Pictures of Many Wars. By Frederic Villiers. (Cassell and Co.
6s.)—Mr. Villiers has seen the fightings of many men, and learnt something at least of their thinkings. His first experience of the war correspondent's vocation was in the war between Servia. and Turkey. When an armistice was made he was recalled for a time, at first with the idea of sending him to India, but afterwards transferred to the Turkish side, a not altogether agreeable arrangement, as he had said things not by any means smooth about Turkish "methods of barbarism." His next service was with the army that marched to Jellalabad in 1876, and there he had a dismal experience of cholera. He found himself in a cholera camp, and had, as he confesses, some difficulty in imitating the cheerful nonchalance of the army doctors. After this Mr. Villiers takes us to Egypt, and after Egypt to the scene of that most unhappy of all campaigns, the Greco-Turkish War of 1892. Then we are off to the Russian army in the Balkans,—our author does not keep himself, it will be ob- served, to a strict chronological order. Here he gives us, tinder the title of "Vicissitudes of a Week," an unusually varied descrip- tion of campaigning experiences. Then we are back to Africa, first paying a visit to the Mudir of Dongola, and afterwards present at a "Brush with Osman Digna." He gives in this connection some curious and interesting details about "Fred Burnaby." (Mr. Villiers does not often give us opinions about military matters, but he makes a sensible remark about cavalry arms on p. 145.) Our next entertainment shows us the Russians and Turks again (this time the hero of the adventure is Skobeleff), and after this the novelty of being wrecked on the Nile, an adven- ture which is followed by the story of Arabi and the bombard- ment of Alexandria. It is needless, however, to follow Mr. Villiers any further. He has many adventures, and always relates them with cheerfulness, modesty, and vigour.
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