Book Review: The New Zealand Wars : a brief history, by Matthew Wright

Available now in bookstores nationwide.

This is a really handy little volume, particularly appealing due to the wealth of illustrations and photographs.

This book is based on an earlier work by Wright, Fighting Past Each Other (Reed, 2006) but this book seems to me to be targeted at a slightly more able reader than the first version. The New Zealand Wars has more detail and some greater depth to it, and will provide younger readers (and those not so familiar with this difficult period in our history) with a very good overview.

All of the major wars are covered, given context and background, and the main protagonists (for want of a better term!) are identified, with some interesting points made along the way.

I’d recommend this to school libraries, particularly to years 5-10, and to anyone wanting a readable home reference which won’t take up half your bookshelf!

Reviewed by Sue Esterman

The New Zealand…

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For a Fee of 2 Shillings

Fate weaves its tricky threads amongst the garment of intrigue and mystery shrouding Miri, a beautiful young Maori woman. Her attempt to materialize her childhood obsession and fantasy to be other than she is, only serves to create a mantle of despair to hover over her life. Her choices, and her mistakes, impact upon her children’s lives as well as those she unwittingly influences.

These adults are confronted by their own personal weaknesses, and they are given cause to examine their religious and spiritual beliefs, their family relationships, as well as the cultural expectations, bigotry and prejudice, accepted as the norm within pre and post World War II New Zealand society.

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I have authored five books. For a Fee of Two Shillings is my first novel and I have since published Powder Blue Tweed & Rye. The other three are books for health. Two are on the subject of rheumatoid arthritis from research after being diagnosed with this disease in 1992. The third is the result of studying nutrition for several years, discovering the healing contents in foods for all manner of ailments.

I have a degree in Social and Community Work and I am a qualified Adult Tutor. I have three adult daughters, and through marriage gained experience in farming and country village life.

Although a born New Zealander, worldwide travel, especially to third world countries of differing political and religious persuasions, has had an enormous impact on my take on life.

Back home, as the Director of a Tertiary Education Organisation, I have been made aware through interaction with both staff and students for over twenty years, just how conditioned we each become through the circumstance of our birth—the culture, the society, the family, along with the time in history.