An exceptionally interesting ex. ample of business enterprise is the volume recently published by Messrs. John I. Thornycroft & Ca., Ld., of London, Southampton, and Basingstoke, describing half a century of progress and five years of war work. The book is admirably produced—a model of its kind—and is beautifully illustrated with many fine pencil drawings by Mr. Fred Taylor, The history of the firm is briefly recorded, and an exceptionally interesting chapter describes its very valuable war work. In this connexion, interesting inside information is published, a particularly noteworthy fact being that, two years before the outbreak of war the military authorities had selected special ships to be used as transports, and that the necessary fittings for their conversion into troopships were in store at Messrs. Thornycroft's Woolston yard, so that, when the word was given, the fitting out of troopships went on continuously, and in every case ships were Ready in time as troops arrived.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.