New Books

“The Most Powerful Man In

THE WORLD: The Life of Sir Henri

Deterding”, by Glyn Roberts. Our copy

from Angus & Robertson, Ltd., Sydney.

15/-.

To-day, we read constantly about the poli tical dictators—ad infinitum, ad nauseum. But who knows anything about the commercial and financial dictators who, in this era of inter national money power, are just as dangerous as any Hitler or Stalin? How many people actually know who Deterding is? He is the head of the colossal Shell organisation, un disputed king of the oil world. He was born in Holland 72 years ago; started life humbly, as a clerk: worked in the Dutch East Indies; eventually got control of a little oil concern.

Royal Dutch, merged it with the English Shell Co., and fought the mighty Rockefeller to a standstill. Now, he is so powerful that he dictates to the nations. He is a great admirer of Mussolini and Franco, and he loathes Com munism and hates Russia. So, to-day, his in calculable influence is on the side of the Fascist powers. Although still a Dutchman, he lives in England and has been knighted by Britain, to whom he has rendered great services. The story of his life is an amazing document. Glyn Roberts is not a friendly bio grapher—in fact, he brings out the weak nesses and foibles of the powerful, rich man rather ruthlessly. Still, we see Deterding as one of the great figures of the 20th century.

“PROMENADE”, a new novel by G. B.

Lancaster. Onr copy from Angus & Robertson, Ltd. 8/6. \ Here at last is a first-class novel that gives a clear picture of New Zealand as it really is.

The story begins on the beach at Kororareka in 1839, with the disembarkation of an Eng lish family, and it follows on. through the generations—“promenade”—to the present day.

The characters, limned with G.B.L.’s inimit able skill, are very human and very lovable, and the author also brings out, most vividly, and with scrupulous care for historical fact, the dramatic, colourful story of early colon isation in New Zealand. In our view, the most valuable work in the book is the pre sentation of the Maori race—brave, clever, chivalrous, temperamental—correctly shown here as one of the best, if not actually the best, section of the Polynesians.

“PACIFIC SCENE”, an attempt to gather into one document the many fac tors in the international situation in the

Pacific: by Harry Greenwall. Our copy

from Robertson & Mullens, Ltd., Mel

bourne. 8/6.

This is a mass of data, evidently hurriedly assembled, bearing upon the Sino-Japanese con flict, and the southwards thrust of Japan. For tunately, it is well indexed, and the student of the threatening Pacific situation is given access to cognatp facts of much value. One receives last-minute information about condi tions in .Japan. Philippines. Hong Kong.

Cochin China, Siam, East Indies. Malaya.

Hawaii, Guam, and the United States—enough to show that the difficulty of correctly reading the present situation is equalled by one’s in ability to make an intelligent forecast of the future. Pacific Scene” shows a thunderstorm overhead, and very black and menacing clouds on the horizon.

“The Human Situation”, By W.

Macneile Dixon. Our copy from Angus & Robertson. Ltd. 12/6.

This is a book which fittingly may go upon your bookshelf beside Wells’s “Outline of His tory”. and Buckle’s “History of Civilisation”.

Says the New York “Times”: “Here, within a volume of 443 pages, the essence of all philoso phies, of all sciences, of all literatures, of all that man has dreamed and hoped and known, is weighed and measured and evaluated. . .

A style that the average man can read with understanding and pleasure. . . I consider it as perhaps the most important book of its kind which the twentieth century yet has pro duced”.

“Think And Grow Rich: The Thir

teen Steps to Riches”, by Napoleon Hill.

Our copy from Angus & Robertson, Ltd. 7/6.

Not long ago, an American publisher brought out “How to Win Friends and Influence Peo ple”, and sold one million copies in a few months. This new book is the same kind of pseudo-scientific rubbish. These things are not taught by text-books. There are no short-cuts to riches, any more than there are to friend ship. The qualities which produce riches and friendship are inherent in character; and char acter is the result, partly of hereditary traits, and partly of adaptability and hard effort over the years. “Think and Grow Rich”, however, is interesting, insofar as it purports to describe the methods of a dozen Americans who have become extremely rich—and, correspondingly, a menace to social peace and good government.

“Vikings Op The Sunrise”—

Augus & Robertson, Ltd., are importing a considerable consignment of the new book “Vikings of the* Sunrise” by Dr.

Peter H. Buck (a new and interesting

study of the Polynesian migrations). It

should be available for purchase in Sydney

in October.