Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 6, No. 9 July 14, 1943

Lewis—Last Inspection

Lewis—Last Inspection

Here is a record of cynicism, frustration, despair and hopelessness. It is the story of the Army in England during the two years after Dunkirk. And there is no doubt at all that these short stories, these trivial tales of petty adulteries, boredom and browning off generally do reflect the mood and temper of that time. The author, a young Army officer, points out that "the only deaths in these stories are from Air raids and accidents, the main motif is the rootless life of soldiers having no enemies and always somehow under a shadow.

If you want a picture of what happens to an army inactive when every fibre of its being is crying out for action you have it here in these tales of the British Army in England sitting waiting, while they read in their newspapers every day the story of their comrades of the Red Army fighting the greatest battles in all history.