Edward W. D. Holway: A Pioneer of the Canadian Alps, by Howard Palmer. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, Minn., 1931. Pp. ix, 81. Map and 8 illustrations. $1.50.

Mountaineers will find in this little volume the authentic account of the ascents in the Canadian Rockies and Selkirks which made the name of E. W. D. Holway so well known to the climbing fraternity not many years ago. Readers who may never have seen a mountain will enjoy the book simply as the true tale of a remarkable man whogave up commercial pursuits to become a professor of botany and an explorer of little-known Alpine ranges.

The book is composed largely of Mr. Holway’s intimate letters and diaries which tell his story with an engaging touch that continually makes light of the dangers, difficulties and hardships inseparable from pioneer work. The trials and tribulations of “backpacking” are graphically portrayed by the author. The book was designed to cover, as a part of a well-rounded biography, the mountaineering experiences of its subject. We think that the task has been well done and commend the work to the attention of readers interested in the Canadian Alps.

Mr. Palmer’s book, with an introduction by the late Professor J. Arthur Harris, former head of the Department of Botany at the University of Minnesota, is enriched with illustrations of many of the peaks referred to in the text. It is very well printed and attractive in format.