4 MARCH 1865, Page 19

The Victoria Cross. (D. Byrne, Brothers.)—An "official chronicle" of the

deeds of personal valour for which the Cross was conferred, with • a nominal and alphabetical list of the members of the Order, the Royal Warrant creating it, and a short account of the giving of the first batch of Crosses by the Queen. The book is in fact a sort of documentary his- tory of the Order, from which the publisher, if he is wise, will remove the " rather absurd preface in the next edition. Bravery wants no puffing to set it off, especially in a chronicle which claims to be "official."