Voyagers*

N BY E--Rockwell Kent--Brewer & Warren ($3.50).

MOBY DICK--Herman Melville; illustrated by Rockwell Kent--Random House ($3-50).

This is a big month for Artist Rockwell Kent. The Literary Guild has chosen his N by E; the Book-of-the-Month Club has taken the late great Herman Melville's Moby Dick in a new edition illustrated by Kent.

N by E is the record of a voyage to Greenland made last year by Kent and two companions: the late Arthur Samuel Allen Jr., 22/- and Lucian ("Cupid") Carey, 22. Their boat, the cutter Direction, 13 tons, 33 ft. over all, belonged to Allen's father. Allen was skipper, "Cupid" mate; Kent was cook and navigator. They sailed from Baddeck, Nova Scotia, June 17, made the coast of Greenland July 15. Twice on the way they were nearly wrecked. Allen was a good sailor, says Kent, but his judgment was poor. When they anchored in a little cove 40 miles from Godthaab, their destination, they thought their troubles were over; but that night a storm hit them, shifted their moorings, pounded the Direction against the rocks (TIME, July 29, 1929). They got ashore without trouble, saved some of their belongings, with mixed feelings watched the Direction sink. Next day Kent set out overland to find help. An Eskimo guided him to Narsak, where a friendly Dane received him hospitably in terrible English, and sent for the Governor. Allen and "Cupid" returned to the U.S., Kent stayed on, painted pictures (some of them on bed-sheets), made friends with the Eskimos, had a good time generally. In the autumn he went home by way of Denmark. Rockwell Kent's pictures in N by E take up almost as much room as the text; it is a superpicturebook. Random House, makers of limited edi tions, have put out a bargain in their unlimited edition of Moby Dick. With 275 Kent drawings, small, well-designed pages, good paper, fine printing (Lakeside Press), it is a revelation of what a publisher can afford to produce with a book- club membership to safeguard his sales.

Author & Artist. Rockwell Kent, 48, onetime well-digger, sailor, farmer, teacher, lobsterman, carpenter, architect, boatbuilder, has a passion for the sea, a passion for painting. Not afraid of solitude, he has lived and sailed much alone (from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego). To finance a trip to Alaska he once incorporated himself for $10,000, paid a 10% dividend. Last summer he painted a 6,400 sq. ft. canvas ceiling for the Dennis, Mass. "Cinema" (TIME, July 28). Last month he won his suit against Delaware & Hud son R. R. for resumption of passenger service between Ausable Forks (where he has a 200-acre farm) and Plattsburg, N. Y. Kent's reputation as one of the foremost U. S. artists has grown rapidly; his illustrations for these two books will not abate his fame.

/-He was killed by an automobile in Tarrytown, N. Y., a year ago last September (TIME, Sept. 30, 1929).

*New books are news. Unless otherwise designated, all books reviewed in TIME --were published within the fortnight. TIME readers may obtain any book of any U. S. publisher by sending check or money-order to cover regular retail price ($5 if price is unknown, change to be remitted) to Ben Boswell of TIME, 205 East 42nd St., New York Citv.

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