The Quest Forlorn. By C. H. Hartmann. (Heinemann. 18s.) IN
this vivid and balanced account of the Jacobite rising of 1745, Mr. Hartmann has allowed himself a holiday from serious research. His book is based entirely on pub- lished material, and, although his conclusions are in some respects uncritical, the result is extremely readable and exciting. The author is clear that the rising was foredoomed to failure, and that even if the Young Pretender had advanced from Derby to London, or had won instead of lost the Battle of Culloden, the outcome would have been the same. England was apathetic or hostile, and only a crushing defeat of the British fleet, which was impossible, or a politically-inspired naval mutiny, could have given victory to the Jacobite cause. Mr. Hartmann is well aware of the import- ance of French sources. The only signifi- cant authority he has failed to consult is Sir James Fergusson's account of Argyll in the Forty-Five which must have appeared too late last year for his purpose. It might have saved Mr. Hartmann from neglecting some- what unduly the course of events in the West Highlands, and it would almost cer- tainly have caused him to say more about the part played by Major-General John Campbell. Subject to this, and to a few points of detail, this book is a distinguished essay in the art of historical popularisation. The notes are admirable and unobtrusive, and the bibliography is of real value. P. M.
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