Ones Bitten, Twice Shy. By Fred Whishaw. (T. Nelson and
Sons. 2s. 6d.)—Mr. Whishaw knows his Russia, so that the background of his story, though it is but slight, is effective. The date of Garth Ingram's adventures takes us back to the days cf Peter the Great, and the best thing in the book is the portrait of the Tsar himself. The other characters do not interest us much. Garth is a strong, honest, direct young fellow, and brave as a lion, but not out of the common ; but the young Tsar is sketched with a few vigorous lines, every one of which tells. A book of this type does not usually achieve so excellent a result without much obvious effort There is no straining after effect, however, and the success of Mr. Whishaw's Peter the Great cannot be denied. The inconsistencies, the extraordinary con- tradictions of the man make a most fascinating study. It is just the character to interest a boy. Moreover, he points so useful a moral that for this reason alone we can recommend the book. As it is, the portrait-sketch of Peter the Great is enough to give it a considerable value to boys and girls of an historical turn of mind.
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