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Waddell, Laurence Austine.Lhasa and its mysteries: with a record of the expedition of 1903–1904. 3d ed. *$3. Dutton.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
Reviewed by H. E. Coblentz.
Wade, Mrs. Mary Hazelton.Building the nation: stories of how our fathers lived, and what they did to make our country a united one. †75c. Wilde.
7–26964.
7–26964.
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The third volume in the “Uncle Sam’s old-time story” series. This portion of the history deals with the revolution and is a well taught lesson in American patriotism.
Wade, Mrs. Mary Hazelton.Ten Indian hunters: stories of famous Indian hunters. il. †$1. Wilde.
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7–26965.
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The fourth volume in Mrs. Wade’s Indian series tells of ten hunters who gained prowess among their several tribes for their cunning and ability to trap game. Aside from their successful efforts, daring adventure and marvelous skill, the stories picture the various tribes and their manner of living.
Wagner, Charles.My impressions of America; tr. from the French by Mary Louise Hendee. **$1. McClure.
6–33643.
6–33643.
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6–33643.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“Sweet-tempered and simple-minded little book.” James F. Muirhead.
Wagner, (Wilhelm) Richard.Tannhauser; a dramatic poem freely translated in poetic narrative form by Oliver Huckel. **75c. Crowell.
6–32851.
6–32851.
6–32851.
6–32851.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“Worthy of a place in any library where there is sufficient interest in musical drama.”
“Is a rather languid performance.”
Walcott, Earle Ashley.Apple of discord.†$1.50. Bobbs.
7–31209.
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7–31209.
A tale of San Francisco during the days of the “Sand-lot” riots and the attempted Chinese expulsion. There is a double love story running thru the stress and storm, the more unique of which concerns “Big Sam,” the king of Chinatown and little Moon Ying, the contested possession of two rival tongs.
“For those who find diversion in excitement, this story will furnish marked satisfaction.”
Walford, Lucy Bethia.Enlightenment of Olivia. $1.50. Longmans.
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The study of a female egotist. “The character of the heroine seems on the whole original, and is drawn with much humour. The Oxford professor who, unconsciously to himself, becomes the instrument of her reformation, can scarcely be taken seriously, and it seems to us that the author did not at first intend him for the monstrosity into which he developes. Olivia’s husband, on the other hand, is an admirable specimen of the middle-class British Philistine at his very best—manly, honorable, and chivalrous to the finger-tips, but alas! somewhat of a bore.” (Ath.)
“A book which at least will not offend through lack of taste or carelessness of style. There is never anything complex about either her plots or her characters, but she tells her tale simply in good plain English and, as a result, her books are eminently readable.”
“Mrs. Walford’s tales are reminiscent of Mrs. Oliphant’s peaceful stories of English country life, calm and uneventful, but nevertheless full of pleasant interest and restful to a weary mind on a hot summer’s day.”
“It is not art, and being artless no limit can be set anywhere to its mischief nor in England to its circulation.”
Walker, Alice Morehouse.Historic Hadley: a story of the making of a famous Massachusetts town. **$1. Grafton press.
6–30490.
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6–30490.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“The little book too, is accurate, never sacrificing the facts to readability or picturesqueness. Has value both literary and historic, and considerable narrative charm.”
Walker, Dawson.Gift of tongues and other essays. *$1.75. Scribner.
“A series of able and scholarly essays on certain New Testament problems; the speaking with tongues in the apostolic church, the legal phraseology in the Epistle to the Galatians, the visit to Jerusalem recorded in the second chapter of that epistle and its relation to the fifteenth chapter of the Acts, and the date of the Acts and the third gospel.”—Sat R.
“Though none of these essays makes any notable contribution to the subject, and the conclusions of the first and last are distinctly improbable, all are worthy of attention.”
“The book will have little influence on the trend of opinion.” Wm. R. Shoemaker.
“All would do well to read Dr. Walker’s essays; he arranges his facts well, writes clearly, and is always interesting; his essay on the gift of tongues is the best we have ever read on that puzzling problem.”
Walker, Ernest.Beethoven. $1. Brentano’s. W 5–8.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“A thoughtful little book.”
Walker, Margaret Coulson.Lady Hollyhock and her friends: a book of nature dolls and others; drawings by Mary Isabel Hunt. †$1.25. Baker.
6–39448.
6–39448.
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6–39448.
A happy thought for little people which will provide busy work the year round. Cucumber, radish, and corn dolls, pansy, hollyhock and poppy maids, apple, peanut and acorn children—and pictures to show how they are made.
“An interesting book for all little folks ... for it will give them no end of the sort of employment that all children like.”
Walker, Rev. William Lowe.Christian theism and a spiritual monism: God, freedom and immortality in view of monistic evolution. *$3. Scribner.
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“The work aims to show what ground there is for Christian theism in the spiritual monism toward which science and philosophy now preponderate. Its author ... endeavors to ‘set forth that spiritual interpretation of the universe on the basis of Mr. Spencer’s system of philosophy which he himself affirmed to be possible.’... The argument is mainly objective, in an inductive method, and designed for ‘the plain man.’”—Outlook.
“Nowhere have we seen this thesis more lucidly and convincingly handled than by this able writer.”
“A very readable book. Mr. Walker shows wide reading in science and philosophy, and states his position with clearness and force.” W. C. Kierstead.
“Though the work falls short of its aim in some central questions, it is, on the whole, a stimulating contribution to further discussions, and a strong presentation of the harmony of science and religion.”
“However valuable this line of thought may be, it requires a deeper treatment to make it convincing.”
Walker, Williston.John Calvin, the organizer of reformed Protestantism, 1509–1564. **$1.35. Putnam.
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Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“There are no errors of vital importance. The reviewer would dissent from a few conclusions, which must, however, remain largely matters of opinion. The amount to criticise is small; there is much to praise. To say that the book is the best biography written in English is not enough. No other equally brief life has so well assimilated the vast amount of material or summed up Calvin’s character and career with so much insight; and no other life of Calvin preserves throughout so judicial a tone. It is a book whose scholarship will appeal to both the church historian and the general historical reader.” Herbert Darling Foster.
“We accept what is given, and return thanks for a very good book.”
“A fairly objective account from a sympathetic point of view.”
“With a difficult subject, Professor Walker has taken particular pains to be impartial and just, both to his hero’s greatness and his failings, and he has succeeded well.”
“For its scope and purpose Prof. Williston Walker’s biography of ‘John Calvin’ is a model.”
“The picture which emerges from the pages of Professor Walker is luminous.”
“His book is admirable in every way.”
Wallace, Dillon.Long Labrador trail.*$1.50. Outing.
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This “glorious record of American ‘do and dare’” follows the wilderness adventure of one who besides being lured by the irresistible call of the wild is fulfilling the command to accomplish the work of exploration undertaken by his fallen leader, Leonidas Hubbard, viz., to penetrate the Labrador peninsula from Groswater bay to Lake Michikamau, thence thru the lake and northward over the divide, where he hoped to locate the headwaters of the George river.
“It is a record of privation and heroism, well-told, full of the irresistible charm of real exploration.”
“It is to be doubted if he has added greatly to our knowledge of this region; but he has certainly written an interesting book, wholly independent of literary charm.”
“Somehow, the very lack of rhetorical polish seems appropriate in the description of an undertaking which bespeaks essentially grim determination, and offers little occasion for the play of the finer feelings or of the imagination.” George Gladden.
“None can fail to enjoy the author’s account of his expedition.” H. E. Coblentz.
“A thoroughly interesting account of a country which, in desolation may be said to rival the ‘Far north.’”
“Mr. Wallace takes himself and his achievement a trifle too seriously.”
“It is an interesting story that Mr. Wallace has recounted of perils ignored and hardships welcomed, of grim and desolate wilds, and of the strength, the courage, and the goodness of human nature rising always above its environment.”
“The details of the travelling supply an attractive narrative.”
Wallace, Dillon.Ungava Bob: a winter’s tale.†$1.50. Revell.
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These experiences of a young fur trapper in the frozen interior of Labrador are the sort that will put a lad in the corner and keep him there until the last page is reached. There are encounters with wolves on the fur trails, intimate portrayals of the life and humanity of the Nascaupee Indians who capture and protect the hero, and stirring accounts of dangerous adventures among the ice-packs of the Labrador country.
“The story is told with the greatest simplicity and naturalness. Characters and incidents all have the touch of verity.”
“Bob is a plucky young trapper, and his adventures are exciting enough, but the chief merit of the book lies in the pictures of lifein the remote regions of Labrador and among the Indians and Eskimos of that frozen country.”
Wallace, Helen.Coming of Isobel. $1.50. Cassell.
A story whose plot is founded upon coincidences. “When one young girl is lost we are expected to believe that another exactly like her is found; that this latter has lost her memory, and consequently acts as an innocent substitute; and finally that the foundling is no other than the half-sister of the lost girl.... Other detached coincidences roughly hew the destinies of the family of whose fortunes this book is a record.” (Ath.)
“It is very feminine work in all its aspects, and carries with it unnecessary tragedies and heartburnings. Problems such as are here presented offer comparatively little difficulty in real life.”
Wallace, Helen.Sons of the Seigneur. $1.50. Outing pub.
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A romance of the days of Cromwell with its scene laid in the Island of Guernsey. A Royalist maid is the heroine and is loved by two brothers one of whom is cruel and selfish while the other runs the round of chance and peril to serve and protect her. The visit of King Charles II. to the island in disguise is made the turning point in the story which is full of action and feeling.
“On the whole, it is what may fairly be called a brave story of the type it represents.” Frederic Taber Cooper.
“The book is especially noteworthy for the fascinating character of the heroine and the daintiness and charm of its love interest.”
“Notable constructive ability, fertility of invention, dramatic imagination and good taste in the management of these various faculties are all evident. The author has not succeeded, however, in creating a historical atmosphere—the illusion of time and place.”
Wallace, Lew (Lewis), general.Lew Wallace: an autobiography. 2v. **$5. Harper.
6–38539.
6–38539.
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6–38539.
Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“The book is excellent reading. Errors of haste or negligence, including even lapses in grammar, and other more deliberate faults, can be found by the critical; but their enumeration would be a thankless task.” Percy F. Bicknell.
“Quite equal in vividness to his fiction is the dramatic interest with which General Wallace manages to invest the story of his life in some of its vital facts.”
“While it is, as a whole, entertaining, there is a diffuseness, an over-elaboration of small points, and a too frequent triviality which suggests lack of proper editorial revision. Literary merit aside, the value of these volumes as a contribution to American history is not inconsiderable.”
“Nothing I have read, except, perhaps, ‘Ben-Hur,’ has so filled my heart and mind and thrilled me as this autobiography of General Lew Wallace.” Oliver Otis Howard.
Reviewed by Horatio S. Krans.
Wallace, W. G.Locomotive breakdown questions answered and illustrated; indexed for quick reference. $1.50. Drake, F. J.
7–21741.
7–21741.
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7–21741.
Questions and answers just as they appeared in the Fireman’s magazine. “All of us who have shared in those informal discussions around and about the steel horse know their attraction, though realizing their casual, undecisive or disconnected nature.” (Engin. N.)
“This collection might, with rearrangement, excision and addition, serve a far more useful purpose in systematic education of the men whose very business is system to a degree, and who deserve and are always anxious to learn from those best qualified to teach them the principles of mechanical science related to their duties.” H. Wade Hibbard.
Waller, Mary Ella.Through the gates of the Netherlands; with il. after Lalanne and others by A. A. Montferrand, reproduced in photogravure. **$3. Little.
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Descriptive note in Annual, 1906.
“Tho her knowledge of history is not particularly striking, her insight into human nature is quick and deep.”
“The illustrations in this volume are excellent, and the text is full of conviction and enthusiasm.”
Walling, Robert A. J.Sea-dog of Devon: a life of Sir John Hawkins. **$1.75. Lane.
A popular biography of Hawkins which “vindicates the hero from the charge of having inaugurated the British slave trade.”
“We are bound to say that it is not a biography in the received sense of the word; that it is not the first; and that it is a poor réchauffé of uncritical stuff.”
“Mr. Walling’s book is a good, an interesting, and a useful piece of work.”
“While it can hardly be called exhaustive, it is certainly readable and animated.”
“Till a full biography appears, however, we shall do very well with this book, which is a thoroughly workmanlike narrative with fairly judicious comment. It has a strong flavour of hero-worship to be sure, but we do not wish it to be without that, even though a hero worshipper can scarcely be the best of judges.”
Wallington, Nellie Urner.Historic churches of America; with an introd. by E: E. Hale. **$2. Duffield.
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Mrs. Wallington has made her study cover nearly seventy historic churches of America. It traces “in some detail the first steps which were taken in different parts of the nation by persons of distinct religious motive who had exiled themselves from Europe and who meant to maintain their allegiance to a living God.” The book is finely illustrated.
“Brief but entertaining sketches.”
“The descriptions are picturesquely given and through the whole book there is traced in detail the growth of the various religious movements which took their starting point from the days of the colonies and have found their outwardexpression in many notable edifices thruout the country.”
“There is not as much information as one expects in a work of this kind.”
Walpole, Sir Spencer.Studies in biography. *$4. Dutton.
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Biographical essays upon celebrated men; including Peel, Cobden, Disraeli, Gibbon, Lord Dufferin, Lord Shaftesbury, Bismarck, and Napoleon III. A chapter upon “Some decisive marriages in history,” concludes the volume.
“They deserve to be read for their balance of judgment and orderly presentment of fact.”
“It should be added that the reader receives from all these essays an impression as stimulating as if he had had a quiet and illuminating conversation with a man of wide observation and fruitful reflection.”
“The essays in the present volume are all readable, and have to a high degree the human interest which differentiates biography from general history.”
“In the main, here as elsewhere, Sir Spencer Walpole is a writer who will not dip his pen into the ink until he is quite sure of the accuracy of the assertion he is going to make. The road he takes us by may not afford many romantic prospects but at least the guide knows every inch of it.”
“We welcome these essays ... not only for their intrinsic merits, but because they are a sign of that trend toward biography which is needed for the enriching of historical studies in general.”
“These studies are notable for a temperate and judicial spirit. They are uniformly edifying; and though they do not sway the mind by high eloquence they never descend to dullness or commonplace, but win sympathetic assent by their workmanlike thoroughness and their manifest frankness.”
“Sir Spencer Walpole’s volume is characterized by profound erudition and real literary distinction as well as by critical acumen and breadth of view.”
Reviewed by W. Roy Smith.
“The whole book is well worth reading, if only that we may have our vague knowledge of political history arranged and corrected by a writer who rarely suffers the informing instinct to oust the critical faculty.”
Walsh, James Joseph.Catholic churchmen in science: sketches of the lives of Catholic ecclesiastics who were among the great founders in science. *$1. Dolphin press.