Diver, Maud. The hero of Herat.
while ostensibly a novel, is a biography, which may be read as such, of Major Eldred Pottinger, who devoted his life to furthering British interests on the Indian frontier. Another book of the kind, nominally fiction yet virtually a life of Hamilton, the American statesman, is
Atherton, Gertrude F. The Conqueror.
On the other hand, works of historical romance are got up in size and appearance, including the provision of portraits as illustrations, to range with histories and biographies, and thus they deceive the unwary, who are apt to regard them as authoritative and genuine, although perhaps it is not the intention of the author that they should be so regarded. Such a book is
"Hare, Christopher" (Mrs. Andrews.) Isabella
of Milan, Princess d'Aragona, and wife of
Duke Gian Galeazzo Sforza: the intimate
story of her life in Milan. 1911
While written in the form of letters, it is pure romance, with an historical basis.
In the ordinary way these books would receive quite different treatment, even for the classified catalogue. For the dictionary catalogue the books palpably novels would have title-entries given them, as
Hero of Herat, The. Diver, M.
Conqueror, The. Atherton, G. F.
whereas the larger-sized book receives a subject-entry as a serious book,