The " Royal Mail" War Book. By H. W. Leslie.
(W. Heinemann. 10s. (3d. net.)—We can never hear too much of the part played by the Merchant Service during the war. Mr. Leslie's attractive book gives an account of the experiences of the Royal Mail Steamship Company's liners and of the officers and men in the Company's service. The fight of the Alcantara ' with the raider Greif ' on February 29th, 1916, the deliberate torpedoing of the ,Asturias ' hospital ship off the Start on March 20th, 1917, the successful repulse of a U ' boat by the Demerara ' with her one gun, are among the many incidents recorded. A " chapter of accidents " relates the strange late by which Captain Willats in the first half of 1917 was once captured and thrice was in a torpedoed ship. He escaped with- out injury. Over three thousand of the company's staff joined the Navy or the Army. The sadly long Roll of Honour of those who died is given at the end of the book.
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