Few people now, perhaps, read James Grant's excellent novel The
Romance of War, but those who do or have will recall how real and lifelike a picture it draws of the Peninsular War and ultimitely of Waterloo. Captain John Kincaid's Adventures in the Rifle Brigade (Davies, 7s. 6d.), in which Sir John Fortescue adds another splendid link to his editorial chain of Soldiers' Tales, covers the same period as the novel and does just the same thing in much the same way. Hardly a page but contains some vivid touch—of the French garrison in Badajos imploring pity (though unsuccessfully) as " pauvres Italianos " ; of the scenes of horror left behind by the retiring French after Massena's retreat from Portugal ; of " old Piston dressed in a blue coat and -round hat " swearing as lustily " as if he had been wearing two cocked ones " ; while over all looms the inspiring presence of Lord Wellington, whose " long nose we would rather see in the fight than a reinforce- ment of ten thousand men." In addition to lively pictures of minor details of campaigning, the book contains (infer alia) admirable descriptions of the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and of the closing scenes of Vittoria. And so we come to Waterloo which was, for the writer, " an uncomfortable heap of glory and was won, too, by " take us all in all, a very had
army." * * * *
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