Two Faces
The Face of War. By Martha Gellhorn. (Hart- Davis, 18s.) Tuts hook is a collection of long despatches which Martha Gellhorn sent in variously from Spain, Finland, China and the more important European fronts, these despatches being prefaced and concluded by some not very optimistic remarks about our present prospects. The whole at first appears, as it is advertised, to be one long essay in protest: • for ten years, if we take the record to begin in Spain, men were mutilated and degraded in the struggle against Fascism; and now, says Miss Gellhorn, 'I do not hope ft, a world at peace. . . . Our leaders are not Ws! enough, nor brave enough, nor noble enout; . . . We. the led . . . are all guilty of stupidil the ruling human sin.' But at least, she adds. can help keep the record straight: I was the one can say, and this is what I saw, and n do it again if you dare. So far, so good. For tainly Miss Gellhorn has seen a lot of v unpleasant things; and if any keen young 01 still wants to pluck bright honour from the p faced moon, he had better read her descrip of pilots who have had their faces burnt off yet lived to look in a mirror.
In some ways, then, Miss Gellhorn sustains note of protest. But—and here is the trouble' I cannot get rid of an unworthy feeling that really had a very entertaining time of it Perhaps it is the ease—surely too easy for circumstances—with which she seems to wri Perhaps it is certain tricks of style, the poetic dead-pan observations strung together by 34 and, and. Or 'perhaps it is a discernible relt. for dramatic situations. . . But whatever it,' this much is sure: there is something in the 0, in which Miss Gellhorn slanted her repo; which increasingly tempts one to think. desP oneself, that so much excitement and inte cannot have been too dearly bought even at I price of the concomitant horrors. Miss Gellbc knows better than anyone that this is a fe impression and a wicked one, and quite clew it is not the impression she intended to give. fact remains that to me at least she has given Martha Gellhorn's Face of War is scar and tearful, but it is still a great deal attractive.
SIMON RP
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