Napoleon : a Short Biography. By R. M. Johnston. (Macmillan
and Co. 6s.)—This is a quite admirable book. In its twe hundred and thirty-eight moderate-sized pages it gives a clear and comprehensive review of Napoleon's career, of his military achievements, and of his work as a legislator. Mr. Johnston has not been fascinated by the greatness of the man whom he describes and appreciates. On the other hand, he makes an ample recognition of his genius as a soldier and ruler. One way of accounting for Napoleon's extraordinary success has been to attribute it to the fact that Europe was not prepared to deal with a man who was absolutely without scruple or conscience. This Napoleon certainly was; but the phenomenon must have been at least conceivable, say by the Prussian statesmen who were willing to accept Hanover as a. bribe, and by the Czar when he took from the hands of this hostis humani generis sundry coveted provinces, ..--Finland, for instance. The campaigns, always a difficult ,subject to bring within the understanding of the average reader, are excellently described. Mr.. Johnston. realises the situations himself, and makes us realise them, in a quite un- common way. We may specially instance Marengo, Austerlitz, and the marvellous struggle which Napoleon made against over- whelming odds in the campaign that followed the defeat of Leipsic. Waterloo, often as it has been described, has never been more clearly portrayed. The chapter on the Code Napoleon
• deserves a special mention.
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