16 SEPTEMBER 1922, Page 24

The English Village. By Harold Peake. (Berm Brothers. 15s. net.)—Mr.

Peake discusses the origin of the village community and traces its rise and fall in England, taking his examples mainly from the neighbourhood of Newbury. He is too ready to attribute particular characteristics to a " Nordic " strain in the race ; " Nordic " is a vaguer term even than " Aryan." His speculations as to the formation of English villages in the Bronze Age are interesting. For the historical period he follows the usual authorities. He is needlessly concerned about the decay of the village and propounds a scheme for amalgamating villages, with a minimum population of a thousand, and for laying out " ideal villages " on mathematical lines instead of building one or two new cottages here and there.