In Search of the Absolute: the Nouvelle Revue française,and Uses and Meanings of the Orient (1920–1930)

In the intellectual history of the interwar period, the Nouvelle Revue française (NRF) occupies centre-stage. Valéry's essay La crise de l'esprit (1919), published in the review following the Great War, announced a crisis of faith in Western values and traditions. As elsewhere, intellectuals in France looked to the East for new inspirations. This article traces the interest and attraction of the East for certain key NRF writers, including André Malraux, and the teacher and philosopher, Jean Grenier, whose essay Sur l'Inde was published in the review in 1930. The article is informed partly by the correspondence of Jean Paulhan, the editor of the NRF.     

Reviews

Australian

Don Aitkin, Brian Jinks and John Warhurst (eds), Australian Political Institutions, 4th edn, Melbourne, Longman Cheshire, 1989. $4.99 (paper)

F. G. Castles, Australian Public Policy and Economic Vulnerability, Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 1988, pp. 184. $19.95 (paper)

Ian C. Marsh (ed.) Australia Can Compete, Melbourne Longman Cheshire, 1988, pp. 261. $19.95 (paper)

Glyn Davis, Breaking up the ABC, Sydney, Allen & Unwin, 1988 pp. 150. $14.95. (paper)

Evatt Research Centre, State of Siege: Renewal or Privatisation for Australian Public Services?, Lei‐chardt, NSW, Pluto Press, 1989. pp. 496. $29.95 (paper)

Keith Hancock (ed.), Australian Society, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1989. pp. 258. $25.00 (paper)

J. B. Hirst, The Strange Birth of Colonial Democracy. Sydney, Allen and Unwin, 1988. pp. 305. $19.95 (paper)

Keith McConnochie, David Hollinsworth and Jan Pettman, Race and Racism in Australia, Social Science Press, Wentworth Falls, NSW, 1988. pp.259. $19.95 (paper).

Martin Painter, Steering the Modern State: Changes in Central Co‐ordination in Three Australian State Governments, Sydney, Sydney University Press, 1987. pp.208. $25.00 (paper)

Comparative and International

John E. Chubb and Paul E. Peterson (eds), Can the Government Govern!, Washington D.G, Brook‐ings, 1989. pp.339. US$29.95 (paper)

Timothy E. Cook, Making Laws and Making News: Media Strategies in the U.S. House of Representatives, Washington D.C, Brookings, 1989. pp.210. US$26.95 (cloth)

Richard Crockatt and Steve Smith (eds) The Cold War Past and Present, Winchester, MA., Unwin Hyman, 1987. pp.272. US$14.95 (paper)

Leon Gordenker, Refugees in International Politics, New York, Columbia University Press, 1987. pp. 227. US$30.00 (cloth)

Stephen Hess, Organizing the Presidency, 2nd edn, Washington, D.C., Brookings, 1988. pp.273. US$10.95 (paper)

Eric Hobsbawm, Politics for a Rational Left, London, Verso, 1989. pp. 250. £8.95 (paper)

Robert A. Katzmann (ed.), Judges and Legislators: Towards Institutional Comity, Washington, Brookings, 1988. pp. 200. US$10.95 (paper)

Fred Krinsky (ed.), Crisis and Innovation: Constitutional Democracy in America, Oxford, Basil Blackwell, 1988. pp.158. $34.95 (paper)

Philip Laundy, Parliaments in the Modem World, Aldershot, Gower, 1989. pp.166. £25.00 (doth)

Stanley Bach and Steven S. Smith, Managing Uncertainty in the House of Representatives: Adaptation and Innovation in Special Rules, Washington D.C., Brookings, 1988. pp. 140. US$22.95 (cloth)

Timothy Mitchell, Colonising Egypt, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1988. pp.218. US$42.50 (cloth)

Carol M. Mueller (ed.) The Politics of the Gender Gap: The Social Construction of Political Influence. Newsbury Park, California, Sage, 1988. pp.316. US$ 16.95 (paper)

John Newhouse, The Nuclear Age: From Hiroshima to Star Wars, London, Michael Joseph, 1989. pp.486. £15.95 (cloth)

Richard Rose, Ordinary People in Public Policy. Newbury Park, California, Sage, 1989. pp.189. US$8.95 (paper)

Richard Rose, The Postmodern President: The White House Meets the World, Chatham, New Jersey, Chatham House, 1988. pp. 349. US$14.95 (paper)

William E. Rosenbach and Robert L. Taylor (eds) Contemporary Issues in Leadership, 2nd edn, Boulder, Westview, 1989. pp.248. US$16.95 (paper)

Angus Mclntyre (ed.) Aging and Political Leadership, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1988. pp. 316. $35.00 (cloth)

Graham Little Strong Leadership: Thatcher, Reagan and An Eminent Person, Melbourne, Oxford University Press, 1988. pp. 289. $ 19.95 (paper)

Emile Sahliyeh, In Search of Leadership: West Bank Politics Since 1967, Washington, D.C., Brookings, 1988. pp. 201. US$10.95 (paper)

Betty H. Zisk, Money, Media and the Grass Roots: State Ballot Issues and the Electoral Process. New‐bury Park, California, Sage, 1987. pp.279. US$12.95 (paper)

Political Theory and Methodology

Terrell Carver, Marx and Engels: The Intellectual Relationship. Harvester Press, Sussex, 1983. pp. 172. $50.00 (cloth)

Levi, Margaret, Of Rule and Revenue, Berkeley, University of California Press, 1988. pp.253. US$10.95 (paper)

Robert Paul Wolff, Understanding Marx: A Reconstruction and Critique of Capital, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 1984. pp.235. US$8.95 (paper)     

Book reviews

Australian politics

L.F. Crisp, Federation Fathers (ed. John Hart: Studies in Australian Federation) (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990) pp.xv + 484. $48.00 ISBN 0 522 84399 3.

I.M. Cumpston, Lord Bruce of Melbourne (Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 1989) pp.xviii + 291. $n.p. ISBN 0582 71274 2.

John Forster and John Wanna (eds.), Budgetary Management and Control (Melbourne: Macmillan, 1990) pp.vii + 206. $29.95 ISBN 0 7329 0332 7.

Hal L. Kendig and John McCallum (eds.), Grey Policy: Australian Policies for an Ageing Society (Sydney: Allen & Unwin, 1990) pp.xiii + 226. $19.95 ISBN 0 04 442129 X.

Chandran Kukathas, David W. Lovell and William Maley, The Theory of Politics: an Australian Perspective (Melbourne: Longman Cheshire, 1990) pp.210 + vii. $15.99 ISBN 0 582 86806 8.

Scott Prasser, Rae Wear and John Nethercote (eds.), Corruption and Reform: The Fitzgerald Vision (Brisbane: University of Queensland Press, 1990) pp.xvi + 267. $26.95 ISBN 0 7022 2234 8.

Kosmas Tsokhas, Markets, Money and Empire: The Political Economy of the Australian Wool Industry (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1990) pp.viii + 235. $29.95 ISBN 0 522 84417 0.

Comparative and international politics

Abdullahi Ahmed An‐Na'im and Francis M. Deng (eds.), Human Rights in Africa: Cross‐Cultural Perspectives (Washington D.C.: The Brookings Institution, 1990) pp.xv + 399. $36.95 ISBN 0 8157 1796 2.

Thomas A. Baylis, Governing by Committee. Collegial Leadership in Advanced Societies (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1989) pp.236. $n.p. ISBN0 88706 944 4.

George C. Edwards III with Alec M. Gallup Presidential Approval: A Sourcebook (Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press, 1990) pp.viii + 214. $US40.50 ISBN 0 8018 4085 6.

Kristian Gerner and Stefan Hedlund, Ideology and Rationality in the Soviet Model: A legacy for Gorbachev (London: Routledge, 1989) pp.xii + 455. $n.p. ISBN 0 415 02142 1.

John A. Hall (ed.), States in History (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990) pp.vi + 317. $39.95 ISBN 0 631 17136 3.

M.D. Hancock, West Germany: The Politics of Democratic Corporatism (N.J.: Chatham House, 1989) pp.v + 186. $US12.95 ISBN 0 934540 54 3.

Christine Jennett and Randal G. Stewart (eds.), Politics of the Future: the role of social movements (Melbourne: Macmillan, 1989) pp.xi + 471. $34.95 ISBN 0 333 50222 1.

Peter Jennings, The Armed Forces of New Zealand and the Anzus Split: Costs and Consequences (Aukland: New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, 1988) pp.xi + 108. $NZ12.00 ISBN 0 908772 04 1.

Ihor Kamenetsky (ed.) The Tragedy of Vinnytsia; materials on Stalin's policy of extermination in Ukraine during the great purge, 1936–1938 (Toronto: Ukrainian Historical Association, 1989) pp.xviii + 265. $n.p.

Martin Laffin, Managing Under Pressure (Hampshire and London: Macmillan, 1989) pp.xvi + 207. $24.95 ISBN 0 333 44660 7.

Brij V. Lal, Power and Prejudice: The Making of the Fiji Crisis (Auckland: New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, 1988)

Garry Rodan, The Political Economy of Singapore's Industrialisation: National State and International Capital (London: Macmillan, 1989) pp.266. £35.00 ISBN 0 333 47079 6.

Richard Scase (ed.), Industrial Societies: Crisis and Division in Western Capitalism and State Socialism (London: Unwin Hyman, 1989) pp.xi + 260. $29.95 ISBN 0–04–301303–1.

G.A. Wood, Governing New Zealand (Auckland: Longman Paul, 1988) pp.ix + 164. $NZ16.95 ISBN 0 582 71822 8.

Political theory and methodology

J.M. Barbalet, Citizenship: Rights, Struggle and Class Inequality (Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1988) pp.119. £5.95 ISBN 0 335 15570 7.

Peter Calvert, Revolution and Counter‐Revolution (Milton Keynes: Open University Press, 1990) pp.vi + 90. $24.95 ISBNO 335 15397 6.

Cynthia Farrar, The Origins of Democratic Thinking: The invention of politics in classical Athens (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988), pp.x + 301. $42.50 ISBN 0 521 37584 3.

Norman Geras, Discourses of Extremity: Radical Ethics and Post‐Marxist Extravagances (London: Verso, 1990) pp.xiii + 171. $29.95 ISBN 0 86091 980 3.

Barry Hindess (ed.), Reactions to the Right (London: Routledge, 1990) pp.viii + 193. $32.95 ISBN 0 415 03385 3.

Margot Light, The Soviet Theory of International Relations (Brighton: Harvester Wheatsheaf, 1988) pp.vi + 376. $n.p. ISBN 0 7450 0556 X.

Joseph McCarney, Social Theory and the Crisis of Marxism (London: Verso, 1990) pp.x+217. $29.95 ISBN 0–86091–948‐X.

John Morrow, Coleridge's Political Thought: Property, Morality and the Limits of Traditional Discourse (London: Macmillan, 1990) pp. xi + 215. £29.50 ISBN 0 333 51192 1.

Peter P. Nicholson, The Political Philosophy of the British Idealists: Selected Studies (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990) pp.x + 359. $135.00 ISBN 0 521 37102 3.

Stuart Schram, The Thought of Mao Tse‐tung (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989) pp.242. $30.50 ISBN 0 521 32549 8.

Arthur Seldon, Capitalism (Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1990) pp.xiii + 419. $45.00 ISBN 0 631 12558 2.