“Dr. Cowan’s work is that of a professor unable to apprehend the spirit of a religion outside his sphere of thought.”
| — | Sat. R. 100: 440. S. 30, ‘05. 510w. |
Cowen, Thomas. The Russo-Japanese war: from the outbreak of hostilities to the battle of Liao Yang. [*]$4.20. Longmans.
“A trained observer, for many years a war correspondent, describing for newspapers the Boer war, the Japanese-Chinese war, phases of the Spanish-American war, both in Cuba and the Philippines, the Boxer in China, and the siege of Peking, Mr. Cowen treats of the war in the East with exceptional facilities for getting at the facts.” (N. Y. Times). He analyses the reasons for Japanese success, he sums up the cause for Russia’s failures in the statement that “Indecision in emergency has been a characteristic weakness of Russia.” He follows the steps taken by Japan in her preparation for war, showing the methods adopted for meeting the peculiar difficulties to be overcome in opposing the host of Russia’s forces. “Remarkably effective as word pictures are his descriptions of the naval operations in the early days before Port Arthur.... And with it all there is a constant succession of pictures of army and navy life that is positively fascinating in the simple old-fashioned manner in which it is told with no attempt at ‘fine writing.’” (N. Y. Times).
| + + | Nation. 80: 74. Ja. 26, ‘05. 3220w. |
“With the simplicity of a tactical primer the reasons for success and the causes of failure are alike made plain.”
| N. Y. Times. 10: 2. Ja. 7, ‘05. 1430w. |
“He writes with a graphic touch and an intimacy with affairs Japanese that give a value to his volume which it otherwise would not possess.”
| + — | Pub. Opin. 38: 57. Ja. 12, ‘05. 590w. |
[*] Cowley, Abraham. Poems: Miscellanies, The mistress, Pindarique odes, Davideis; verses written on several occasions. [*]$1.50. Macmillan.