THE WAR' INiM3XSSINIA: - By Edward Hamilton-
Me so many,military histOries,:this hOOk•(John He,
Unicorn Press, 5s.) has the defeet.of recording the do- f one side with little reference,to tlinie..of the, other .,excati a vague background, Most of the„-facts and figuree.-•4are • obviously from Italian official sources, Whence the autgAso lborrows his outlook on events untemPfied,by aPr=4**301 ; criticism. Since, with certain iamissloiii- the boOk .gros7-tai accurate chronological and statistical ao'eourit-of:the--ftalinn side of the campaign it has a definite value, baits data are i marshalled in such a lifeless and undescriptive manner tharlt is almost unreadable by the layman and only merits review is intentional, for all but the inogAtipgrficial reference to air operations has been reserved for Atwater„ yet to appear ; _and singe reconnaissance, bombing and gassing from 'the air vitally Influenced the course of the war, this- omission I detracti seriously from the interest of the book as it stands.
t. No light.is thrown on the most obscure episode of the campaign, I the check-to Grisiani's progress after the initial advance from GoralM" No serious -attempt is made to help the reader to i visurillaj the terrain. 'Beyond casual re*rence, no account igivell'o7 the teehriiqu-e; &mbar:ilea' and .otlierwise„lpy :Which 'transport diffieult,ie4 were oveicoine—the most interesting (feature of the-Wir. ._No single tactical episode is described in ;sufficient detail TtiOdlow otany lesSon being drawn &Om it.
rThe change n high command 'escapes record, the ansliteratioii of A4 names and titles is faulty, especially
oil from the riOnjtalian-speaking reader's point 'of view, and there is no index. In fact, the book is as disappointing to the Astfidished student* it is dull to the general reader.
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