Biographies of living persons are seldom satisfactory. In the case
of Don Alfonso XIII, by Princess Filar, the King's cousin, and Major Chapman-Huston (Murray, 21s.) personal details of interest are overweighted by political argument adverse to the new Republic. The authors _begin with the reign of the King's father and end With Alfonso's- departure from 'Spain; they attribute much of the responsibility for the revolution to Muscovite gold. To Mrs. Stewart Erskine'- Twenty-nine Years : the Reign of King Alfonso XIII of Spaii, (Hutchinson, 12s. 6d.) Lord Londonderry contributes a friendly but cautious preface. The author- chronicles the events of the reign and touches lightly on the Catalan and Moroccan questions and other vexed matters. But here again no serious effort is made to account for_ the sudden collapse of the ancient monarchy after the municipal elections of last
spring. Both books are illustrated.
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