Recent Book: Modern Self Defense
| Jurisdiction | United Kingdom |
| Author | Ceddon |
| Published date | 01 January 1959 |
| Date | 01 January 1959 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0032258X5903200119 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
CYRIL
E. S.
HORSFORD:
The
Assize
and Quarter Sessions
Handbook.
Sweet &Maxwell. 17s. 6d.
THIS
HANDBOOK,
based on the
Quarter
Sessions
Handbook
by Linton
Thorp
and
Raymond
E. Negres, contains, in alphabetical order of subjects a
mine
of information
for
the practitioner.
It
will also be useful to Recorders
and
Justices who sit at
quarter
sessions in providing aquick reference to
many
points
about
procedure, appeals, evidence and particular offences.
The
reader must, however, keep in mind
that
the
book
does not
purport
to
be an exhaustive treatise.
The
compression required to get the contents into
129 pages
has
inevitably meant
the
omission of all but the essential points of
each subject. Authority for propositions is cited, but infrequently, and this
might be attended to with advantage in future editions.
The
law is expressed accurately
but
occasionally
there
is a slip, as
when
it is stated
that
an Appeal Committee may consist of
not
less
than
three
nor
more
than
twelve justices; this should be nine. We note, too,
that
nothing is
said
about
the power of
quarter
sessions to extend the time in which
an
appeal may be brought.
The
note on Recognisance suffers from over-
brevity, as where it is stated
that
"on
proof
of a breach of a recognisance
the
court
may punish the offender for the breach by estreating
the
recognisance
and/or
it may sentence him for the original offence."
This
is
misleading if
meant
to be a general statement applicable to all recogni-
sances. We question, too, the statement
that
"a breach of a
probation
order
may be constituted by
the
commission of
another
offence during
the
probation period," in view of s.6(6) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1948,
which states
that
"a
probationer who is convicted of an offence committed
during the probation period shall not on
that
account be liable to be
dealt
with
for
(breach of probation)."
These
blemishes
apart,
we find this an excellent little guide, which will
be
of
much use to police officers as well as practitioners. A.J.C.
R. H.
SIGWARD:
Modern
Self
Defense. William C.
Cupp
&Associates.
$3.90.
MR.
SIGWARD
obviously has a very wide practical and theoretical know-
ledge of
"modern
self defense" in America and Europe. As the introduction
points out, the
art
is
"to
understand and perfect
the
mechanics of
the
various holds
and
apply them with speed." In 240 pages and 550 action
photographs, every effort is
made
to make the mechanics very clear
and
the result is a success. Unless the world-be expert belongs to a gymnastic
or athletic club he may find it
hard
to provide the recommended
"mat
about
two inches thick and covering asquare
of
fifteen feet" on which to
practise but otherwise one only needs a
partner
to start work forthwith.
The
illustrations to "keys to blows, bars and locks" might be clearer if
the
opponent
was wearing the same clothing in each and did not suddenly
appear
as the "victim" in
some
cases. In
one
or
two places photographs
appear
in a different order from
the
captions and references to "keys"
have
gone astray, which is disconcerting in a work of this nature.
Any police officer in this country who studies this
book
and has occa-
sion
to
put
its principles into practice will be well advised to heed the
warning (which does
not
appear
until page
Ill)
that
'The
actual real-life
performance of this blow will cause unconsciousness."
There
are
other
throws and blows,
about
which little warning is given, which will produce
asimilar state or even serious injury.
"He
falls flat on his face, an all-
American out . . . you can dislocate his neck
and-cheery
afterthought-
fracture his
arm";
the British police officer would perhaps do well to leave
this
out
of his repertoire, except in case of dire need.
As the publisher says "this
book
could not possibly be dainty
...
"This
is no gentle sport,
but
self-preservation, probably survival itself.
It
is
written as a text
book
for
American policemen
and
one is left with
the
feeling
that
life on the
other
side of the Atlantic is, perhaps, considerably
more
raw
than
in this country.
If
the
"Commando
tactics" described herein
were practised on
the
British criminal the cry of "liberty of
the
subject"
68
The
Police Journal
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