Into the Unknown: The Secret WWI Diary of Kiwi Alick Trafford No. 25/469 by Ian Trafford

$38.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military

A personal account of WWI from the diaries of a Gisborne farm boy, shaped into a gripping narrative by the diarist's grandson 100 years later. Follow Alick as he moves from his last night on the farm in early 1916, through enshipment and training, then off to the battle fields of France and Belgium, occ upied Germany and back home. His treasured diaries covered the tedium, the mud, the fear and sorrow, the discomfort, the periods of leave and the letters from those back home. See the war unfold through Alick's eyes and learn about his and his companions' attitudes to the army, to female company, to the enemy soldiers, to the hospitality provided by people under pressure, to the war itself. And after the drama and tragedy of war, comes the return home and the efforts required to make a living while remaining steadfastly silent about the traumas of those terrible years - an unseen fight that continued and affected generations to come. ...Show more

Eddie Norman And 25 Battalion by Elizabeth Kay

$40.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military

When World War Two broke out, three theological students left their college in Auckland to the sound of bagpipes and volunteered to fight. Eddie Norman, aged 22 from Hawke's Bay, was one of them. A natural leader, his first experience of action was at El Alamein in 1942 as a platoon commander, and durin g the Italian campaign he quickly rose to command 25 Battalion. Under Eddie, the battalion was responsible for the division's sole success at Cassino, almost single-handedly smashed the German defensive line south of Arezzo and led the advance across the Senio to the Sillaro River. He was awarded the Military Cross, Distinguished Service Order and American Legion of Merit. Eddie's regular letters home to his new wife, Margaret, described daily army life during the desert fighting in the Middle East and the wet winter campaign in Italy when the men were holed up in the ruins of Cassino and pursued the enemy through Tuscany to the Adriatic Coast. Eddie returned home to Margaret and his studies for the Anglican priesthood, eventually becoming Anglican Bishop of Wellington in 1973 and knighted. Eddie Norman and 25 Battalion is told by Eddie's daughter Elizabeth Kay using his letters and other writings, 200 images and a series of custom-made maps. ...Show more

With Them Through Hell: New Zealand Medical Services in the First World War by Anna Rogers

$65.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military | Reading Level: near fine

The thousands of New Zealand men who fought in the First World War went through hell. And right beside them was another fighting force, armed with scalpels, bandages and drugs. Hundreds of doctors, nurses, stretcher-bearers, orderlies and ambulance drivers,dentists, chiropodists, pharmacists, physiother apists and chaplains cared for the sick and wounded, often at great personal risk. Veterinarians did the same for horses, camels and other animals. The challenges were enormous - horrific injuries, gas and deadly diseases, especially the influenza of 1918. There were some astonishing successes - most famously by plastic surgery pioneers Harold Gillies and Henry Pickerill - but the price was high, for patients and carers. The skilled, compassionate and courageous New Zealand medical personnel of the Great War have not always received the attention they deserve. Anna Rogers tells their remarkable story. ...Show more

The Great War For New Zealand: Waikato 1800-2000 by Vincent O'Malley

$79.99 NZD

Category: NZ History

A monumental new account of the defining conflict in New Zealand history. It was war in the Waikato in 1863-64 that shaped the nation in all kinds of ways: setting back Maori and Pakeha relations by several generations and allowing the government to begin to assert the kind of real control over the coun try that had eluded it since 1840. Spanning nearly two centuries from first contact through to settlement and apology, Vincent O'Malley focuses on the human impact of the war, its origins and aftermath. Based on many years of research and illustrated throughout, The Great War for New Zealand is a groundbreaking book written in the conviction that a nation needs to own its history. ...Show more

The Battle of Messines Road by J. K. Moloney

$29.99 NZD

Category: NZ Military | Reading Level: new

'My war was a good war, as was the next one. Your father's is a bad one. But in the end it makes no difference. It's all war. It's always the same.' A man at the end of his life, trying to make sense of war, for a boy at the start of his. The story of how these unlikely friends find solace and together fight what they see as the unfairness of it all. A fight that culminates in a series of battles; one on Messines Road and one on Anzac Day. Told both through the eyes of 10-year-old Zac, living in 1968 Wellington and a 21-year-old World War I soldier, The Battle of Messines Road is a coming-of-age story, a World War I diary and a novel about friendship and families. It is a book of how two wars, 50 years apart, changed New Zealand and its people. With the centenary of WWI now in progress The Battle of Messines Road is a chance to get a fresh perspective on a period of New Zealand's history which is presently in the spotlight. The combination of historical document, carefully researched history and fiction gives readers a unique insight into WWI and the nature of war alongside an exciting story line. The two intertwined narratives will hold a wide-range of reader interest and the perspective of 10-year-old Zac will capture the attention of the young adult market while still appealing to more mature readers. ...Show more

Jack Hinton VC: a Man Amongst Men: A Man Amongst Men by MCDONALD, Gabrielle

$59.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military

Jungle Green Shadows by Tony Howell

$75.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military

The New Zealand Government ordered the deployment of combat forces to Vietnam in 1965 to join Australia and other Allies engaged in that War. Victor 2 Rifle Company arrived in Vietnam on 12 November 1967 and left on 13 May 1968. Major Brian Worsnop was the commander, and the author, Lieutenant Tony Howe ll, was one of the Platoon Commanders. Jungle Green Shadows is a very important historical record of Victor 2 Company's participation in New Zealand's most unpopular war. What is fascinating is how Tony has managed to weave the thoughts and experiences of so many surviving Company soldiers into this factual account. As a result it reads more like an educational novel than a history book. There is one chapter that deals with a typical day in the life of a Lead Scout, a tense and thought-provoking look at how these young men cared for themselves and each other. The reader may find the Scout's contact with two Viet Cong too graphically described - but it is indicative of what these young men were asked to do. The Company was deployed to Vietnam during the most violent period of the Vietnam War - the Tet Offensive. If you had any questions about how this Rifle Company became a legend, this book will provide the answers. The defining hours for Victor 2 Company were when they were attacked and surrounded by a Battalion of Viet Cong on 7 February 1968. For several hours the Company fought off the attackers, initially without artillery or air support. The book is not all combat action, however, although there is enough of that there. Tony deals thoroughly with the battlefield stress and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) issues that arose from being constantly in the front line. He is very sympathetic in the way he covers these stress issues and their effects on families and, in turn, their children. Tony brings to light the brutality of the Hanoi regime and the huge toll they inflicted on their own people, both during the War and after the Allies withdrew from Vietnam in 1972. It is not pleasant reading of assassination squads and 're-education camps' but that was the reality behind the bamboo curtain. He even follows the re-education fate of three key Phuoc Tuy Province officials who were in office during the time Victor 2 Company was in Vietnam. The real value of this book is that, while it may have been written for the families of the Victor 2 Company soldiers, the author's easy flowing style will appeal to all New Zealanders. This book is well-researched and the sources are all identified. Jungle Green Shadows is a must for Vietnam Veterans, families, schools, stress counsellors, amateur or professional military historians and researchers on the Vietnam War. ...Show more

From Taranto to Trieste by Jennifer Mallinson

$49.50 NZD

Category: NZ Military

Taranto to Trieste is an account of the author’s fascinating journey to retrace the actual path of the 2nd New Zealand Division in Italy from its arrival in October 1943 until the end of the European war. Although a personal journey with personal reflections, the real story is about the largely off-the- beaten track places which the troops passed through, what they saw and experienced along the way and, in some cases what they missed. To complement the Division’s story, the historical context and military actions are explained with many maps as well as war-time photographs and colourful quotations from official military histories. As the author says, “There are many people of the post-war generation, and their children, with direct connections to the Italian campaign, who would like to know more about the small, mysterious places the Division passed through which appear in diaries, letters and on the back of photographs, but many of which do not appear on maps.” The author’s own photographs, descriptions of the places visited, the landscapes travelled and the roads followed will delight those wanting to follow in the footsteps of the 2nd Division in Italy. ...Show more

Shooting From the Shadows - New Zealand Special Air Service - Wings Williams Story by Michael William

$85.99 NZD

Category: NZ Military

Between 1956 and 1971 the New Zealand SAS were deployed on active service four times. Michael Wings Williams career in the New Zealand Army, and the New Zealand SAS, spans a significant portion of this period and this book takes the reader through two of those key campaigns; Borneo and South Vietnam.Thi s book gives us a glimpse into the world of an SAS soldier at that time through the eyes of one of New Zealand SAS most well-known veterans. This story is important for many reasons, not least because these Cold War experiences would be so critical for future generations of New Zealand Special Forces soldiers, including its most famous one; Willie Apiata VC. In his biography, author Paul Little writes that one of Apiatas best trainers was an instructor who had learnt from the Vietnam SAS vets - individuals like Wings Williams. Some stories are humorous, some are frightening and some ably illustrate the matter-of-fact candour that is a hallmark of this group of former elite soldiers. While many would cringe at being described in such a fashion, no member would disagree with their deep desire to achieve and maintain the highest professional standards that were expected from all SAS soldiers.This is what made the SAS soldiers; no glorified heroics, no outstanding deeds of daring-do but the application of unique Kiwi Special Forces culture of humility, commitment and unrelenting standards of excellence. While this book is much about Williams SAS career, it is considerably more than that. But for me, the real value in this book is Wings target audience. It is not the wider public nor is it the military historian, amateur or professional, even though this volume will be of immense interest to both. What pleases me more than anything is that this is a story for a family. There is a deep sense of duty and service that comes from reading this book, and it is my hope that Wings and his peers remain as proud of their contributions, sacrifices and accomplishments as I and many of the children within the SAS family have always been. Your stories are part of who we are, and many of us have been waiting some time to hear them. ...Show more

Soldiers, Scouts & Spies: A Military History of the New Zealand Wars 1845 - 1864 by Cliff Simons

$55.00 NZD

Category: NZ Military

As interest in the New Zealand Wars grows, Soldiers, Scouts and Spies offers a unique insight into the major campaigns fought between 1845 and 1864 by British troops, their militia and Maori allies, and Maori iwi and coalitions. It was a time of rapid technological change. Maori were quick to adopt west ern weaponry and evolve their tactics and even political structures as they looked for ways to confront the might of the Imperial war machine. And Britain, despite being a military and economic super power, was challenged by a capable enemy in a difficult environment. ...Show more

Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori in the First World War by Monty Soutar

$69.99 NZD

Category: Māori Military History

This major publication about Maori participation in the First World War is written by NZ's leading Maori military historian Dr Monty Soutar, author of the award-winning Nga Tama Toa C Company, Maori Battalion. A fascinating look at the Pioneer Battalion (the Battalion created for Maori to serve) that wi ll shed light on the reasons why some men signed on to serve, and others staunchly resisted the call to join the imperial conflict. As with Dr Soutar's first book, it combines the story of the war and the role of Maori in it, with the words and thoughts of the men themselves, as well as those back home. Over 300 images, many from family collections and not published before. ...Show more

For King and Other Countries by Glyn Harper

$59.99 NZD

Category: NZ Military

New Zealands military contribution to the First World War was a massive effort for a small country. The figure most often quoted is that from October 1914 through to October 1918, just over 100,000 New Zealanders embarked for military service overseas. But that number does not include the thousands who served under other imperial flags: with the Australian Imperial Force, British army units, the Indian army, the Canadian Expeditionary Force, the American Expeditionary Force, the South African Overseas Expeditionary Force, the French Foreign Legion, and even the Ceylon Planters Rifle Corps. Nor does it include the women who served with other nations medical organisations or by entertaining troops. This meticulously researched book details a range of New Zealanders who fought for the British Empire under other flags. They have not previously been included in First World War statistics, and there may be as many as 12,000 of them, 1400 of whom died. From heroes and ratbags to singers and medical pioneers, in For King and Other Countries Glyn Harper tells their stories. ...Show more