Te Hokowhitu a Tu has been reprinted with a new cover and author's note. Photo / Supplied
Te Hokowhitu a Tu has been reprinted with a new cover and author's note. Photo / Supplied
Te Hokowhitu a Tu is one of the best sources of information about the role Maori and Pacific Islanders played in World War I.
Out of print for many years, the book is now available again in a reprinted edition with a new cover and author's note.
In the book,eminent historian Christopher Pugsley tells of the Pioneer Battalion's struggles and sacrifices as it earned a reputation for bravery and dependability in France, Flanders and beyond - and the role it played in breaking down racial divisions.
"The soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had discovered the Maori were like themselves, with all the strengths and weaknesses that make New Zealanders New Zealanders," he writes.
Te Hokowhitu a Tu is richly illustrated, and has extensive rolls of those who served.
Pugsley retired in 2012 as senior lecturer at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, UK, and now works as a freelance historian from his home in Waikanae. The author of numerous books including Gallipoli: The New Zealand Story, he is the principal historian for Te Papa's Gallipoli project.
