29 JANUARY 1943, Page 22

THERE can now be no complaint about the quantity of

the supply of text-books on American history which has met the recent demand. Here is a new, reasonably good, but not distinguished addition to the list. Mr. Ecclestone writes clearly ; he has marked social sym- pathies ; he refuses, as is right, to discuss questions at issue in the few pages at his disposal. Not every reader will feel that Mr. Ecclestone is quite at home in all parts of his subject, or that he realises how controversial are some of the questions that are here reduced to a neat simplicity which historical situations seldom have in truth. But that is a fault of all short text-books, save the very rare specimens that are the distillation of really deep learning and prolonged reflection.