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The New Zealand Railways Magazine, Volume 11, Issue 2 (May 1, 1936)

Reviews

Reviews.

“They Died With Their Boots On,” by Thomas Ripley (Angus & Robert-son, Sydney), tells a thrilling story of the life and true adventures of John Wesley Hardin and other Texan desperadoes. The author, who was the grandson of “one of the toughest, hardest-riding cavalry rebels ever to swing a sabre,” has in his blood the thrill of those lawless days succeeding the American Civil War. He has the ability to tell the story and the industry to unearth records to vouch for the truth of his yarns. The central figure, Hardin, was a picturesque and notorious killer and his career of shooting plays the predominant note in the orchestration of gunfire and outlawry. A vivid book.

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“The Lure of New Zealand Book Collecting,” by Johannes Andersen (Whitcombe & Tombs, Ltd.) appeared, most appropriately, in time for New Zealand Authors’ Week. We have revelled in following the track of the gold seeker of half a century ago. Here we go hand in hand with a seeker after greater riches—the treasures of literature. To my mind there is no more fascinating hobby in this whole world than book collecting. Although the author refers often to market values, he is no mercenary seeker of tomes. He is a prospector of their literary worth. The nuggets he unearths glitter not their worth in £.s.d.; he is immersed mostly in the literary and sentimental value of the books he writes of. Yet he is not such an arch sentimentalist as to wholly ignore market prices. This is why the book will appeal to all people who love books, whether it be as litterateurs, hobbyists or money-makers. A delightful volume, the format of which will carry an irresistible appeal to the interested buyer. It will be consulted as a reference book for many years to come.

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“A Century of Horror” (Hutchison, London; Whitcombe & Tombs, New Zealand agents), is one of the latest of the Century Library. Being statistical, it contains 52 stories by 47 authors and comprises 1,024 pages. Being descriptive, the book has in it enough stories of horror to stiffen the hair on the scalp of the most blase reader. There's something terribly fascinating in reading a well told horror story. In this book we have such masterful writers as Ambrose Bierce, Walter de la Mare, Edgar Allen Poe, Balzac, Algernon Blackwood, H. G. Wells, de Maupassant and Denis Wheatley. The last mentioned has been selected, most appropriately, as editor of the collection. Wheatley is a connoisseur of the weird and certainly he has scoured the purple shadows most assiduously in the compilation of this volume.

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“Fifty Years of Ghost Stories” (from the same publishers), is a fit companion for the volume mentioned in the preceding paragraph. Whether or not they leave us shivering, ghost stories always appeal to the great majority of readers. A long procession of ghosts of great variety are summoned from the shadows by such expert story spinners as E. F. Benson, Algernon Blackwood, W. L. George, Sheridan le Fanu, Bulwer-Lytton, Bram Stoker, etc. Whether they have a dripping dagger in their shadowy chests, their heads in their hands or plenteous bangles of clanking chains, all these ghosts are very interesting, if shuddersome. Quite the ideal book for waiting wives anxious to be awake and mentally alert for the attack on late coming husbands.

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“The Cattle King,” by Ion L. Idriess (Angus & Robertson, Sydney), is the life story of one of Australia's greatest men, Sir Sydney Kidman. No writer could be better fitted to tell this story than Idriess, one of the most popular of Australian authors. His book contains not only the story of the acknowledged Cattle King of the world, but is also a vivid picture of Australia during the Cattle King's period. With Sir Sydney Kidman as the hero and the great Australian continent as the background, Idriess has written a book that will live. Idriess claims that his story is “as accurate as it is possible to make it,” and those who know the previous work of Idriess will believe him. What a vivid story from the opening chapter when Sid Kidman, aged thirteen, runs away from home with his tiny swag and his worldly wealth (five shillings)in his pocket, to the last chapter when Sir Sydney Kidman, gallant old man, shakes hands with Idriess and smilingly awaits the end: “Ah well it is all over, I've had a wonderful life. When the good Lord gives me notice I'll pack up my bag and go.” Added interest to the book is provided in the numerous interesting illustrations.

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