The story of this tragic loss, New Zealand's worst military disaster, has not been told fully - until now In the annals of military history, the World War I battle of Passchendaele is recorded as New Zealand's worst military disaster. In just a few short hours on a miserable Belgian morning over 1000 New Zealand soldiers were killed and a further 2000 wounded in an attack on the Germanfront line. In Massacre at Passchendaele, Glyn Harper brings this ill-fated battle to life. The background to the situation facing the Allies in October 1917 is outlined, and the first assault on Passchendaele is described. This near-perfect military operation brought the New Zealand soldiers much acclaim; however, the second attack, on 12 October 1917, was anything but successful. The rationale of the strategists, the concern of some officers and the desperation of the fighting man are all recorded here. Judicious use of diary extracts and recorded interviews transport the reader to the centre of this harrowing event. An appendix lists the names and details of the New Zealand soldiers killed at Passchendaele, a tribute to their sacrifice. The military disaster of Passchendaele was a pivotal event in New Zealand's history, and a key influence on our attitudes to war in the following decades. This book will help ensure that it remains an untold story no longer.

A landmark book exploring New Zealand's second world war effort through over 800 photographs, many never before published and many live-action shots taken by those at the front. The images span North Africa, Europe and the Pacific, as well as action on the water and in the air - every battle and theatre in which New Zealanders fought. The text by one of New Zealand's leading military historians places the images in context. Chapters on prisoners of war, the home front and New Zealand's role in Japan after the end of hostilities in the Pacific round out this rich visual account of a conflict that dominated all aspects of New Zealand life for seven years.

Considered by critics to be an accurate portrayal of frontline medical conditions, A Surgeon in Khaki is New Zealand surgeon Arthur Anderson Martin's account of his experiences in 1914, early in World War I. Already a well-respected and widely traveled surgeon when war broke out, Martin joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. Under Field Marshal Sir John French, he served at Le Havre, Harfleur, and at the battle of the Marne. He marched to Aisne, to the new lines behind La Bassee, and finally to Flanders. During his entire service, he advocated immediate specialist surgery for the direst wounds, even under fire. In this engaging narrative, the reader experiences the daily life of war through the eyes of the medical officers who tried valiantly to help the wounded and ill on the front lines of World War I. Martin provides colorful descriptions of the soldiers and officers, harrowing details of the battles, and riveting accounts of the difficulty of treating men in a war zone. A better firsthand account of medicine during World War I is not to be found.

In the early years of World War II, Germany shocked the world with a devastating blitzkrieg, rapidly conquered most of Europe, and pushed into North Africa. As the Allies scrambled to counter the Axis armies, the British Eighth Army confronted the experienced Afrika Corps, led by German field marshal Erwin Rommel, in three battles at El Alamein. In the first battle, the Eighth Army narrowly halted the advance of the Germans during the summer of 1942. However, the stalemate left Nazi troops within striking distance of the Suez Canal, which would provide a critical tactical advantage to the controlling force. War historian Glyn Harper dives into the story, vividly narrating the events, strategies, and personalities surrounding the battles and paying particular attention to the Second Battle of El Alamein, a crucial turning point in the war that would be described by Winston Churchill as "the end of the beginning." Moving beyond a simple narrative of the conflict, The Battle for North Africa tackles critical themes, such as the problems of coalition warfare, the use of military intelligence, the role of celebrity generals, and the importance of an all-arms approach to modern warfare.