Nelson's History of lie War. By John Buchan. Vol. XXII.
(Nelson. 2s. 6d. net.)—Colonel Buchan calls his new volume "The Darkest Hour." He relates the progress of the German offensive from March to July last, with &chapter on Zeebrugge and another on the Austrian offensive of lastJune. His account of the "Kaiser battle" that began on March 21st, 1918, is admirably clear and candid. " As for Sir Hubert Gough, who suffered most in repute, there was no single flaw in his conduct of the retire. ment. On the contrary, it was due to him and his staff thct Carey's Detachment held the gap, and his courage and cheer- fulness never failed him." Sir Douglas Haig had not enough men to hold the long front entrusted to him. "There were troops to spare in Britain, as the fast weeks of the battle showed ;
and beyond doubt had these troops been available before the 21st of March the German thrust would have been parried at the start." We must blame the politicians, not the soldiers. Colonel Buchan's maps arc numerous and useful.
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