The Way of War. By Hew Scott. (John Long. 6s.)—This
is a story of a German invasion of this country, which is supposed to take place while the present Government is in power, whatever may be signified by this note of time. The narrative has as much verisimilitude about it as anything of the kind that we have ever read. It would be a pity in any way to spoil the interest of the tale—we have found it to be of the most absorbing kind—but we may say that the device by which one of the English fleets is put hors de combat is most ingeniously contrived. The one fault which we have to find with the book does not concern its literary merit. The fierce attack on the Administration now in power is, BO to speak, a strategic mistake. Even if it is just, it must tend to mar the effect which the book is intended to have. If you want to teach a lesson, it is the worst possible policy to arouse a suspicion that you have a party purpose. The novelist naturally starts free from any such suspicion, and he should never weaken the hold on his readers which this freedom gives him.
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