This Month's New Reading

Silver Spoons and

Rolls Royces

LIVES of great men all remind us that the majority of them can be exceedingly boring and pompous when they write about themselves.

Lord Brabazon is not an excep tion; the title of his autobiography, The Brabazon Story, sets the pace for the egotistical narrative which follows. It is possible that Lord Brabazon is not an egotistical man at all, but all life-stories in which the writer calls Prime Ministers, Princes of the Blood Royal, and world-famous business tycoons by their first names must suffer from this disability. It is doubtful if such reminiscences serve any purpose, de signed as they appear to be, for the vicarious snobbishness of the Sunday-newspaper variety of reader.

This story has no particular message; there is nothing of the log-cabin to White House about it.

It recounts the passage from Harrow to the House of Lords via car-racing, win t e r-sports at St.

Moritz, flying, golfing and yachting (at all of which the writer ex celled) .

No doubt Lord Brabazon is well enough known in the United King dom; but most Antipodeans will associate the name only with an other post-war British plane that somehow did not quite jell. However, there is more to milord than that.

After the First World War, he de cided to “go into politics” and, fortunately knowing the right people, the matter was suitably arranged. In the Second World War, Brabazon was, first, Minister of Transport and later Minister for Aircraft Production. His House of Commons career came to a close when he was misguided enough to say in an after-dinner speech something that was construed as meaning that it was a fine thing that the Russians and Germans were fighting it out —and that when they had annihilated each other, we would be undisputed victors in Europe. It was a sentiment to which many of us subscribed, but at the time it was regarded as a Min isterial gaffe; 'a cabinet-reshuffle followed and Brabazon was given a Barony and promoted out of sight.

Apart from its cliches (“I say this without fear of contradiction”), and its jottings on the doings of those in the social register, the book has some high-lights—such as Churchill meeting his war Ministers and departmental heads after his afternoon nap, and in the vilest of tempers, sinking his teeth into all

and sundry like a “bullying school master.”

But in this reviewer’s estimation, the well-bred Englishman should not undertake a literary task of this sort. His inner belief that all upper class Englishmen are half-brothers of the Almighty, linked with some misplaced, insincere Public School notion that a little deprecation is called for, results in a self conscious and superficial ex ercise in reducing contemporary history and historical figures to — as the American advertisements have it—convenient, bite-sized pieces. It is probable that Brabazon’s achieve ments have been considerable —but his adherence to traditional under statement, coupled with a plentiful use of names from high places, is likely to give the reader the idea that his career has been a pre ordained push-over.

However, if you like reading about your betters, this is it. It will cost you 31/- in Australian currency. (Published by William Heinemann, Ltd.)

Wheel Chairs

and Public Service

COVERING the same period—if in a socially minor key and for almost half the price—is the personal story of Sir Brunei Cohen —Count Your Blessings.

The reduction in price can per haps be attributed to the lack of photographs, rather than to the fact that at the end of a career of public service Sir Brunei was given a knighthood, while our other friend was elevated to the peerage.

The Cohen family was “in Trade,” in Liverpool, Manchester and Birm ingham, but, oddly enough, both Brunei’s parents were Australians, their parents having emigrated to Australia in the 1830’s and both fathers having become members of the New South Wales Parliament.

Brunei’s father had been sent to England when he was 13, travelling overland by Suez before the canal was cut; and his mother arrived when she was 20, having been sent “home” to recover from an unsuit able love affair.

The family business was a prosperous one and provided the necessary advantages—good schools and foreign travel before the young men of the family entered the retail establishments, and the young women made suitable marriages.

And later, when Brunei had become a double-amputee, it continued to provide generously, thus allowing

him to live a full and useful ] in another sphere.

It was the third battle of Yp: in July, 1917, that set Brunei Col apart from other men. In it received serious wounds that nec sitated the amuptation of b legs. This tragedy was not regan as the end of life by the vie but opened for him avenues of c siderable public service for similarly afflicted.

From 1918 to 1931 he was Member of Parliament and ' there regarded as the champion ex-servicemen, particularly d abled ex-servicemen. He was founding member of the Bri Legion and an executive membei that organisation for 25 years, has been on the executive of aln every committee and organisai set up to deal with problems of disabled, civilian and service; member of numerous hosp boards; and Chairman of Remp the organisation which is dev< to finding work for the disable The two stories, that of I Brabazon and that of Kn Cohen, follow parallel courses, are very different: Count I Blessings is a much more mo story than the Brabazon Story. the average Englishman, who cherishes a profound respect for graduations of aristocracy, nor ated or hereditary, will prob mutter: “And so it should be.”

A simple tale of an era, now, i departed, as well as an accoun the triumph of the spirit affliction. (Published by Wm. Heinemann, Ltd. tralian price, 18/9.)

Thrillers—Mysterious

and Otherwise

FOR the reader of Thrillers t are four offerings this m with locales in Australia, I and the UK. Just take your cb A book a year is regarded fair average for the best-£ writer, but Arthur Upfield is t ing out a Napoleon Bonaparte tective story every few months Upfield’s plots usually bordei the slight, his strength bein his extraordinary ability to rec: the atmosphere of the Austr scene. The plot of Man of Tribes is even slighter than i and could be called far-fetched the description of Bony’s life ii guise of a dingo-trapper in thousands of square miles of inhabited Nullarbor Plain in £ Australia makes up for it.

Bony sets out to look for ; Thomas, who has disappeared the Trans-Continental expres nothing but a nightdress, leavi: clue to her fate. He is fi thrown into a cave with

murderers, a murderess and 01 body, and how he manages to ej tricate himself and how Mr. Upfle' manages to get some logic into a otherwise screwey situation are bol works of some ingenuity. (Published by Heinemann. Australian pri 13/6.) * * * Dewey Death (by Charity Blab stock) takes its title from the fa that most of the action, and tl murders, take place in a semi-Go ernmental reference library th uses the Dewey decimal classific tion of indexing. This is not much a mystery as a suspen novel; not so much a question guess who did it, as who is ne to be done; and why. Suspense admirably sustained and characte isation excellent —the latter, so f as we are concerned, being a fii requirement of an A-grade Wh dunnit. This one passes. (Published by Heinemann. Australian pr 16/6.) * * * Inspector Spearpoint, of Suva, b joined the mighty company of supe sleuths, headed by Henri Poir Inspector Alleyn, Perry Mason a a dozen others, whose exploits crime detection are followed countless millions of Whodui readers.

Spearpoint is the creation Frank Arthur, who was a you clerk in Fiji a long time ago. Lat he travelled widely; and then i turned to Suva with his wife a lived there for many years. He n is a public servant in London.

His first book, in which the inc fatigable Spearpoint was introduc was The Suva Harbour Mystery; a it had a big sale in its Pengi edition. Now we have Anot) Mystery In Suva, published William Heinemann.

The whole action takes place Suva; and Suva’s well kno streets, hotels, stores and insti tions (accurately described) are t in with the strange murder of merchant. Inspector Spearpoi assisted by a couple of bright a tenacious Indian police sergeai assembles his clues skilfully, ho the reader’s breathless attent while he arranges a trap, and brii the murderer to bay in a liv shooting match among banana tr at the foot of a cliff.

A satisfying 15/6 worth. We h( to hear more of Frank Arthur a his busy Fiji detective. * * * Set in West Cornwall, with beginning in a London pub, T of the Devil, by Frank Baker, 216 pages of confusion worse c( founded.

Written in the first person, a person who presumably is so sort of blown-away Roman Catho

f concerns Black Magic, Devil Worship, and associated jiggery okery quite outside the orbit of the crmal individual. There are also ;couple of mysterious deaths, which re never explained.

We presume that this story is jpposed to be a thriller of some ind but there is so much high own conversation in it, so much re-occupation with the Triumph f Good over Evil, one seriously onders if the message is supposed ) be evangelical, although the arrator does not seem to be sure hich path he will take.

We presume, also, that it is sup osed to be something of a spine liller. So far as we are concerned lere was not even a good healthy ludder in it.

If we Anglo-Saxons are judged y the books we write about cur sives, it is little wonder that we re regarded so badly by other ices. A good book, like a good lovie, is such a rarity these days lat one wonders seriously if the hole literary tribe has not become vritten out.” (Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd. price, 16/-.)

Reviewed Briefly . . .

The Snakes Of Australia,

by J. R. Kinghorn, of the Aus tralian Museum, Sydney. This is a reprint of an earlier edition (1929), but it has been modernised and a great many new illustrations, in full colour, have been added. The book lists every snake known in Australia; there are photographs of most of them; and there is, in

addition, other information relative to snakes—for example, what to do if one bites you. (Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd, Australian price, 25/-.)

Australia The Great

SOUTH LAND, a picture-book by Jaroslav Novak-Niemela, who is a Czech-New Australian. The book tells, mostly in pictures, what it is like to live in the Commonwealth

-day. It would be of particular iterest to overseas readers or in nding migrants as it is presented r a migrant who highlights aspects the Australian way of life that ive grown commonplace to old astralians. (Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd. istralian price, 15/-.)

Birds Of New Guinea, By

am Iredale, should soon be avail jle from Georgian House Pty Ltd., 6 Beaconsfield Parade, Middle ark, Victoria. A prospectus de ribing the event was received in ecember. The work —it could arcely be called anything else—is i two volumes, uniform with Birds f Paradise and Bower Birds, issued f the same author in 1949. The »st of Birds of New Guinea will j £AI6/16/- before publication; t guineas after. “Before” applica ons will be received up until Jan iry 31.

It is a limited edition of 1,500 id if the specimen colour-plate any indication, it is a mag- Ificent production. There are 35 ich plates, showing 347 birds in ill colour. They are from draw igs by Iredale’s wife, who died tiring the preparation of the two )lumes.

All Rarotonga primary schools ere closed for a period in fovember due to an outbreak of leasles.

Aiding Red

Cross

Generous public dona tions and a strenuous drive by Red Cross members to raise funds enabled them to pur chase this car for use by their organisation in W. Samoa. It was im ported duty free and supplied at cost by 0.

F. Nelson and Co. Mrs.

A. Maiava, wife of the Samoan chief-inspector of schools, pictured be side the car, is a voluntary full time worker for the Red Cross and visits all schools throughout Samoa lecturing children on first aid and hygiene. The car will provide an invaluable service by bringing in patients from outlying villages to Apia Hospital.

Photo: R. F. Ran[?]