In the Rain and the Sun, by the Rt. Hon. L. S. Amery, C. H. 238 pages. London and New York: Hutchinson & Co., Ltd., 1946. 21/-.

A sequel to Days of Fresh Air*, this is essentially an account of the author’s travels outside of England since 1914. The several chapters are devoted pretty exclusively either to mountain climbing by the author, or to his travel over every part of the British Empire. The climbing chapters include two ascents of the Rothhorngrat, the traverse of the Mischabel, the Meije, an attempt on the Zmutt Ridge, several of the well known Chamonix Aiguilles, and a season in the Julian Alps, as well as climbs in New Zealand and Canada. The climax is his account of his ascent of Mount Amery, named for him, in the Canadian Rockies. It is interesting to note that the author always climbed with professional guides, and he surely is to be commended for his ability to accomplish successfully long ascents with almost no preliminary training, at almost every age in his life, an ability much envied by the reviewer, as well as for his admissions of frequent defeats on peaks which he coveted, about which we are not all so frank.

Aside from the mountaineering interest in such a book, it provides a peculiarly valuable historic record of the progress of British Empire policy, coming from a man so intimately associated with that policy between the two World Wars. He cites so many individuals by name, all over the world—individuals whom he or Mrs. Amery met on their many travels; and he diplomatically focuses attention on every single one of these many acquaintances by also listing every one of them in his twelve-page index.

Digressions on the origin of the name Amery and the origin of the title of the book—the titles of his earlier Days of Fresh Air and of this book together make up one line of his school poem (Harrow) ; a strong recommendation for mountain troop training; frequent references to his favorite classical poets; and occasional discussions on the philosophy of the mountain climber, together with an exceedingly easy reading style, and light weight of paper stock, all commend the book to the public as well as to the climber.

J. E. F.

* Reviewed in A. A. J., IV (1941), 292.