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DAVID L. COHN'S This is the Story (Hougton Mifflin, 1947) is a personal record of a journey made in 1944-45 to Great Britain, France, Belgium, Corsica, Italy, Egypt, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, India, Burma, and China. Because the author has a light touch, and a good reportorial eye, the book is both amusing and informative, and even more important, it is full of good sense. He finds, as I happen to, that the German mentality is incomprehensible. He writes: "Nor could the Major understand that Germans, in a twinkling and without suffering any mental distortion whatsoever, go from sadism to masochism; that they are cruel and ruthless when on top; fawning and obsequious when on the bottom. This is one of the elements of their character which has long enabled them to deceive us. It seemed impossible that these mild-looking people, orderly, cleanly, and perspiringly anxious to help the conquering enemy, could be capable of the crimes they committed." Not only capable, but quite possibly they will committhem again if we give them a chance, and it looks as if we might.

And of American Gl's he tells some curious stories: Once in Chester two Gl's saw a large sign on a buiIding CREMATORIUM. "Neither knew what it meant. 'What's that'? asked Jack. 'Dunno,' replied Bill. 'Well, go in and find out,' said Jack. Bill entered the building and shortly came out on his ears. 'What's the matter'? inquired Jack. 'Dunno,' said Bill. 'Those so-and-so limeys are nuts.' 'What did you do'? 'Nothing.' 'What did you say'? 'I just went in,' Bill replied, 'and said to a couple of fellows sitting there and paying no attention to me, 'Well, chums, what's cookin?' "

There are interesting character sketches of the great and near-great, as well as some inside stories that I had not seen before in print as for instance Harry Hopkins trip to Berlin in 1934 and his reaction to Hitler at that early date. This book of 563 pages is well worth your attention.

An early copy of Philip Wylie's AnEssay on Morals (Rinehart, 1947) came into my hands. Though Time said "most readers will find the Essay's philosophy half-baked" the author is to be commended for his honesty, and for drawing many inevitable conclusions from the past century's thought. His essay is based on the assumption that men are animals, with 110 spark of divinity or immortality, a view today shared by many anthropologists and readers of the current news. Here is a popular, though not always clear, explanation of the Jungian theory of human instinct. At times Wylie is nearly as rhapsodic as was Zarathustra, the mouthpiece for Nietzsche.

A good first novel by Gordon Merrick, The Strumpet Wind (Morrow, 1947), describes the reaction on an American intelligence officer in France to an injustice done to a collaborator who later helped the Allies. Roger Chandler, in doing his job, becomes involved with Jean Louis Mercantor, the spy, his wife Marthe, and their children; has a tragic love affair with Danielle Segher; tries to work with a homosexual superior officer, one George Meddling; and the result is what a sensitive observer would expect. The novel is written with clarity and understanding. Recommended.

I first heard of James A. Michener, the author of a top flight war book, Tales ofthe South Pacific (Macmillan, 1947) from one of my students, Henry W. Coulter '43, who met him in the South Pacific. One of the tales, The Cave, appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, as I recall it, but the rest were new to me and this book brings back the early days when the Japs were riding high and trenches had been built in New Zealand to withstand the invader. This is one of the best of the war books to date and will appeal to all who have been out in "the endless ocean" and, I should think, many others besides.

I am at the moment reading Samuel Eliot Morison's first volume (Volume II in the projected series) o£ the history of the United States Naval operations in World War 11. The title: Operations in NortAfrican Waters, October 1942—June 1943That we made plenty of mistakes the author makes clear, but that we learned a lot for the incredible invasion of Normandy later is also obvious. Though Secretary Forrestal says this "is in no sense an official history," I believe it will be as close to being one as we are apt to have. Captain Morison saw active duty on eleven different ships, and either he or one of three officers on his staff covered personally every major operation after 194 a. All but top secret records were open to him for his history. Experts have found in this first volume some faults which may be eradicated in future volumes; in any case, this is the best we can expect. It is unfortunate that these volumes cost $5 each. They ought to be within reach of a wider audience.