27 JUNE 1896, Page 10

A Knight of the Air. By Henry Coxwell. (Digby, Long,

and Co.)—We suppose that the idea of a balloon suggests something exciting, and we were prepared for thrilling adventures, and, we must admit, were disappointed. The plot is rather clumsily put together, and the long, involved sentences destroy the flow of the narrative. It is a pity, because much of the aeronautic know- ledge, which is extremely interesting, is confused by the attempts of the author to make the intentions and actions of the various characters clear to the reader. The author might have given the reins to his fancy more—the public expect it in balloon stories— and paid less attention to his characters.