This book is a collection of essays arising out of the OCyZealandiaOCOs Great WarOCO conference organised by the New Zealand Military History Committee in November 2003. In 32 essays by distinguished military historians from New Zealand and around the world, various aspects of New ZealandOCOs involvement in World War One are discussed. Subjects include the Pioneer Maori Battalion, women who opposed the war, the early years of the RSA, Gallipoli, the infantry on the Somme, New ZealandOCOs involvement in the naval war, prostitution and the New Zealand soldier, the Home Defence, religion in the First World War, and the Armistice. New ZealandOCOs Great War is a fascinating miscellany of informed comment on and insight into the event that did most to shape New Zealand as a nation. Contributors include New ZealandOCOs own Chris Pugsley, Glyn Harper, Terry Kinloch, Monty Soutar, Megan Hutching, Vincent Orange and Bronwyn Dalley, as well as Peter Dennis, Jeffrey Grey, Jennifer Keene, Jenny McLeod, Pierre Purseigle, Peter Stanley and Gary Sheffield from overseas."

Rediscover New Zealand’s hidden First World War history through the places where it happened. No battles were fought here, yet the First World War intruded into the daily life of every New Zealander who remained at home. This ground-breaking book provides vivid new insights into their experiences through exploring the places where they lived, worked, coped and mourned: army camps, fortifications, soldier-settler farms, town halls, wharves, convalescent homes and hospitals, cemeteries and war memorials, dairy factories and woollen mills. From Northland to Stewart Island, our landscape is signposted with thousands of poignant memorials, and behind the façades of old buildings, beneath scrub and behind farm fences lies a less visible landscape of war and hundreds of hidden stories waiting to be told: a soldier’s name carved on a remote railway station, a once bustling uniform factory in the heart of a city, a long abandoned gun battery … This unique book will be a revelation to all New Zealanders. Extensively illustrated with new and period photographs and fascinating maps, it contains original research and information that will open the eyes of every reader to places and stories in their community hidden in plain sight. The impact of the First World War on New Zealanders was immense; its legacy can be seen all around us today.

Offers detailed coverage of every country that played a significant role in World War I, from key participants including France, Germany, Great Britain, the Ottoman Empire, and the United States, to smaller nations such as Bulgaria, Montenegro, and New Zealand. World War I: A Country-by-Country Guide is a comprehensive reference exploring the role various nations played in this devastating conflict. Each of the 22 country sections provides detailed background information, the reasons behind the country's entry into the war, a summary of its combat effort in the war, a discussion of the home front experience, and a description of the war's impact on that nation. Illuminating sidebars offer an interesting war anecdote involving each country, while essays survey each country's military branches and key military and political leaders. Finally, a timeline for each nation covers all of the important events involving that country during World War I. In addition to the country coverage, a battles section offers entries on 18 of World War I's most important engagements and a separate section on weapons and tactical changes is included. The book also features dozens of maps and images throughout the text that serve as important visual aids that help readers to understand all aspects of the conflict.

Gentleman, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography.’ So said General Plumer the day before 600 tons of explosives were detonated under the German position on Messines Ridge. The explosion was heard by Lloyd George in Downing Street, and as far away as Dublin. Until 1918, Messines was the only clear cut Allied victory on the Western Front, coming at a time when Britain and her allies needed it most: boosting Allied morale and shattering that of the Germans. Precisely orchestrated, Messines was the first true all-arms modern battle which brought together artillery, engineers, infantry, tanks, aircraft and administrative units from a commonwealth of nations to defeat the common enemy. So why is its name not as familiar as the Somme, Passchendaele or Verdun? This book examines the battle for the Messines-Wytschaete Ridge from the British, ANZAC and German perspectives. Illustrated with archive photographs and maps, it is a major contribution to our understanding of one of the seminal battles of the First World War.