Books

A Tale of the Time of the First Napoleon As, with a hand still trembling, Clémence poured out the tea, she remembered the stories she had heard of such evening visits made by the Czar, “to talk at his ease,” and recalled the words of De Maistre when someone criticised this habit in his presence: “It is a touching thing to me to see the ruler of a great empire, in the age of all the passions, find his recreation in taking a cup of tea with an honest man and his wife.” Ivan Ivanovitch Pojarsky, an orphaned Russian Prince, adopted by loyal people in the village of Nicolofsky meets the great Czar Alexander of Russia while the Czar does his best to bring back to life a seemingly dead carpenter. This historical fact, and many others related in this captivating story, gives a very accurate picture of the life in Russia during the time of Napoleon.

After the Second World War, Anne De Vries, one of the most popular novelists in The Netherlands, was commissioned to capture in literary form the spirit and agony of those five harrowing years of Nazi occupation. The result was Journey Through the Night, a four volume bestseller that has gone through more than thirty printings in The Netherlands.

The Story of the Netherland War from the Death of William the Silent to its Close 1584-1648 The period during which Maurits of Nassau was the leader of the Netherland people is one which claims attention, not only on account of its exciting and memorable events, but even more because of its intimate connection with the subsequent history of England and of America. The writer has aimed to tell the story so that it shall be neither too long to be easily read, nor so condensed as to seem dry. Among the works most consulted have been those of Motley, Davies, and Grattan, together with Rogers’ "Story of Holland" and Markham’s "The Fighting Veres." Some original authorities also have been used, particularly Meteren’s "History of the Low Countries," and "Les Lauriers de Nassau," by Orlers and Haestens, a very rare book published at Leyden in 1612, which narrates the victories won while Prince Maurits was commander-in-chief. It is illustrated with many careful representations of battles and sieges, and gives an excellent portrait of the prince, which is reproduced here.