Bravery fuels new military history books
The Victoria Cross is the highest Commonwealth military decoration for bravery and two books with a local link are celebrating that.
Palmerston North-based military historian Professor Glyn Harper has teamed up with Colonel Colin Richardson to launch Acts of Valour and Best and Bravest. Both books explore the stories of New Zealand VC recipients with Best and Bravest targeted at teenagers and Acts of Valour aimed at an adult audience.
Harper said Best and Bravest dealt with the New Zealand VC recipients spanning two centuries of battle, from the British Imperial Wars through the two world wars to today’s ongoing ‘War on Terror’. He said the book focused more on the real-life adventure stories.
‘‘We have some really interesting characters in there like [Charles] Upham and [Cyril] Bassett and Willie Apiata. It is pitched at boys that tend to turn off reading a little bit, which I found through my experience as a teacher, when they get to about 12 or 13. They can be a little bit impatient with stories too, so we wanted to get to the heart of it quickly and, hopefully, it will encourage them to read a bit more.’’
The book also includes handdrawn sketches by Richardson that Harper said added another layer of interest for a young reader.
Acts of Valour is the updated and revised edition of a book published 10 years ago and is an indepth look at all aspects of New Zealand and the Victoria Cross. Harper said some important developments and material had emerged since 2006.
‘‘This includes the story behind the awarding of the first Victoria Cross of New Zealand to Willie Apiata, which is a crucial part of the New Zealand story. This new edition also includes the theft of the medals from Waiouru.
‘‘Hopefully, it gets people interested in the events of the past but also helps them to understand what shapes us as a nation. We’ve been involved in conflict since 1899 onwards, really, so it’s important.’’
The books will be launched at Palmerston North Boys’ High School’s Speirs Centre on Friday at 9.30am.