that the author has pct- smelly traversed all the Wade roads.