Best of the Paperbacks

Fiction

Auntie Mame And Genius,

both by Patrick Dennis, and both still hilarious even after several readings and the worst that Hollywood movie makers could do to Auntie Marne. (Pan; 6/-, 8/-.)

Rape Of The Fair

Country, The Hosts Of

Rebecca And Race Of The

TIGER—aII by Alexander Cordell.

The first is a story of the Welsh mountains in the early days of the 19th century coal and iron boom; the second novel concerns the same characters after they have moved away from the coalfields to south west Wales, where they pit their rebellious strength against the intro duction of toll-gates. The third novel moves across the Atlantic to the early days of the iron and steel city of Pittsburg. As interesting as the books themselves are the tags the publishers have put on the front covers. On number-one: “A tre mendously lusty novel”. On number two: “Running over with lust and strength, sin and righteousness”. On number-three: “. . . Full of heart and decent lust”. (Pan; 6/-, 6/-, 8/-.) NAKED CAME I, by David Weiss, A novel based on the life of the 19th century French sculptor, Rodin, whose life was enmeshed with his great contemporaries Monet, Renoir, Degas and Cezanne, and the artistic revolution they precipitated. (Pan; 11/6.) ROYAL ESCAPE, by Georgette Heyer—one of the more serious historical novels of this author, with young Charles II the hero and his escape after his defeat at Worcester providing the incident, (Pan; 8/-.) GENTIAN HILL, by Elizabeth Goudge. This writer uses Devon, Cornwall and the Channel Islands as the background for her novels and usually captures the beauty of this part of England. This is an historical novel of the days of Nelson. (Hodder; 8/-.) GONE FISHIN’ is part of the adventures of Nino Culotta (as told by John O’Grady), the New Aus tralian who made his debut in They’re a Weird Mob (which is now being filmed). (Humorbooks; 8/-.)

Battle Of The Villa

FIORITA, by Rumer Godden. If this story lacks all the piquant charm of the author’s Greengage Summer it still comes fairly close. Also has been filmed, by Warner Bros. (Pan; 6/-.) CORONATION, Paul Gallico’s best-selling trifle presents one side of the English we seem to hear less about these days. (Pan; 4/-.) MY THEODOSIA, by Anya Seton.

This historical novel is based on the tragic life of the daughter of a famous early 19th century American politician, Aaron Burr. Although the names mean little to non-Americans, as a novel it still stands on its own feet. (Hodder; 8/-.)

Joy In The Morning, By

Betty Smith (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn). The time: 1927; the story: boy meets girl, they fall in love, get married. This novel covers their first year of wedded bliss. The hero of the filmed version is Richard Chamberlain, better known to millions of TV viewers as Dr, Kildare. (Pan; 6/-.)

Angelique In Love, By

Sergeanne Colon. The title will be the most surprising thing to readers who have faithfully followed Angelique’s adventures. The object of her affections in the current instal ment (430 pages—Galon writes only in the giant, economy sizes), is the commander of a pirate ship which bears her off to the New World. (Pan; 9/-.) Miscellaneous

Treasury Of Australian

HUMOUR, collected by Bill Wannan. Australians have been humorous for something like 170 years and this book covers the field pretty widely. About 60 writers and poets are represented, dating from about 1796 and including such stalwarts as Banjo Paterson and C.

J. Dennis right up to the present day’s John O’Grady and Cyril Pearl. (Humorbooks; 10/-.) MA AND PA, by Rose Lindsay.

Rose Lindsay is as much a character as her husband, Norman, and this unorthodox account of her childhood proves it. She was one of nine children of Ma and Pa who all lived

in the bush of what was then rural Lane Cove—now a nearer Sydney suburb. (Humorbooks; 8/-.)

The Shame And The

GLORY, by Terence Robertson.

Just as Gallipoli has special significance for Australians and New Zealanders, so has Dieppe for Canadians. Five thousand Canadians took part in the raid into Occupied France in August, 1942, as a sort of curtain-raiser to invasion of Europe that did not, in fact, come until almost two years later. As a try-out it was a disaster. Over 3,000 Canadians were killed or taken prisoner. The author in this book, tells why and how. (Pan; 9/-.)

Calories Don’T Count—The

paper-back edition of Dr. Herman Taller’s best-seller on how to eat fat and grow slim. Over 2,000,000 copies of the book have been sold. (Pan; 6/-.) Thrillers

The Guns Of Navarone,

South By Java Head And Ice

STATION ZEBRA—aII by Alistair Maclean. The first of the trio, the author’s second novel, first published in 1957 is probably the best thriller of the decade. (Fontana; each 6/-.) All these make good holiday escape reading: THE CRY OF THE OWL, by Patricia Highsmith, in her unusual style of American crime

(Pan, 6/-); A Beauty For

INSPECTOR WEST, a Scotland Yard story of John Creasy (Hodder,

6/-); After The Fine

WEATHER, international intrigue in Austria by Michael Gilbert (Hodder, 6/-); and THE SEA CHASE, which has been Andrew Geer’s most successful sea-saga since first pub lished in 1949. (Fontana; 6/-.) (Pan and Fontana from Wm. Collins; Humorbooks from Ure Smith; Hodder Books from Hodder and Stoughton.)