We are rather staggered by the omniscience of Mr. Stephen
King-Hall, who has found time, as he tells us, to write the story of the world for a young person of ten called Letters to Hilary (published by Messrs. Benn at 8s. 6d.), in the spare moments of life aboard a battle-cruiser. But undeniably these historical sketches in simple language are clever. We do not agree altogether with his view of 'sea-power, and believe he is wrong about the genesis of religion, for 'the Aryans, at
any rate, believed in a supreme God. The most valuable part of the book, howeyer, is not the letters themselves (an intelligent child, with a helper such as the author suggests, would-enjoy Mr. Wells's Short Outline more than these Letters), but the very delightful notes at the end,, which brim over with new ideas and jolly plans for enthralling and captivating the childish imagination along useful lines. Some children, of course, like their own games and own conceits and refuse to be amused by grown-4s. We would sympathize -with Hilary if he refused to be a' Red Indian or anything else to order ; none the less, everyone with children to educate should get this book, if only for the brilliant suggestions it contains for making history amusing.
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