Te Hokowhitu a Tu is back

Te Hokowhitu a Tu is back

Christopher Pugsley’s history of Maori and Pacific Islanders in the First World War is in bookstores from today.

Te Hokowhitu a Tu is the best current source of information about the vital role Maori and Pacific Islanders played in the Great War.

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 Pugsley tells of the Pioneer Battalion’s struggles and sacrifices as it earneda 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.

Christopher Pugsley’s 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, Christopher is the principal historian for Te Papa’s Gallipoli project.

ENDS

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