Short takes: Non-fiction

By MARGIE THOMSON

Kenneth Sandford: Mark Of The Lion: The Story of Charles Upham, VC and Bar

This is an extraordinary book, and I recommend it unreservedly to, well, just about anyone - especially to those with no interest in military history. First published in 1962, it's the remarkable story of New Zealand's greatest war hero, the double-Victoria Cross winner Charles Upham. His bravery and determination during World War II are recorded here in prose that glitters with personality, action and insight. Upham's deeds in Crete and then later in the Western Desert at Minqar Qaim made him a national hero in New Zealand, and a man honoured in Britain and Greece, yet his overwhelming modesty meant he almost never spoke of his deeds, and always insisted his awards were a recognition of the men he fought with in the 20th Armoured Regiment. In the face of such extreme reticence, it's a marvel that Sandford managed to construct such a thrilling, vibrant account. He did it largely through gathering the eyewitness accounts and reminiscences of others, and the intervention of Major-General Sir Howard Kippenberger who convinced Upham to let this biography be written. And thank goodness he did: it's not often we see such an excellent match of subject with biographer. A must-read.

Penguin, $27.95

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John and Bunny Mortimer: Trees and their Bark

You'll never look at trees in the same way again after flicking through the pages of this lovely book. Bark doesn't sound the most riveting of subjects, but once you are alerted to the wonderful range of colours and textures on this most overlooked part of trees, you will understand the labour of love that led the authors to roam the world, collecting more than 250 photos and writing fascinating passages about each tree, often including digressive facts, fables and quotations from wide-ranging sources.

Taitua

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Michael Ignatieff: Empire Lite: Nation-building in Bosnia, Kosovo and Afghanistan

Ignatieff, a historian who is the director of the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, explores, in these four short essays, both sides of what he sees as a new global empire, the imperial and the humanitarian. Tapping into his vast historical knowledge, he constructs a long view of United States imperialism, analysing it as "an empire without consciousness of itself as such", as "empire lite, hegemony without colonies". He demonstrates how the international community has failed to engage intelligently with the problems of nation-building in the aftermath of war. Compelling, this adds depth to our perception of this traumatic process.

Vintage, $26.95

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Jon Steele: War Junkie

Steele is one of the world's top cameramen in dangerous environments, and worked for several years for ITN covering many wars and eventually living for the "rush of the war drug". Then came the nervous breakdown, and an incredible wave of guilt for his impassive filming of the dying, the sick and the wounded. He writes with searing insight, and real poignancy. But I found his scrappy, frenetic, scattergun prose rather tiresome and, while he frames the book with his breakdown and personal crisis, his exploration of his motivations for returning to the fray (he's based in Jerusalem) is extremely unsatisfying.
Corgi, $26.95

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Hugh Wilson: Hinewai: The Journal of a New Zealand Naturalist

Reviewed by PHILIPPA JAMIESON

Botanist Hugh Wilson had a dream: to restore a patch of Banks Peninsula to its original forested condition. Over 25 years his vision has gradually been realised with the purchase of gorse-covered land that has slowly been reverting to native bush. Now covering 1000ha, the Hinewai Nature Reserve is nationally and internationally known for its natural treasures, and is a haven for plants endemic to Banks Peninsula.

This book consists mainly of extracts from Wilson's lively and informative newsletters. He documents with delight and enthusiasm the progress of native species flourishing in this pocket of wilderness amid the denuded peninsula hills. Wilson balances the detail of the work at Hinewai (weed and pest control, fencing, track clearing, education) with an irrepressible sense of humour and a genuine affection for the natural world and the people who have helped him over the years.

Shoal Bay Press, $29.95