West Indian FOR all that A Short History of the
West Indies (Macmillan, 18s.) is a short and unpre- tentious book, it nevertheless represents an ambitious undertaking. The subject defies the limits of a single volume; the presentation is particularly difficult; the detailed research which should precede an account of this sort has in many instances yet to be made. The value.of a general history also depends upon the attitude of mind of the authors, and in this case the claim of J. H. Parry and P. M. Sherlock is that West Indian history must he studied for its own sake, not as an appendage to the histories of other countries. Such a claim does not revolutionise the history that they write. Nevertheless, the authors' intention of treating West Indian history as a major theme in its own right has provided them With the method necessary to produce a successful textbook. Like all textbooks, this requires revi- sion, both in its bibliographies and in its treat- ment of the more modern periods.
DOUGLAS JOHNSON
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