CHARLEMAGNE By G. Pr Baker
It is not easy to decide what kind of reader Professor Baker ' had in mind when he was writing this life of Charles the Great ' (Grayson, 18s.). The manner suggests that he is addressing interested schoolboys, but this suggestion is contradicted by the high price of the book. The publisher's blurb maintains that it is written for the man in the street with a liking for ' history ; but even so the price is not explained. When eighteen shillings is demanded for a monograph on a figure of antiquity by an accredited professor one has a right to expect a definite contribution to the subject in'question. This Professor Baker fails to supply. If his book.were sold at five shillings as a school " reader " there would be Comparatively ' little to cavil at It would be sought out by the enterprising schoolboy in search of material- for an essay on the subject ; and he would be abundantly rewarded. Doubtless the cor- recting master would demand the source of some of his pupil's facts ; but the triumphant reply would be " From Professor Baker, Sir." And the matter would be dropped. But where did Professor Baker himself get some of his facts ? It is one thing to write historical fiction, in which a certain amount of licence is permissible and the citation of original sources out of place.. It is another thing to disseminate alleged historical truth in which fishy statement appears after fishy statement without any attempt at documentation. Not that Professor Baker is deliberately misleading, or even ill- informed ; but he has a habit of stating fact, assumption and theory all, in the same tone of voice. His narrative, in conse- quence, produces irritation and confusion in the reader. The Professor himself seems to have anticipated this sort of criticism,' for in his introduction he replies to the reviewer of an earlier book who had questioned his familiarity with the " original authorities." While sympathizing with that un- named colleague in sin, I would not endorse his scepticism. All one requires of Professor Baker is some differentiation between fact and guess-work. There i9 a certain inevitable excitement to'be derived from this book; but this is due to the highly exciting course of Charles's life—not to any skill on the part of the author. The whole thing is flat, and the delineation of Charles'e psychology superficial in the extreme. The illustrations are unpardonable.
Previous page
