The Sport of Kings. By William Scarth Dixon. (Grant Richards.
Cs.)—A great deal of this book is outside the region of our criticism. Mr. Dixon is an acknowledged authority on his subject, and we are content to accept what he says. Sometimes he touches on subjects of general interest. There is a chapter on "Nerve," for instance, which is very curious. Men lose their nerve suddenly ; they sometimes lose it for hunting and keep it for steeplechasing ; and they sometimes go on hunting—not in the "skirting brigade "—after losing it. This is real courage. Hunting is doubtless one of the things that go to create British "pluck." There are various social and economical ques- tions connected with hunting on which something may be learnt from Mr. Dixon.—The Great Game. By Edward Spencer. (Same publisher. 5s.)—By this title "horse racing" is meant. The propriety of the term might be questioned. It is scarcely a " game," and certainly not " great " in any favourable sense of that epithet. We might say much on the subject, but perhaps it will be better to say nothing. Something certainly may be learnt from this book. One lesson is, "beware of tipsters."
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