A Local History of Poona and ita Battlefields. By Colonel
L. W. Shakespear. (Macmillan and Co. 5s. not.)—There is nothing like a knowledge of local history for endearing a place even to temporary residents. Therefore a volume such as this ought to be welcomed by the many Englishmen who pass some time of their lives at Poona, and one may hope that English-speaking Indians will also read it and realize how British and Indian lifo have become inextricably bound together through the last century and a half. Colonel Shakespcar runs rapidly through the scanty history before the days when Clive combined with the native rulers to put down piracy, and then he proceeds to describe tho frequent warfare that raged in the district, and only diminished as British control became stronger. The thread of history is thin, and the chronological order is not strictly kept, for the author's scheme is to take us for imaginary rides in the environs of the town, and, coming to a battlefield, to give a careful account of the fighting. He reproduces the extremely interesting plans of the battles from Blacker's Mahratta Wars. There are also many photographs of the numerous temples, 'tea, and other views.
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