THE MIND ON THE WING,

By Herbert F.West '22. Coward McCann, 1947, pp. 308,$3-50.

Professor West's book, Modern Book Collecting for the Impecunious Amateur, the very best book for the beginner in book collecting, has, unfortunately, long been out of print. For this and other reasons all readers of the earlier volume will welcome this new book, The Mind On The Wing. This volume is written not alone for the collector but also for the reader. The first chapter, On Readingand Collecting, gives a few definitions necessary to the collector and other valuable advice. All the chapters, however, will appeal to the collector. Anyone reading the chapters on The Literature of Mountaineering, SomeGreat Books on Travel and Exploration and Nature Writers will, I am sure, be intrigued by the author's description of many a familiar as well as unfamiliar book and be encouraged to further his own readings along these subjects.

Some readers may not agree with the author's enthusiasm for Henry Miller, but all will agree that Miller is a most widely discussed writer, one whose name always appears in catalogs of first editions of modern writers. In other words his works are being collected. One of the most interesting chapters is MyRobert Frost Collection. Many a reader will envy the writer's fine Frost collection with volumes especially autographed by Mr. Frost for the writer.

As no up-to-date Mencken bibliography exists, the chapter Henry L. Mencken will be of inestimable value to all Mencken collectors. Here the author lists bibliographically the Mencken collection in Baker Library given by Richard Mandel '26, with later additions by Mr. Mencken.

In his earlier volume the author, who has built up a remarkable collection of books relating to the First World War, describes this collection. In this second volume he gives us an imposing number of titles, with brief descriptions, of worthwhile books dealing with the last war. The final chapter is called OneHundred Favorite Books. Lists such as this seem to be popular. Witness the lists of one hundred books issued by The Grolier Club, A. E. Newton, Professor West in his earlier book, and many others. No two writers can agree on a list of 100 books. Nevertheless, the reader and collector will welcome this new list, with brief reviews, by Mr. West. The reader will be impressed by the great number of books on all subjects read by him, and will be indebted to him for passing on to future generations criticisms of the most worthwhile books he has read. A most valuable feature of the book is the index of names and titles.