Sir J. A. R. Marriott shows all his practised skill
in A History of Europe from 1815 to 1923 (Methuen, 18s.)—the last volume of an eight-volume history of Europe by various authorities, of which only this section and Professor Grant's section on the sixteenth century have yet appeared. The new book is well planned, attractively written, and adequately supplied with good outline maps and select bibliographies. The author's wide experience is evident in his judicimis handling of the many large questions that occupied the cen- tury ; he gives plenty of details; but never loses sight of the main issues. As an example of his good sense, we may note that he quotes in full the historic Ems telegram which Bis- marck received from King William in July, 1870, and also the notorious summary of it which Bismarck at once concocted for the Press, with the deliberate intention of provoking the French. This page of quotation shows up the real Bismarck in a crisis as no amount of paraphrase or comment could do. At the close the author justly emphasizes the vital importance of the League of Nations. What, he asks the critics, is the alternative if Geneva is allowed to fail ? There is matter for thought, too, in his reminder that the much abused Castlereagh and his colleagues in 1815, while they curbed the nationalist movement, made a settlement which kept Europe at peace for many years. It has yet to be seen whether the settlement of 1919 will endure as long.
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