History

Young Billy Bowman and his mate Jack get caught up in the excitement when war is declared in August 1914 and leave their jobs on the farm to rush off and enlist in the Mounted Rifles - because the war would 'probably be over by Christmas... read more

Four Christmases have passed since the world went to war in 1914. Struggling to survive in the trenches, close to enemy lines, amid the terror of gunfire and the whine of warplanes, Kiwi soldier Henry Hunt rescues a shaken little dog. He ... read more

Mel and her cousin Harriet are keen to nurse brave Kiwi boys fighting in the Great War, half a world away. But when they join the NZ Army Nursing Service and board a hospital ship headed for Egypt, Anzac Cove and beyond, they have little idea of the horrors they will face, the wounds they will tend, and the hearts they will help to heal.

Seventeen year old Bob Sunday has stolen his brothers identity to enlist in WW1. Keith was killed at Gallipoli, so doesnt need it any more, anyway. But Bob is keen to join the Royal Flying Corps, and soon finds himself flying patrols ove... read more

As we Otago lads have only enough men for two squadrons, the General has decided that we are to be merged with the incoming Maori contingents to form a new battalion. Our new battalion will be Pioneers, doing behind-the-lines work: build... read more

Why does archaeology matter? How does studying prehistory help us understand climate change? How can archaeological discoveries challenge contemporary assumptions about gender? How has archaeology been used and misused to support political and nationa... read more

The Great War is now typically regarded as senseless and futile, but most New Zealanders at the time considered it to be a war to preserve security and freedoms, to punish an aggressive enemy and to win a better world. Ye... read more

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 G... read more

'A carefully researched and hugely readable account of the build-up to war, the momentum inexorably growing as he assembles each part of the jigsaw. Indeed, his narrative is so persuasive that by the time you are about two- thirds through, it takes some effort to remind... read more

No Description

There are 37,780 First World War memorials in Britain, listing names from all walks of life - estates, villages, places of work. They stand as landmarks to a defining period in British history - and yet one which is in danger of slipping away from p... read more

" Bethlehem] brings within reach 11,000 years of history, centering on the beloved town's unique place in the world. Blincoe's love of Bethlehem is compelling, even as he does not shy away from the complexities of its chronicle." --President Jimmy Carter Bethlehem is ... read more