Some Books Recently Received

This is, the publishers tell us, the twenty‐fifth year of issue of this annual, which made its first appearance in 1911. Anyone who has a complete set of the volumes possesses a remarkable history of aeroplane design. It is almost impossible to review in the ordinary sense, and one can do little except announce its appearance with the customary plaudits. “Jane” is quite essential to anyone who desires information on any type of aeroplane. It is sad but inevitable that it should always appear, whenever it makes its bow, just too early. The present issue, for instance, perforce misses the new Hawker P.V. low‐wing monoplane and does not contain even the meagre details, as to engines, etc., that are now available of the Mayo composite seaplane. It is a pity that manufacturers cannot be dragooned into uniformity in the supply of information as regards personnel. Some give the fullest details of directors and technical staff, while others vouchsafe none. We still find the preliminary sections, quaintly labelled “historical,” rather indigestible and strangely uninformative; mainly because the information supplied by the various countries differs so noticeably in quality. Mr. Grey provides one of his characteristic prefaces, which, in the candour of its self‐revelation, makes us feel rather shy—a feeling which must be strongly shared by Mr. Bridgman.