The Annual Register 1949. (Longmans. sos.)
The Annual Register is already indispensable to a great many people, and would be indispensable to more if they knew of it. As an abstract and brief chronicle of the time it stands by itself, J. R. Green once thought of producing an annual volume of con- temporary history in rivalry with the Annual Register, and hoped to secure Bryce's co-operation ; but the project never materialised, and it will be surprising if any other like it does. The description of the volume as " a review of public events at home and abroad during the year " is accurate, except that " survey " would perhaps be a better word than "review," since the latter carries with it some suggestion of comment. and it is, or should be, the peculiar aim of the National Register to be completely objective. The editor, Ivison Macadam, has wisely departed little from his predecessors' methods, but has perhaps less wisely ignored a submission made in these columns, on the appearance of the last volume, that religion does not play a notably less conspicuous place in the national life than ballet, and might possibly share with that diversion the dis- tinction of a section to itself.
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