Life, 1915-07-08 · page 28 of 44
Life — July 8, 1915 — page 28: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is a **book review page** from Life magazine (an early 20th-century satirical publication), not primarily a political cartoon, though it includes illustrations. The top illustration titled "Fame" depicts a theatrical spotlight on a central figure while others stand in shadow—a visual metaphor for how success elevates one person while others remain obscure. The "Hands Up" cartoon below shows a figure surrendering to an armed soldier, likely referencing **World War I** combat. The text reviews contemporary war and adventure novels, including works by William J. Locke and Richard Matthews Hallet. Notably, it discusses Sven Hedin's "With the German Armies in the West"—a Swedish explorer's firsthand account of German WWI operations. The reviewer frankly acknowledges Hedin's pro-German bias and limited access, yet credits his "quiet directness" as valuable despite obvious partiality. This reflects how wartime accounts were evaluated for credibility even when openly partisan. The page captures an era when firsthand war reporting was relatively novel and eagerly consumed by the American public.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
The Latest Books HERE is said to be more joy in heaven over one sinner that re- penteth than over all the good guys that stay on the level. This shows how human heaven is, and it also explains the way we are all going to feel about William J. Locke's “ Jaffery" (Lane, $1.35). Mr. Locke has not stayed on the level of his earlier stories. Perhaps nobody could have. That's another ques- tion. But the fact that we wanted Mr. Locke to, and that he tried and didn’t. Moreover, he showed that he was trying. And that made the didn’t all the more obvious. And—there was remains room both for repentance in Mr. Locke and for joy in heaven, And here they both are. Read “ Jaffery” and get your share. HALLET, RIuARD MATTHEWS the author of a first novel of exotic flavor but admirable poise and balance, called “The Lady Aft” (Small, May- nard, $1.33), would appear to the unin- formed reader to be (for a young man and a new writer) amazingly sophisti- cated, both in the writer's technique and in a rock-bottom knowledge of life. The fact is, however, that Mr. Hallet (an “HANDS UP” American college man) has for some years alternated long periods of living life at its roughest (in the steamer stoke holes and ships’ fo’c’sles of the seven seas and the tramps’ byways of five continents) with other periods of staying home and learning to write of life at its rawest. He is not a new writer, but a new publisher of his writings. “ The Lady Aft” is the log of a young college man’s first voyage before the mast, and also a dramatic picture of the effect upon the wild beasts in the fo'c’sle of—a lady aft. SVEN HEDIN, the famous Swedish explorer of the Asian uplands, was last fall invited by the Kaiser to visit the German battle lines in Belgium and France with a view to act- ing as a sort of neutral “ eye-witness ” and reporting the conditions as he should find them. His book, “With the Ger- man Armies in the West” (Lane, $3.50), has just been translated into English and makes, because of its quiet directness of style and its author's evident intention of honesty, distinctly interesting reading. It is by no means a non-partisan report, however, The writer is a enthusiastic pro-Teuton and an active anti-Britisher. He was, too, a privileged observer, with the careful limitations of opportunity that this implies. But, except to the in- transigent, these facts, instead of being fatal, merely serve to restore the balance of credibility between “ eye-witnesses.” HE week has brought us yet another war book, less permanently valuable, doubtless, but more immediately comfort- comicbooks.com