The Month's New Reading

With Judy Tudor

If the Pacific Islands ever had any pretensions of being amongst the secret places of the earth, the over-ripe pod has by now burst wide open. No month passes without some book on some aspect of the Pacific Islands making its bid for public favour books that range all the way from treatises by hit-and-run experts who knew all the text-book answers before they went there; to more mature reflections of officials and residents who let a lot of water run under the bridge before facing up to typewriter and paper.

r[IS month’s Pacific offering comes into the aged-in-the wood category, the author, Wilfred Fowler, having, according to our calculations, let something like 30 years and many other ex periences go by between living in the Solomons and the birth of his This Island’s Mine.

Since his BSIP appointment, Author Fowler has followed the well-worn Colonial Office path and has had several tours of duty in Africa, the last in Nigeria. Our guess is that he has now retired and has taken up writing as an occupation, and so far as this goes, long years of producing official reports have not impaired his hand’s cunning; His first literary effort is of more than fair average quality.

The island that was given to him to administer was Santa Ysabei and the whole manner of his going to the Solomons—or of joining the Colonial Service —appears, as he tells it, to have been casual in the extreme. He had wanted to go to West Africa but appointments were not made there until August. On a London December day, when he was offered the Solomons as an alternative, it seemed a good thing to take it.

One presumes that the (then) young Mr. Fowler had the right background: he had, at all events, all the right reactions when he in due course reached Tulagi and, also in due course, was shuffled off to Ysabei where 24 hours after he arrived he became responsible for peace, order, good government, health, tax collections—in short, the sole representative of the British Raj—for a mountainous island, 125 miles long and 15 miles wide.

Here, for three years, until boils, vitamin deficiency and a suspected chest affliction, drove him back to the healthy British Isles, adven tures continued to come to him, even in his isolation. There was (of course), the woman from Sydney looking for her elusive husband: the stiff senior officer, chosen to relieve Fowler, who was cut down to size; the recurring

meetings with Bandy Coot, engineer-navigator of the Hygeia ; and by no means least the missionary whose zeal was over shadowed by his complete un suitability for the life and whose frustrations, dreams of wish-fulfil ment (or something), drove him to confession of a sin he had not committed—that of enticing a native woman into his bed.

Around and over these and other problems of Europeans who have been too long in the bush and of primitive natives suddenly on the fringe of civilisation, all delicate as egg-shell, Fowler picked his way like a veteran—in a way that is close to incredible for any one coming face to face, for the first time, with black Melanesia.

The background of the book is authentic; the incidents could be authentic; but it is hard to believe that the author did not telescope experience and in writing now of 30 years ago, has brought a maturity of outlook to the young Fowler which he did not then, in fact, possess. (THIS ISLAND’S MINE. Published by Constable. Australian price approx., 27/-.)

Case History

Of An Apostle

THE fact that Taylor Caleb religious novel, Dear Glorious Physician kep< place near the top of the Ame best-seller list for so long ca attributed either to the exceE of this writer’s craftmanshfi to a special kind of sentimerr indulged in by Americans.

Miss Caldwell has based! novel on the life of St. L. before he became St. Luke„ was merely Lucanus, born C adopted by a Roman governs Antioch, and sent to Egypj become the greatest physicias his time.

There was, of course, suflf about Luke to warrant any we interest: He was the only or the Apostles not a Jew, he* not converted to Christianity a year after the Crucifixion never saw Jesus, and the Q which he subsequently wroteE therefore a good job of repo: rather than an eye-witness* count.

The latter part of his life: devoted to a Palestine pilgrii to interview anyone who known Jesus.

The Caldwell novel, howeve largely the story of Luke’s life, algainst the colourful If ground of the Mediterranean!

Middle East at the dawn ofl Christian era. And Apostle: appears, are born not madJ Lucanus (or Luke), was poss: of a divine discontent, a semj destiny from the outset. I compassionate yet he rems. aloof; no cosy, human being and probably, like all em saints, difficult to live with, these times he would have called a poor mixed-up kid.

As well as being a great phys-s —and if writer Caldwell is tt believed, we have, regretft learned little more about ca* high blood pressure, leukaemia* other serious scourges in the i odd years since Lucanus prao —he was also occasionally ahe produce a miracle.

It is, no doubt, a handy acc plishment for any doctor to; able to cure advanced leprosy touch, bubonic plague with a and cancer of the stomach wr wish. Nonetheless, in this < viewer’s opinion, the worth off Taylor novel would not have impaired in the least if L*. miracles had been left right od Presumably there is some aco somewhere in the 1,000 books Taylor says she had read onr subject of Luke, that attrilfi miracles to this man cording to her account of it happened without any effort will on his part, and he perhaps the most astounded ness.

. these days when even the [ble of the loaves and fishes has t rationalised, the writer might * made a greater effort in St. »’s miracle department instead leaving it to superstitious iility—or Calvinistic scepticism. >art from this, and the writer’s ency to attribute to the first s of Anno Domini, a 20th ury approach and knowledge [rings false, this is a richly ten story about one of the most jrtant periods of the world’s >ry. r this reason it will be a pity ie novel is read simply for its ious significance. [AR and glorious physician. ihed by Collins. Australian price,

dren's Week Turns

» Children's Month

[RING the month Children’s Book Week—an annual event that inspires writers of Iren's books to put both feet aid —brought forth the usual esentative collection. Each of five that are reviewed here are Cent of their kind, and have ione drawback: They cost too h for the ordinary domestic :et. No suburban family, paying ;he TV set, is likely to buy too y children’s books at 17/-. unately, most libraries are pped with a wide selection with this and an occasional iday present the younger oration is getting as many good [S as his parents ever did.

Kles From Arnhem Land,

Ann E. Wells. This is an silent Australian production able for children of any land, ould be an appropriate gift book end overseas to a small friend relative. The tales are built ind the legends of these litive North Australian folk, the author cleverly uses the iren of today—children who w the mission school, and some he mysteries of the white man i reveal how the aborigines first overed fire, how the first canoe made and how the dingo came ive amongst these people. It is ombination of modern, ancient magic that should appeal to ngsters. The book is well ustrated with traditional riginal designs and modern line wings. (Suitable for six to 10 f olds).

Ilblished by Angus and Robertson, ralian price, 16/-.)

Aptain Anson And The

EASURE OF SPAIN, by Captain nk Knight. This author also tes books about the sea for ilts (one is reviewed in this , but has a long list of

children’s books to his credit. This particular one is probably more suited for school reading than for home amusement, although it tells an exciting and true story of one man’s contribution to the British attempt to take isea-power from Spain in the early 18th century.

Captain Anson afterward Admiral Lord Anson —is not as well known as some of England’s early sailors, but he left his mark on the Royal Navy and won great fortunes for his country. In 1740 Anson set out with four small ships, including the Centurion, his flag ship, with a thousand-odd men, his orders being to round Cape Horn into the Pacific and there “annoy and distress” the Spaniards. He did all of these

things and a little less than four years later the Centurion alone re turned to England, with only 150 of the men, but in her hold was treasure worth £500,000 then and probably ten times as much today.

This is a story of adventure and fortitude in the days when the Pacific was unknown, modern navigation was not thought of, disease and peril awaited the adventurer on every hand. Captain Anson operated north of the equator—around the Philippines, Guam and Tinian, and he returned home the long way via China, the Indies and the Cape of Good Hope. (Suitable for 12 years and up). (Published by MacMillan and Co., Ltd.

Australian price, 18/9.) (Over)

Lngerous Holiday, By

a Lear. This is an adventure - set in a little written-about, nost romantic part of Australia • small islands off the North- West Australia coast which for iries have figured in the stories lilors. e Houtman Abrolhos Islands [ discovered by a Dutchman the East Indies in 1619, and f are the stories of shipwreck a treasure and adventure that Surrounded these small specks ie Indian Ocean, is. however, is a modern story Bldren who go to spend their ays at the guest house on one ie small islands of the group, lake part in some mysterious [ exciting adventures before b starts again. (Suitable for sar olds and early teens).

E New Surf Club, By

e Meillon. Family problems as as those of running a surf lare the theme of this book ti is based mainly on that very ralian institution, the voluntary Life Saving Club. (For teen i). taished by Angus and Robertson, Ilian price, 17/6.)

E Isle Of Dogs, By Rose

r Anne Sisson. This delightful f is likely to “get in” more i the youngsters for whom it

Resigned.

arles and Susan are returning tngland by air after visiting [parents in Singapore. Their 5 crashes in the sea and due small mishap their rubber raft whirled away with only the bhildren in it. After two days are washed up on a tropical d—but it is an island with a rence. It is inhabited by over dogs, all from England, who fed up with their masters and resses, with being put in dog B, dragged along on leashes kept in small flats. They ed out on a most unusual raft, formed a colony of their own, I “complete freedom” as the pword. e story is part-Swiss Family nson, part-fantasy, and wholly htful. Susan and Charles are led in the end, and so are lof the dogs. The moral in story is that complete freedom st for the very, very few. (For » 10 year olds).

Wished by MacMillan and Co., Ltd.

Mian price. 15/6.)

tl of Long

|ht Days

•THOUGH the authors, Norman B. Tindale and H, A. Lindsay have previously collaborated in lucing a children’s book, we’ll them the benefit of the doubt Rangatira and class it as ible for readers of any age. us is a romanticised version of

a canoe voyage from one of the islands of Polynesia to New Zealand about the year 1300 AD—25O years after the first Polynesians, under the leadership of Kupe, had discovered Aotearoa, by sailing from Tahiti-Nui “in the month before the coming of the wet season, laying a course that kept the setting sun and the evening star just to the right of the canoe’s bow”.

Kupe returned to Tahiti-Nui and described the three islands of the vast new land that he had discovered, and in the generations that followed many sailed along the trail that he had blazed.

Amongst those who had been and returned was Rehua and it was under his guidance that the

islanders fashioned the giant canoe out of the redwood tree they had found floating in the sea, and with 30 of their best people—the Rangatira, the high-born—set out for the new land to the south.

The story tells of their voyage in the canoe and the problems of finding a home for themselves in the land that is now called New Zealand. It is told mostly through Maui and Kuru, two youngsters who went with the canoe party, and when they grew up and married, founded the new tribe, but as befitting a book written by two anthropologists, the background of history—such as we have learned and pieced together of pre- European Polynesian history—is faithfully drawn. (Over)

»n more Interesting than the 'of Maui and Kuru, for adult *rs anyway, are the various »s” at the back of the book, i amongst other things ibe why the authors think iroa means “Long Bright ¥ instead of the more usual bretation of “Long White I”; something of the ancient lesian navigation methods; the trips of the New Zealand Asians to Lord Howe, Norfolk fl and even to Eastern Aus- I and why it was possible in AD for bananas to have been J in North Auckland. [far as this last is concerned, ht-day New Zealanders who fno end of trouble getting lent supplies of the right sort hanas, no doubt wish that the fclimatic phase through which porld was passing in 1200 AD lasted another 1,000 years or (JGATIRA. Published by Rigby., of Adelaide, SA. Australian price,

id the World

i Uncle Guy

S Award of the Green Coconut or the most extraordinary dece of Pacific writing in a time, goes to Mr. Guy Batham tiis fricassee of words called ing Around the South Seas — this is in spite of the fact that tys in the introduction that he [“writer of fact rather than n”. y was an Australian who in’t stay put, so his mother nted him with a Bible, a mary and a notebook, with i words; “Son, you’ll find these i books your greatest guide in The Bible to teach you how live like a Christian, the mary to correct your speech, the notebook, with pencil tided, to record the many ;s that you will find and see le world”. Presumably it’s be ; of mum’s “notebook with II appended” that we have the |nt volume. t thus equipped to conquer ons, Guy sets out and ends up i time later in San Francisco ! 1920’s early 30’s is the guess), e he joined forces with her Australian to sail the 34 ft drift home across the Pacific, iree-quarters of the book is n up with this voyage and Mr. lam’s pertinent remarks there- Finally he reaches Brisbane n where a flip of the coin fled him to go to Thursday id. He sails as a passenger on issel called Matara which runs een Brisbane and Port Moresby Cairns. A cyclone is en tered, which damages the ler, and had it not been for Batham taking the oxy-torch

out of the hands of the Chief Engineer and showing him what to do with it (no vulgarity, please!), no doubt the ship would have been there yet, describing aimless circles somewhere inside the Barrier Reef.

There may have been a ship called Matara, that plied that route, although the only one we know that would fill the bill was the old Burns Philp Mataram. A lot of nasty things have been said about the Big Firm and its ships, from time to time, but no one has ever suggested that their Chief Engineers didn’t know their busi ness.

From Cairns, Guy proceeds to TI, and after the prescribed adven tures wherein our hero displays his superiority over Japanese and Malay divers, we come to Bob and the business of the Shalimar. The Shalimar , according to Guy, was wrecked on an uncharted rock in 1892, sank in a few minutes with loss of all on board, and sub sequently the Shalimar Memorial Church was erected at Thursday Is.

Now, if the reader sees any re lationship between Shalimar and the Quetta, which was wrecked in

thoss parts, at that time, and was the inspiration behind the beautiful Quetta Memorial Church at TI, he shouldn’t be hasty, because from here on in, the stories of Quetta and Shalimar diverge considerably.

It appears that Shalimar was carrying the biggest haul of opium ever smuggled into Australia and this had been recovered from the deep, but the ship’s safe, believed to be filled with money and treasure, had not.

You have, of course, guessed it.

After herculean efforts, Bob and Guy raise the safe, it’s quite full of money and treasure—hundreds of sovereigns, diamond pendants, strings of turquoises—the lot.

Although our information is that the Receiver of Wreck ne ver lets up on these things, and would have been in for his chop, Bob and Guy apparently had no petty of this kind—neither with the Receiver, nor the banks in nor the police when they hocked their strings of diamonds and what not.

With his share of the loot, Guy marries Rose and takes a job with an oil company in Papua. Re

|es Rose into a nice comfort f flat at Ela Beach, Port (in the early 1930’5, Doth), and goes off up the Fly ;r which allows of a lot of testing things like crocodile Iting and wars with the natives, hen he gets back to Moresby, k is going to have a baby so 5 decided that it is high time returned to Sydney where he a job with the Shell Company, 'e can say—as the politicians k it—“without fear of contra ion”, that as a writer, Guy is )od oil company mechanic. If is fiction, it’s corn. If the roidery as well as the basic traphy is supposed to be fact, i we’ll eat the last volume of Pacific Islands Monthly.

Rifting Round The South Seas,

shed by Robert Hale, Ltd. Australian [ 22/6.)

in a Hot

Iney Summer

.THOUGH it is a slight, light piece of novel writing—more suited to a serial in a woman’s [azine than for a properly [id volume that is going to cost [ purchaser 17/6 —Helen Fowler ; a great deal better with Hold right Mirror.

I few years ago she produced ould-be clever piece of writing The Careless People that I’t draw any bouquets from this rter where the humble opinion ield that it is better to produce a piece suitable for the ladies’ ling library, than an indifferent ime of arty-tarty nonsense best ulated to drive members of the t reviewers’ union to justifiable licide. old a Bright Mirror has an ciuate enough plot for this type lovel but the best things about re that the author has managed inprison in it something of the it and character of Sydney in i summer; and to portray idwick the cat —who tolerated

women, hated men, was demanding, aloof and disdainful —as an animal of real character and dignity. (HOLD A BRIGHT MIRROR. Published by Angus and Robertson, Ltd Australian price, 17/6.)

What's New in

Paper Jackets

New paper-backs released this month include the following in Pan and Fontana (our copies from William Collins (Over seas), Ltd.): THE TALL STRANGER: By D. E. Steven son, is a romantic little number with everyone doing things from the very highest and purest motives, and every thing turning out in the end like the for tune teller said. Or almost. (FONTANA).

BOUNTY GUNS, by Luke Short. This is about a two-fisted, two-gun man called Tip Woodring who gets embroiled when the Bollings and the Shields go a-feuding.

There is also some Western-style love thrown in. (FONTANA).

The Legion Of The Damned, By

Sven Hassel. A nauseating picture of what Germany did to her deserters, slave labourers, etc., and later what the Rus sians provided in follow-up treatment.

Difficult to believe in these days when all Germans are again good Germans (at least those West of the border). (GREAT

Pan).

ONIONHEAD, by Weldon Hill. The story of the feller with two hobbies—food and sex—who joined the US Navy and got fixed up in both departments. This has all the ingredients that made an American best-seller—which it is. It has also been made into a movie, by Warner Bros. (PAN

Giant).

WOMAN PILOT, in which Jackie Mogg ridge tells her own story with wit and considerable skill, and turns out to be a feminite personality and not a great big brute, trying to break more sound-barriers than the male. A South African with her A Licence at 17, she got to England just before the outbreak of war; ferried more aircraft during it than any other pilot, married, had a daughter and went back to civilian flying. Mostly about aviation, but with some amusing personal interludes.

(Great Pan).

SEVEN DAYS TO NEVER, by Pat Frank.

A story of espionage and sabotage in the H-Bomb age—the mystery of the dis appearance one by one of the B-995, America’s first line of defence against Russia’s war plan. Good suspense reading for those who like to be frightened out of their wits. (GREAT PAN).

THE NAKED MAJA, by Samuel Edwards, tells the love story of Spain’s famous 18th century artist Francisco Goya, and the beautiful Duchess of Alba whom he im mortalised in paint. Recently filmed, with Ava Gardner and Anthony Franciosa in the leading roles. (PAN GIANT).

THE HORSE SOLDIERS, by Harold Sin clair. Americans can never forget their Civil War—nor, apparently, can their writers stop writing books about it. or their movie makers making movies about it. This is another one such—book and movie. (GREAT PAN).

THE LAST ANGRY MAN, by Gerald Green. This is by way of proving that the British haven’t the monopoly of Angry Men. This one is an Angry Old Man a tough outspoken doctor with a practice in a New York slum, who is too angry even for that neck of the woods. The moral of the story is that it is a good thing to get angry about something, even when it nuts you so out of step you get left behind (PAN MAJOR).

SURPRISED BY JOY. by Professor C.

S. Lewis, well-known author of numerous religious works, tells of his conversion from Atheism to Christianity. It is auto biographical as much as Religious, and is written with this writer’s usual skill, and in spite of the purpose, humour. (FON

Tana).

Mine Own Executioner, By Nigel

Balchin, one of the leading “psychological” novelists. This story is based on a study of a man who, because of his years in a Jap POW camp, looks normal but isn’t.

The psychiatrist in the case (and a “Trick-cyclist”, as he called them in another novel, is almost standard equip ment in a Balchin novel), was a pretty troubled man himself. (FONTANA).

NO PASSING GLORY, the biography of Group Captain Leonard Cheshire, VC, by Andrew Boyle. Cheshire was one of Britain’s most famous World War II air men; be is also an eccentric in the grand manner. Towards the end of the war he attempted to found self-governing colonies for ex-servicemen; and then succeeded in establishing self-help nursing homes for such of the sick and the needy who the Welfare-State seemed to leave out of its calculations. He became a Roman Catholic, decided to become a monk, then to be married instead (the Church con veniently found that his first wife, from whom lie was separated, was a divorcee and therefore had never been his wife at all); and then he decided not. The end of the biography finds Cheshire in hospital with TB—although this is not the end of this extraordinary and complicated piece of human mechanism. Cheshire visited Australia a few months ago. He is now married (he must have changed his mind again somewhere along the way), and is interested in founding homes for refugees. (FONTANA).

WHITE MAN’S TEST, by Pierre Boulle.

The author of “The Bridge on the River Kwai” has borrowed largely from fact in this story, although the end is in con trast to the original story that ended happily enough. Marie-Helen, aged nine, was the only European to survive when the Japanese invaded an island off Sumatra. She escaped to the jungle and was adopted into a Malay family: at 14, she married. After the war, she is taken back to Europe against her will and her attempts to adapt herself lead to tragedy.

(Fontana).

(Fontanas: Australian price 3/9; except “No Passing Glory”, which is 5/-. Pan Majors, 7/6; Pan Giants, 5/-; Great Pan, 3/6.)