There is a good story in Crusader's Coast, by Mr.
Edward Thompson (Benn, 10s. 6d.), of a shepherd lad brought before the Military Governor of Jerusalem for throwing bombs. His defence was that he had found lots of these little round things, and once he threw one at his sheep with good results ; now, whenever his sheep were laggard, he encouraged them with a grenade. It is pleasant, too, to be reminded that in the Damascus bazaars in 1918, Kelmi Inglese "—" by the word of an Englishman "—was taken to represent final probity. “ If for this there was a superlative, a gilding of the refined gold of absolute honesty, it was ' Kelmi Blacki'- ` by the word of Black '—a Paisley banker of aforetime." Mr. Thompson's fifteen jewelled pages on Jerusalem probably show his craftsmanship at its best ; they are typical of his style, which is closely packed with allusions, yet flexible and sensitive. To those who enjoy the mere sight of carefully written English this book will be a delight ; but it should really be read out loud, and slowly. War experiences in the usual sense these essays are not, but in their own manner they are very good. Mr. Thompson knows and loves his Palestine and he writes with his heart as well as his head.
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