SOME BOOKS OF THE WEEK, [Under this heading we notice
such Books of the week 04 hay' not been reserved for review in other Airnm] The Annual Register, 1901. (Longmans and Co. 18s )—The heading of the second section of Part I. is now "Foreign and Colonial History." Why should not the Colonies come first, forming, indeed, chapters in "English History " ? We have no more faults to find: the volume seems to us very well arranged and well written. "History" occupies four hundred and sixty-two pages out of six hundred and fourteen (exclusive of the index, which seems adequately full). The general attitude, as far as concerns Home and Colonial affairs, is that of a neutrality benevo- lent lathe direction of the Unionist Government. The writer does not, however, hesitate to say that its conduct in regard to the Educa- tion Bill was "very injurious to its reputation." On the war and the Pro-Boer agitation a decisive tone is maintained. It is well that the notorious "methods of barbarism" speech made by the Liberal leader is put in permanent record. It will surely go down to posterity as one of the most unfortunate utterances—to use the mildest possible phrase—ever used by a statesman of rank_ The actual operations of the war are narrated in some detail on pp. 373-95. After South Africa come Egypt and the Soudan, to which it is certainly a relief to turn, for there we find genuine and unalloyed _success, as far, at least, as circumstances allow. There is no more pleasant reading in the volume than the story of the British administration of this country, now happier, it may safely be said, than it has ever been before, under Pharaoh, Ptolemy, Caesar, Caliph, or Sultan. The chapters on the Continental nations may be generally commended. It is well that no more should have been made of the deplorable outbreaks of Anglo- phobia. It may be noticed that the aid of expert help has been resorted to in the chapters which deal with Indian and Colonial subjects, and, we may add, in the sections that concern the United States. Mr. F. Harcourt Kitchin also gives a special chapter on "Finance and Trade." In Part II. we have, as before, the useful summaries which The Annual Register is accustomed to give; we may note the fulness of that which deals with Litera- ture. In time past we have felt that it was inadequate, even partial. Necessarily the descriptive rather than the critical atti- tude is assumed ; pp. 37-01 (by Mr. Lionel Robinson) will be found to supply an adequate statement of a great multitude of facts.
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