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On February 4, 1985, the New Zealand government refused port
access to the American warship U.S.S. Buchanan, on the grounds that
it might be carrying nuclear weapons. The events leading up to this
refusal, the refusal itself, and later developments relating to it
are the subject of this book. The book is divided into four
sections. The first deals with the developments within New Zealand
that led to the decision to ban nuclear-powered warships and ones
that might be armed. The next section examines the relationship
between New Zealand and the United States and how this dispute
affected it. The third considers the reaction of other countries
and the fourth ponders the effects, both immediate and longer term,
of the dispute itself and New Zealand-American relations.
Inspired by a life-long passion for travel, Stuart McMillan
embarked on a journey of over 2,000km, crossing the continent from
the Baltic Sea to the Balkan coast. The book provides personal
observations and reflections on a fascinating world hidden for
decades behind an Iron Curtain. It gives the reader a glimpse of
how the history, culture, years of oppression and brutal wars have
shaped these beautiful lands and the people who live there.
Starting in Lithuania, a journey weaving through the beautiful and
often mysterious Slavic lands all the way to Croatia - taking in
Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It includes
travelling in a 44-degree heatwave; taking a short-cut via Moscow;
experiencing a chaotic sleeper train out of Ukraine; coping with
the failure of all air-conditioning and lighting on a long-haul
train down to Serbia; learning about the legacy of both Nazi and
Communist oppression; and seeing first-hand the scars and re-built
splendour of Sarajevo and Mostar following the recent brutal, and
often forgotten, Yugoslav wars. As well as recounting the beauty of
the countries and cities visited, and reflecting on the years of
oppression and wars that shaped the landscapes and cultures, it
also captures the emotions of travelling alone for weeks through
foreign lands - the freedom to experience so much of countries
hidden away from the world for so long; the reliance on internal
narrative for company; and the bouts of homesickness that often
conflict with the author's love of travel.
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