The Troopers’ Tale: The History of the Otago Mounted Rifles Edited by Don Mackay, foreword by Lieutenant General Rhys Jones (Turnbull Ross Publishing RRP $70) There has been something of a resurgence of interest in the military history of our proud little nation in recent years, often highlighted by the increasing numbers of Kiwis...
Patearoa at War By Jim Sullivan (Rock and Pillar Press, RRP $34) Like so many of the best Kiwi projects, this book started out as a friendly chat at the pub. Patearoa locals Beryl and Alan Reid told author Jim Sullivan they had a box of letters written by soldiers to Alan’s aunts during...
High Country Woman: My Life on Rees Valley Station By Iris Scott with Geraldine O’Sullivan Beere (Random House, RRP $45) The description on the back cover of this book says “New Zealand’s high country farmers are a special breed” and I reckon you would be hard- pressed to find one as special as Iris...
After Cleo Came Johah By Helen Brown (Allen & Unwin, $35) This is the sequel to New Zealander Helen Brown’s lovely bestseller Cleo, which told the story of the death of Helen’s young son Sam and how the arrival of a small kitten into the Brown household helped a grieving family move on. Cleo...
Les Tres Riches Heures de Mrs Mole By Ronald Searle (Blue Door , RRP $25) Author/illustrator Ronald Searle is perhaps best known for being the creator of fictional boarding school St Trinian’s and co-creator of the Molesworth series, along with Geoffrey Willans. However, in this latest book the subject matter is much more personal....
Shaken, Not Stirred: Family Survival in a Quake Zone By Amanda Cropp (Wily Publications, RRP $30): For those of us who do not live there, it’s hard to imagine the fear and uncertainty that has swamped Canterbury since the quakes. On September 4, 2010, I was at home when the first biggie struck: before...
Trial by Ambush: The Trials of David Bain By Joe Karam (HarperCollins, RRP $45) On June 20, 1994, David Bain called emergency services to report finding his entire family dead. His parents Robin and Margaret, sisters Arawa and Laniet and brother Stephen had all been shot in their Dunedin home and at first, there...
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