[Editor: This review of The Yellow Wave (by Kenneth Mackay) is an extract from the “Literature” section published in The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), 7 December 1895.]
[The Yellow Wave]
After the recent developments of the Chinese war, and the evidences of the utter inefficiency of the native troops, Mr. Kenneth Mackay’s latest book, “The Yellow Wave,” which deals with a Chinese invasion of Australia, might rather be regarded as a mild satire.
Still, there is much truth in the author’s remarks on the land question, which necessarily crops up in this connection, and his views on the weakness of the defence works of Australia would delight our valiant Commander-in-Chief, Major-General Hutton. But as the invasion is not to occur until 1954, it will not personally disturb many of our present readers.
The hero of the book, Count Orlolf, is a fascinating personage; but our sympathies lie rather with the young Australian squatter, Dick Hatten, who possesses many amiable and lovable qualities.
The illustrations are a very strong feature of this volume. None of our local artists can touch Mr. Frank Mahony in animal drawing, and in “The Yellow Wave” he has given us some splendid specimens of his skill in depicting horses.
The book is published by Bentley and Sons.
Source:
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney, NSW), 7 December 1895, p. 9
Editor’s notes:
the Chinese war = the First Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895), a war fought between China and Japan; China lost the war, and was forced to cede to Japan the Liaodong Peninsula (later returned to China, in exchange for payment), the Penghu Islands, and Taiwan, as well as losing control over Korea, and having to pay war reparations
See: 1) “First Sino-Japanese War: 1894–1895”, Encyclopædia Britannica
2) “Treaty of Shimonoseki: 1895, China-Japan”, Encyclopædia Britannica
3) “First Sino-Japanese War”, Wikipedia
Frank Mahony = Francis (Frank) Mahony (1862-1916), an Australian artist; he was born in Melbourne in 1862, and died in Kensington (London, England) in 1916
See: 1) B. G. Andrews, “Mahony, Francis (Frank) (1862–1916)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Frank P. Mahony”, Wikipedia
Hutton = Edward Thomas Henry Hutton (1848-1923), an officer in the British army; he commanded the New South Wales armed forces (1893-1896), and was appointed as the first commander of the Australian armed forces (1901-1904), following the federation of the Australian colonies in 1901; he was born in Torquay (Devon, England) in 1848, and died in England in 1923
See: 1) A. J. Hill, “Hutton, Sir Edward Thomas Henry (1848–1923)”, Australian Dictionary of Biography
2) “Edward Hutton (British Army officer)”, Wikipedia
Leave a Reply