whose "_As Down
of Thistle_" showed considerable promise, though perhaps his subtle
vein of sardonic philosophy escaped due recognition. As its name
denotes, the interest in the new novel is largely military; in every
line the soldier, with his nice sense of honour, his virility, and his
direct methods, stands revealed. "_The Countermine_" is certainly a
most thrilling tale, and should raise the author to the front rank of
writers on "Service" topics. Of Mr. Thomas Cobb, whose reputation is
already firmly established, it is only necessary to say that in "_The
Friendships of Veronica_" his fertile and resourceful pen is at its
best if, indeed, his literary reputation has not been substantially
advanced.

~The Alston Rivers' Shilling Library~.

* * * * *

~Creatures that once were Men~. MAXIM GORKY. With Introductory by
G.K. CHESTERTON.

~Lovers in London~. A.A. MILNE.

"'A Coming Humorist.' ... In Mr. Milne it may not be extravagant to
descry a writer with a future before him."--_Evening Standard and St.
James's Gazette_.

~Change for a Halfpenny~. C.L.G. and E.V.L.

The hustling methods of modernity possess undoubted possibilities for
humorous treatment, and no one has appreciated the fact more keenly
than the authors of "Wisdom While you Wait." In this their latest work
the prospectus of the Napolio Syndicate forms a bowstring whence fly
shafts of satire that hit the mark every time.

~The Loot of Cities~. ARNOLD BENNETT.

~Publican and Serf~.

A striking study of nomadic life among the peasant classes, translated
from the Russian by J.K.M. SHIRAZI.

It is one thing to be a famous writer; it is another to be widely
read. Maxim Gorky is at present included in both categories, though as
regards the second condition he had scarcely qualified prior to the
publication of "_Creatures that once were Men_." It was a bold
venture, for all the former successes in shilling form were either
sensationally melodramatic or frankly farcical. Encouraged by the huge
demand for Maxim Gorky's book, Mr. Alston Rivers is publishing in the
same form (1/- nett, paper, and 1/6 cloth) "_Publican and Serf_," by
Skitaletz, a Russian Author, who, while by no means behind Gorky in
point of realism, possesses in the opinion of some critics a still
greater measure of literary ability. Other items of Mr. Alston Rivers'
Shilling Library, which has prospered as only the result of the most
careful selec