BISMARCK Bismarck and the German Empire. By mass of published material Erich Eyck. Allen and Unwin. Pp. 327. on 18s. Bismarck which has accumulated in the last fifty years and it covers his There is great need of a good life of entire career down to his resignation Bismarck in English-or for that matter as Chancellor. The standpoint is iff German. Dr. Eyck's book at last old-fashioned German Liberal-praising meets this need. The title is a little Bismarck's work while condemning misleading. This is in fact a political his standards of political morality. biography covering every aspect of Many of these moral judgments could Bismarck's career : and the German be disputed ; in fact, to anyone who is Empire is only one among the many not an old-style German Liberal Dr. topics involved in Bismarck's life. Eyck's attitude must often seem Though this English version is a sum- irrelevant rather than wrong. mary of a much larger German original, Still, it is a great deal to have the it reads easily there is no feeling of main issues in Bismarck's career stated compression or of leaving things out. clearly and accurately. Now that Bis- The reader may regret the absence of a marck's Germany and Weimar Germany short critical bibliography, but as this are alike vanished beyond recall, the would be a list mostly of German books time is coming when a truly historical the reader can refer to Dr. Eyck's larger approach to Bismarck can be attempted, work. without worrying whether what he did The present book includes every was right or wrong Though Dr Eyck is important topic and gives a useful dis- too involved in the past to do this, he has cussion of the most disputed events in done an invaluable piece of exploration Bismarck's career. It has two qualities in the jungle of Bismarck scholarship, which make it superior to all its pre- and those who come after will benefit decessors. It is based on the whole from his labours. A. J. P. T. Manch Guard 14 SgaR 50