While a plethora of studies have discussed why so many men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received relatively little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the fact that substantial numbers of men appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men, and the workings of the bodies charged with assessing their cases, through a sustained transnational comparison of the British and New Zealand contexts.

While a plethora of studies have discussed why so many men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received relatively little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the fact that substantial numbers of men appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men, and the workings of the bodies charged with assessing their cases, through a sustained transnational comparison of the British and New Zealand contexts.

In the 18th century, when vice, poverty and cruelty were running amok among the people of Britain, a religious revival broke out which radically altered the spiritual and moral tone of the country. The revival - which happened on both sides of the Atlantic - helped change what had become a callous, brutal society into one we might more easily recognise today in its burgeoning humanity. The men who led the revival were called 'Methodists' on account of what was perceived as their 'methodical' approach to religion, and they were dubbed 'Mad Methodists' by those who opposed their evangelical preaching and whole-hearted devotion to God. However, as this book will show, there was 'method in their madness' - enough to effect spiritual and social change on two continents. Included in this book are pen portraits of the leading revivalists of the 18th century and also some of the reformers who worked to effect social change in the wake of the revival.

Princess Pollinovia (or 'Polly' as she was called by her family) is a very irregular princess. She doesn't behave like a princess at all, but likes playing in the mud and turning cartwheels. Then one day, she has a chance meeting with a shepherd boy who teaches her - of all things - archery. Her sisters are horrified at this unladylike behaviour, but when their land is threatened by gruesome giant invaders, Polly becomes the one chosen to go and fight for her people. The odds against her seem hopeless, but Princess Polly - together with her shepherd boy - has a big surprise up her sleeve! This fantasy of courage, romance and magic is a sequel to the same author's book, 'Ava and the Goblin Prince' and should delight both children and adults alike. David Littlewood is a freelance author and writer. His children's books include 'Ava and the Goblin Prince' and 'Ghastly Gob Gissimer.'