3 JANUARY 1970, Page 34

Shorter notices

Space, Time and Movement in Land- scape Freya Stark (Her Godson, 17 Ormond Yard, London swl. 15 gns). Readers of Freya Stark's work will be familiar with the photographs which always seemed to provide a slightly inade- quate embellishment to the felicities of her prose. Here they are produced as an album, greatly enlarged. and embellished with some lines of her verse. They make a useful com- panion to her travel books in this form, and bibliophiles. as well as Stark enthusiasts, will welcome the volume as will many others who must feel grateful to the intrepid Mrs Stark for giving us all the beauties and glories of the Middle East without any of the discomforts which she has suffered so valiantly on our behalf.

History of the Royal Navy edited by Peter Kemp (Arthur Barker 63s). Lavish illustra- tions support a text which, though necessarily succinct, is seldom sketchy: distinguished contributions from the editor on the mediaeval period, much of the eigh- teenth century and the building race with Germany; Professor Lloyd on the Tudors, Professor Raft on the age of Anson. Oliver Warner on the French wars of 1793 to 1815, and Captain Donald Macintyre on the war of American Independence; Captain Geoffrey Bennett on the First World War, and a cluster of talent, including Admiral B. Schofield, on the Second.

Pont edited by Bernard Hollowood (Collins 45s). Pont should be compulsory reading for all cartoonists, and will make gratify- ing flipping-through for everyone else. Un- disputed master of the very English art of understatement, Pont was for eight years a regular contributor to Punch and author of such famous series as 'The British Character' and 'The British at Home' When Vicky came to England he was told to read Alice in Wonderland: he might also have been told to wallow in Pont. He probably did.

London: The Biography of a City Christopher Hibbert (Longmans 75s). A highly readable compendium of social, political and architectural history with some excellent and unusual illustrations, particularly from Victorian photographs and paintings. Alpha plus for the detailed and ac- curate references and locations in the list of plates, for the notes on public accessibility and for the useful select bibliography.