Le Quesnoy 1918 by Christopher Pugsley

$40.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

The New Zealand Division's capture of the French town of Le Quesnoy was its last and most successful action in the First World War. Breaking through defensive lines and scaling the town walls by ladder, the New Zealanders overwhelmed the defenders, freeing the town after years of German occupation. It w as a victory that resounded around the world, and helped convince German high command they could no longer hold the front. Based on his intimate knowledge of the landscape and those involved, Christopher Pugsley puts together the story with his mastery of drama and detail - producing a book that is thrilling at the same time as a tribute to the New Zealanders who died (and whose details are fully recorded here for the first time). Strikingly illustrated with maps, photographs and the stunning paintings of the battle by George Butler, Le Quesnoy 1918 will be an inspiring read for this summer and many seasons beyond. ...Show more

Ake Ake Kia Kaha E! Forever Brave!: B Company 28th Maori Battalion 1939-1945 by Wira Gardiner

$50.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

A truly unique insight into the impact the Second World War had on the iwi of the central North Island and Bay of Plenty districts (including Te Arawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Tuhoe, Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngati Maru and Ngati Paoa) focusing on the region's war effort not only overseas, but also at home and in gove rnment. Through personal recollections, eyewitness accounts, numerous anecdotes and highly illustrated throughout, the book tells the fascinating story of the B Company's war, capturing the special `spirit' of the Maori Battalion. Features over 200 images, many not seen in print before, plus hundreds of portraits of the men of B Company (650+ our of approx 900 who served) generously provided by whanau. Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Harawira "Wira" Tiri Gardiner, KNZM, is a former professional soldier, senior public servant and writer. He was contracted to write B Company's history in 2015. His tribal affiliations are Ngati Awa, Ngati Pikiao, Whakatohea and Te Whanua-a-Apanui. ...Show more

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

$49.99 NZD

Category: Biographies | Reading Level: near fine

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

Tiger Moths & Butterflies by P. Norman

$25.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

Tiger Moths and Butterflies: With the Airforce in War and Peace is the fascinating story of a schoolboy and his contemporaries during WWII. In 1942, Peter Norman and his friends were excited at the thought of escaping boyhood and getting into uniform to serve their country in the war. Desperate to take part in the action, they enlisted in the New Zealand Air Force, where unlike the Army, they would not need to wait until turning twenty-one before being sent overseas. In this beautifully written account, the reader is given an insight into the feelings of trepidation of a first solo flight in a Tiger Moth and the thrill of accomplishment. The book covers the period of training, both in New Zealand and in Canada, voyages in US troop ships across the Pacific, the exciting conversion to modern fighter aircraft, the companionship of a squadron and the inevitable loss of friends. Tiger Moths and Butterflies is a fully illustrated book with a wealth of photographs both private and official. It includes operating characteristics of four well-known wartime aircraft and how it felt to fly them. Peter Norman was born in Christchurch in 1924. He was educated at Christ’s College. After the war he returned to New Zealand where he took up a position with Thos Borthwicks and Sons and in 1982 he retired as Managing Director of that company. Norman was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal in 1976. He lives at Drummond Cottage in Greytown and is married with a son and daughter. Tiger Moths and Butterflies is his third book. ...Show more

To Find a PathThe Life and Times of the Royal Pacific Islands Regiment Vols one and two by James Sinclair

$270.00 NZD

Category: Other Wars

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

Wartime Experiences - A Collection of Short Stories from Members of the Country Women's Institute by New Zealand Country Women's Institute Staff (Contribution by)

$25.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

Published by NZ Country Women's Institute, 1996.Fine condition.  A5 Soft cover, stitched 116 pages. B&W illustrations. 

Sea Kings of Britain : Keppel to Nelson and Albemarle to Hawke

$20.00 NZD

Category: Naval History

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

$38.00 NZD

Category: Second World War | Reading Level: near fine

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

The Sword and the Pen - Selections from the World's Greatest Military Writings by Basil H. Liddell-Hart; Adrian Liddell Hart

$30.00 NZD

Category: Other Wars

General Giap : The General Headquarters in the Spring of Brilliant Victory

$135.00 NZD

Category: Vietnam War

New Zealand Medical Services in Middle East and Italy

$120.00 NZD

Category: Second World War

War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs., Wellington., 1956. Cloth. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Fair. First Edition. xv + 721pp, photos, maps, charts. Volume of the official history of New Zealand in the second world war. Jacket is chipped and creased