A Field Officer's Notebook by Dan Davin

$29.95 NZD

Category: Second World War | Reading Level: New

Dan Davin, best known for his prose fiction, memoirs, and work in academic publishing, also wrote poetry. Not that he wrote poetry throughout his life; rather, it was almost exclusively written in three discrete periods: during the mid-to-late thirties while at university in New Zealand and England; dur ing the Second World War while on service in Greece, North Africa, and Italy; and after his retirement from the Clarendon Press in Oxford and in nearby Dorchester in the mid-eighties. A FIELD OFFICER'S NOTEBOOK makes this body of work available to general readers for the first time. Although all Davin's poems deserve to be read, those he wrote during his time as an intelligence officer with the Second New Zealand Division are revelatory and ought to be given their due as much by students of literature as by those of modern warfare. Quite unlike anything in New Zealand literature--exacting yet generous, angry but tender, almost sui generis--they speak strangely of even stranger things that defined a generation. Davin's poems speak unguardedly and disarmingly about one man's life . . . in a voice that haunts long after it has been heard.' --from the introduction by Robert McLean. ...Show more

Heroes of Gallipoli by Richard Stowers

$75.00 NZD

Category: First World War

With the centenary of the First World War upon us in 2015, Richard Stowers has written this book to increase the awareness of the unpretentious gallantry and service by New Zealanders during the Gallipoli campaign. The book details the bravery and distinguished service of men and women of the 1st echelo n of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the Gallipoli campaign. In some ways those listed in the book were the lucky ones whose courage was officially recognised. Many more who did heroic acts were not so fortunate, and their actions were never officially recognised due to the fortunes of war. Often overshadowed by the exploits of the Australians who were awarded nine Victoria Crosses during the Gallipoli campaign, time and time again the New Zealanders were denied gallantry medals by their high command. New Zealand can be rightly proud of these men and women who did extraordinary deeds during times of danger, hardship and peril. ...Show more

Living by the Moon: Te Maramataka a Te Whānau-ā-Apanui by Wiremu Tāwhai

$25.00 NZD

Category: Children's

The dependence of Te Whanau-a-Apanui ancestors on the environment led them to closely study the changes and cycles in nature so they could ensure their survival in their tribal area. Knowledge of aspects such as the sea conditions and best planting and harvesting times at each day of the month were care fully observed and remembered and community activities were arranged according to the phases of the moon. This book records this traditional knowledge, handed down orally and through practical demonstration to Te Whanau-a-Apanui elders by their forebears, and from them to the next generations.  Prizes: Short-listed for Nga Kupu Ora Te Korero Pono / Non-Fiction Book Award 2014 and PANZ Book Design Awards: Best Educational Book 2014. Originally researched and written as part of an academic study, Living by the Moon sets out and discusses the maramataka or lunar month and the understanding of the days and nights according Te Whanau-a-Apanui tribal knowledge. ...Show more

Matariki: The Star of the Year by Rangi Matamua

$35.00 NZD

Category: Children's

English language edition. In mid-winter, Matariki rises in the pre-dawn sky, and its observation is celebrated with incantations on hilltops at dawn, balls, exhibitions, dinners and a vast number of events. The Matariki tradition has been re-established, and its regeneration coincides with a growing in terest in Māori astronomy. Still, there remain some unanswered questions about how Matariki was traditionally observed. These include: What is Matariki? Why did Māori observe Matariki? How did Māori traditionally celebrate Matariki? When and how should Matariki be celebrated? Based on research and interviews with Māori experts, this book seeks answers to these questions and explores what Matariki was in a traditional sense so it can be understood and celebrated in our modern society. ...Show more

To the Memory: New Zealand's War Memorials by Jock Phillips

$15.00 NZD

$59.99 (75% off)

Category: Military History

Over 30,000 New Zealanders have died in wars since 1840. They have been remembered in the more than a thousand memorials put up in public places throughout New Zealand. Except on Anzac Day, most people pass by these monuments without really looking at them. Yet a huge amount of social energy and resourc es went into creating the memorials, which were the largest act of artistic patronage in the country's history. This beautiful book, based on over 30 years of loving research by Jock Phillips, one of the nation's leading historians, tells the fascinating story of who erected them and why, and the diverse forms chosen for the memorials tells us much about New Zealand identity and the tragedy of war. The story begins with the memorials to the New Zealand Wars, explores the sculpted monuments to the South African and First World wars, and then the 'living memorials' to the Second World War, and concludes with the many imaginative creations in the 2000s. Illustrated with over 200 photographs, To the Memory will appeal to those whose relatives are named on memorials, those with an interest in war history, people who wish to discover the history of the creative arts, enthusiasts for New Zealand's built heritage, along with anyone who cares about this country, for its story goes to the heart of New Zealand identity ...Show more

Searching for Charlie: In Pursuit of the Real Charles Upham VC and Bar by Tom Scott

$49.99 NZD

Category: Second World War

Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham is the only combat soldier ever to win the Victoria Cross twice. His acts of bravery in World War II meant he probably deserved six more.   The mystery of how a reserved, modest, slightly built farm valuer from New Zealand, could be so ferocious and fearless in battle has i ntrigued and fascinated Tom Scott ever since he read about Charles Upham as a schoolboy. ‘Searching for Charlie’ is his epic quest to unravel the “real” Charles Upham. ...Show more

A History of the Wairarapa Aero Club 1929-2019 by John G. Hill; Carol Hill; Wairarapa Aero Club Staff (Contribution by)

$20.00 NZD

Category: First World War

Le Quesnoy: The Story of the Town New Zealand Saved by Glyn Harper

$19.99 NZD

Category: Children's

Le Quesnoy (pronounced Leck con wah) is a town in northern France. It is surrounded by high walls and deep trenches. In World War I it was occupied by the German army for four long years. In November 1918 the town was liberated by soldiers from far-away New Zealand. Because these men used a bit of kiwi ingenuity they were able to take the town back without a single civilian life being lost. This has become one of the most famous stories in New Zealand military history and the relationship between Le Quesnoy and New Zealand continues to this day. This book tells the story of Le Quesnoy's liberation through the eyes of a child living in the town at the time. Stunning watercolour illustrations and simple language make this an ANZAC picture book that young readers will be able to imaginatively engage with. ...Show more

From Cairo to Cassino: A Memoir of Paddy Costello by Dan Davin

$25.00 NZD

Category: Second World War | Reading Level: new

In From Cairo to Cassino Dan Davin writes of the wartime days of his friendship with the extraordinary Paddy Costello. Paddy Costello, along with John Mulgan, Geoffrey Cox, Ian Milner, James Bertram, and Dan Davin, was one of a cast of young scholars who made seemingly peripheral yet lasting contributio ns to the New Zealand post-war cultural landscape. But Costello, despite his great many gifts, never quite found his place in the world and he remains an elusive and contradictory figure, someone whose reputation rests on what he could have done rather than on what he did. Yet he continues to fascinate by his very elusiveness. vPaddy Costello was also the best friend of Dan Davin: expatriate publisher, editor, novelist, short-story writer, poet, raconteur, and not least of all an indefatigably generous host and friend to many New Zealand writers. From Cairo to Cassino recounts the beginnings and the deepening of their friendship as they talked, tippled and fought their way through North Africa and Italy. Spanning Davins embarkation with 2 New Zealand Division at Alexandria, as it headed towards its mauling in Greece and on Crete, through to the day of the bombing of Monte Cassino, this book is many things: gentle and impassioned, candid and ironical, recondite and visceral. It is also often very funny. One of Davins last significant works and perhaps the one in which he made his deepest personal investment, From Cairo to Cassino confirms that he was one of our finest memoirists, as he lovingly brings Costello back to life in all his sound and fury. A significant addition to New Zealands literature of the Second World War, this is a special book that deserves to be read and reread. While it has been quoted from in biographies of Davin and Costello, this is the first publication of the full text. ...Show more

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

$65.00 NZD

Category: First World War | 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

Enduring Love

$40.00 NZD

Category: Military History

Fallout by Lesley Blume

$40.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

New York Times bestselling author Lesley Blume reveals how a courageous reporter uncovered one of greatest and deadliest cover-ups of the 20th century -- the true effects of the atom bomb -- potentially saving millions of lives. In the days following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the J apanese surrendered unconditionally. But even before the surrender, the US had begun a secret propaganda campaign to celebrate these weapons as the ultimate peacekeepers -- hiding the true extent and nature of their devastation. The cover-up intensified as Americans closed the atomic cities to Allied reporters, preventing information from leaking about the horrific and lasting effects of radiation which would kill thousands of people during the months after the blast. For nearly a year the cover-up worked -- until New Yorkerjournalist John Hersey got into Hiroshima and reported the truth to the world. As Hersey and his editors prepared his article for publication, they kept the whistleblowing story secret -- even from most of their New Yorkercolleagues. When the magazine published 'Hiroshima' in August, 1946, it became an instant global sensation, and inspired pervasive horror about the weapons that had been covertly waged in America's name. Since 1945, no nuclear weapons have ever been deployed in war in part because Hersey alerted the world to their true, devastating impact. This knowledge has remained among the greatest deterrents to using them since the end of World War II. Released on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Fallout is an engrossing detective story, as well as an important piece of hidden history that shows how one heroic scoop saved -- and can still save -- the world. ...Show more