RECENT & READABLE

The Courts of Memory, by Frank Rooney. One of the year's best first novels, although tedious in spots, about the lost generation of the '30s and its conformist nonconformists (TIME, May 17).

The Reason Why, by Cecil Woodham-Smith. Best and most fascinating account to date of the most glorious snafu in military history: the charge of the Light Brigade at Balaclava (TIME, May 10).

From the Danube to the Yalu, by Mark W. Clark. Lessons and recommendations for his countrymen by an American general who has fought Communism in Europe and Asia (TIME, May 3).

The Fire-Raisers, by Marris Murray. A vivid, moody story about a South African valley and its willy-nilly incendiaries (TIME, April 26).

The Bad Seed, by William March. Malice and murder in the heart of a child; a mother-and-daughter story that swiftly turns into a shocker (TIME, April 12).

A Time to Laugh, by Laurence Thompson. The lighthearted story of poor Gadein, a gawky African adolescent, and his triumph over both his tribe and the British army (TIME, April 5).

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