New Zealand Books

This is a charming story of the true life experiences of a girl (now a Grandmother) growing up in the Philipines during World War 2.

I am sure that teen-agers would enjoy reading this book, as well as adults. It's a small book and can be read in a matter of hours. I found I could not "put this book down"!

Very appealing!

Written from a child's perspective with vivid detail that will also captivate adults, Barbara-Ann's stories of her childhood in the Phillipines during the WWII Japanese occupation is a fascinating read. Her stories are a personal glimpse into the struggles of a multiracial child growing up poor during wartime told with humor, emotion and acute observation. "Pooh" will steal your heart.

to me, this book was very much about different kinds of relationships. Sarah and Jack, the main characters, have a distant relationship - they do not wish to be too deeply involved in each others lives, and that is what makes their relationship last. Then there are olga and otto becker, the old couple who are still deeply deeply in love at the end of thier lives. how often does that happen? its beautiful. There are also the relationships of sarahs sister, mother and father, and more... i guess i would have like to have the book go a bit more deeply into the characters' motivations and rationale, etc. but anyway, a lovely book.

Definitely one of the best books I've read in ages. The author transcends the usual pettiness of this type of novel, and the story had my attention from the first page. Her writing is evocative, reminding me of my own life experiences. She uses unpretentious language, painting a starkly clear picture of the creation of the Author's Wife

In Disch's book, The Priest, an anti-abortion child molesting Roman Catholic priest is blackmailed into having a large image of the devil tatooed on his chest. As he lays back in the tatoo artist's chair, he changes personalities with a 10th century homicidal maniac Roman Catholic priest. The 10th century priest thinks that he has died and that the two nude tatoo artists are devils torturing him in hell. The story gets more and more crazy from that point on. Anger toward the anti-abortion movement with the Roman Catholic church seems to be the motivating factor behind this book, but I found that the book was full of odd-ball humor and dark dry wit. If you are a Roman Catholic, you will probably find this book very offensive. This is a shame because Disch actually writes very skillfully. I think he is underestimated as a writer. Underneath all the anger is thoughtful social commentary, bitter irony, and masterful use of the English language.

While the cover of The Priest proclaims the book to be "A Gothic Romance", take my word for it that it is in reality far from that. It is a tale of very taboo subjects, such as gays in the Priesthood, abortion rights, and Catholic doctrine. If you are easily offended, back slowly away from this book and leave the room.

Rest assured, Disch actually attacks none of these subjects, simply offers up a well-written piece of fiction with many muses intertwined with the tale. Remember that it is a piece of fiction.

Father Patrick Bryce is not a good man, having already been chastised by the Church for being caught abusing a young boy. Father Bryce is a pedophile, and an unrepentant one, though he is back at work in Saint Bernardine church along with Father Cogling, a strictly old-fashioned Priest with an unkind heart.

Above all, the church wants no scandals, and so when a man named Clay shows up with evidence of Father Bryce's sins, he submits to the blackmail rather than fight it. But Clay doesn't want money, he wants Bryce to get a tattoo of the devil on his chest, and read a book called A Prolegomenon To Receptivist Science by cult leader A.D. Boscage, while Bishop Massey expects him to lead the controversial anti-abortion rallies for the sake of the Church.

Meanwhile, we are introduced to Silvanus de Roquefort, the Bishop of Rodez in the small village of Montpellier-le-Vieux, back in the middle ages, around the thirteenth century. Silvanus is a vain man, and devoted to the Church only insomuch as it benefits his station and well being.

When Patrick and Silvanus begin to switch mind and body, in a process the cult leader Boscage calls "Transmentation", things really start to fly loose and fall apart.

There are many other interesting characters interwoven into the plot, like Gerherdt Ober and his sister Hedwig, religious fanatics who run the Birth-Right Center where girls are locked in cells and forced to bear their children. Bing Anker, a former victim of Father Bryce who stirs his friend Father Mabbley into action, and a young girl named Alison who gets caught up in the storm brewing at Birth-Right.

The Priest is a complex novel, full of sin and degradation and mysticism, but what's waiting for you in the end is a plot twist of rare and satisfying dimensions, tucked neatly into a action packed race against time and some brutal revelations. If you have read Disch before, you'll love The Priest. If you haven't, you may want to start with a tamer piece like 334 or The Genocides. Enjoy!

A police action involves bystander Penrose, who picks up a man's wallet at the scene of a crime and becomes involved in a stranger's life. From a questionable antiques store to a policeman convinced that Penrose has something to hide, Shirker provides many intriguing twists of plot in a surreal atmosphere.

This novel could be interpreted in a number of different ways, and I by no means claim that mine is definitive. What I am sure of is that it operates on two very different levels. The first is an engaging, well plotted murder mystery. The novel begins with a scene from the end and then jumps back in time. This, coupled with the almost 18th century prose, serves to immediately catapult the reader into a confused, uncertain plot. And that's perfect, because that's how the characters perceive their world.

The second level is where things get a little more murky. I see at least two arguments as to the underlying theme of "Shirker". The first is a statement on how our modern society has left us awash in information (and memories) to the point where it is impossible to move forward due to the baggage of the past. The second speaks to being true to one's self. More specifically, it refers to holding on to what is truly important, recognizing what is truly important, in a world drowing in irrelevance.

Ultimately, this is a novel that will mean different things to different people. That's what makes it special; not only does it entertain the reader with an intelligent mystery, it also leaves the reader thinking about something bigger. I know it will stay with me for a long time.

Dr. Visser is obviously a person who loves her work. She is a scientist specializing in cetacean research. In particular, she studies the behavior of orca, or killer whales. If you have been lucky enough to meet Visser in her native New Zealand or on an expedition to the South Pacific or Antarctica, you know how passionate she is about the creatures to which she has dedicated her life.

The book, "Swimming with Orca," is semi-autobiographical, tracing the 40 years of Visser's remarkably rich life from that of a child growing up in New Zealand and sailing around the world with her father, to that of a scientist observing orca in their natural habitat. It is the story of a young woman with a dream and the obstacles she surmounts to attain that dream. As such, the book is both educational and inspirational. The writing is unpretentious, honest and easily accessible, and is illustrated by excellent pictures, in black and white and color. It is good reading for young and old alike.

The title of the book reflects Dr. Visser's courage in the face of animals with a reputation as the deadliest in the ocean. Even more so, it reveals the mutual trust that has come to exist between Visser and the orca who know her: she literally does swim with the orca, unafraid and without the use of protective devices. And individual orca do recognize Visser and her boat, and come to play, communicate, and seek affection. Dr. Visser lovingly describes these encounters.

Important issues of wildlife management also get their due. Dr. Visser addresses some of the situations which endanger orca and other marine mammals including industrial pollution; keeping animals in captivity; and irresponsible boat handling and fishing practices. She also describes efforts to protect the N.Z. orca, including an interesting discussion of the process of rescuing beached whales.

The book is a good resource for learning about cetacean research. It documents Visser's observations of orca behavior, and it describes the scientific methodology required to do work in this field. Additionally, Visser addresses the issue: should field research among animals be of the hands-off, observation-only kind, or can a more humane and interactive approach be as valid? Visser comes squarely down on the side of the humane and interactive, citing the work of Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey. This is fortunate for the reader: a tale about a whale named Ben is entirely more enjoyable and memorable than one about a scientific specimen labeled NZ101.

Although Swimming with Orca is her first book intended for a general audience, Dr. Visser has also helped produce a video for The Discovery Channel titled "Orca - Killers I have Known," has written several books for the children's market, and has published articles in scientific journals.

This book strikes a wonderful balance between straight science and the more emotional stories of interaction with the orcas. She discusses her own work, researching the orcas of New Zealand and Antarctica under more rigid scientific situations. But at the same time, she also discusses the more emotional side of her fascination with killer whales. The stories she tells of coming face-to-face with killer whales in their own element are wonderful. It's also interesting to see her acknowledge the possibility that these interactions could affect scientific data, but then also look at what she's been able to learn because of them. This book can appeal to both the more scientific-thinking public as well as the laymen - it does a wonderful job of bridging the gap between the two, a critical factor in today's world of translational science. Highly recommended for anyone with a love of wildlife!

History has yet to produce a full account of the British Empire. One of the reasons for this shortfall is the lack of voices of the invaded. Nowhere in the former British Empire is the silence more deafening than Australia. Touched by Europeans for over a century before the Port Jackson convict settlement was founded, Australia was the most enigmatic outpost of Empire. Although the first Governor was enjoined to deal with the scattered Aborigines fairly, it wasn't long before the true Australians were driven from their lands, murdered or made into domestic servants. Henry Reynolds, noted historian of the Australian scene, richly chronicles the attempts by white humanitarians to give these displaced people some level of resistant voice.

Reynolds chooses one issue, occupation of the land, as his major theme. There are, he admits, many other issues that might have been considered, but the land question remained fundamental to European-Aborigine relations. Australia was the sole colony of the Empire declared "terra nullius" - unoccupied by human beings, therefore open to unrestricted invasion. The island continent and all its resources were at the disposal of the Crown.

Australia, of course, had occupants when the First Fleet sailed into Botany Bay, and it wasn't long before they began resisting invasion. Reynolds shows that the Aborigines had allies among the white invaders, people who urged at the very least, that the "natives" be offered remuneration or protected reserves on which to live. He reviews the careers of these humanitarians with sympathy and applause, but recognizes the futility of their efforts. Not a few failed simply because their personalities were unsuited to the task of inhibiting the rape of the continent.

Resistance to white oppression of the Aborigines began as early as the first penal settlement. William Dawes objected to the first of a multitude of punitive expeditions launched to revenge the spearing of a servant. Reynolds notes these "expeditions," which continued into the 20th Century, followed a consistent pattern - unselective killing in revenge for Aborigine defense of their homeland. From Dawes, Reynolds traces the course of objections to wanton slaughter of Aborigines through the notable figures trying to stem the flood of settlement and its attendant conflict. He cites George Augustus Robinson's work to isolate Aborigines in Victoria and Tasmania from white settlement - a career which ended disastrously. Reformers in Western Australia were driven into exile by irate settlers, and Queensland earned its unsavoury reputation with the creation of the Native Police, an unrestrained paramilitary force. Reynolds intersperses his own text with supportive sources of personal journals, letters, government documents and newspaper articles. The result is a descriptive potpourri of opinions, accounts, policy making and, most important, a struggle for justice.

This book, by the celebrated historian Henry Reynolds, describes the efforts of some of the early settlers in Australia in support of the Aborigines.

At times, the book is profoundly moving. It recounts appalling atrocities committed against Australia's indigenous communities by the "civilized" British.

Its main focus, though, is the efforts of a number of people who tried to ensure that the Aborigines were treated fairly and with compassion. It provides an insight into their struggles in aid of the Aborigines, their perseverance in the face of rejection and the hardships they often suffered.

Despite being a history book, the text is quite readable!

In summary, this is a moving and enlightening book about some of Australia's "forgotten" humanitarians.

Witi Ihimaera is on of my favourite authors and this book does not disappoint. OK, so perhaps it is a little sterotypical and a little dramatic in places but it grips you. Sam and Cliff are vibrant characters and I empathize with them completely. The backdrop of the Vietnam war is a fitting context and the battle scences detailed. I really enjoyed this book, Witi Ihimaera is a master storyteller.
If you liked this, you may wnat to read "Nights in the Garden on Spain" also by Witi. Also very very good.

The opening pages of Uncle's Story suggest a twist that the reader may guess.. but after the first few pages, all bets are off... as Witi Ihimaera takes the reader on a wild and action-packed ride of plot twists and character development. Similar to Whale Rider, in that it's a coming of age (coming out of the closet?) story of a young Maori fighting against the bias and proud traditions of one's tribal family. Uncle's Story has additional drama with it's backdrop being the Vietnam War.

If you saw the movie Whale Rider and loved it, then you owe it to yourself to read Uncle's Story. You won't be disappointed!!!

Under Wraps: One Soldier's Hidden Diary of WW II is collected diary of Jay Coffman, recorded during his service in the US Army Infantry in the South Pacific throughout World War II. Since keeping a diary in combat zones was a court-martial offense, Coffmen hid his diary among his personal effects until the war ended. Though he survived the war, his untimely death at age 48 was partly due to the malaria he had contracted on Guadalcanal. Editor Tom Fulks has added notes to Coffman's diary, clarifying passages or mentioning appropriate historic references. Fulks also contributes a seventy-page overview of World War II, to refresh the reader's familiarity of the war and the politics surrounding it. Under Wraps is not only a hands-on first-person account of the war, but also a love story, and a fond remembrance of home and family. A welcome addition to firsthand testimonies of the Pacific conflict, and an absorbing true story that will appeal to readers of all persuasions.

Jay Coffman was an ordinary foot soldier who voluntarily served his country in World War II, delaying the start of his career and married life for some four years. His recorded his acitivities, thoughts, and feelings in his diary, and those observations that the censors would not allow him to mail home in letters. It reveals how different that war was from all the wars that followed. Only a handful of people have ever seen or known about the diary until now; Jay's lifelong love Dot did not want it published during her lifetime as it was "too personal." Parts of the diary are as slow-moving as certain periods of Coffman's service but, due to his comfortable writing style, it is always very easy to read. As editor, I researched the diary and added information to clarify it and put Jay's observations in their historical perspective.

Roger Douglas was the finance minister of New Zealand Labor government in late 1980s. He envisioned famous deregulation process at that time. That policy frame was called as Rogernomics. It was comparable to Thatcher's reform. This book is not about that politics but the program on what should be done to New Zealand to prosper. To that end, the author propose various policies based on hard numbers. But those figures are not that interesting to foreigners. What seduce foreigners are his looking back on deregulation process in late 1980s which he initiated. He depicts clearly what is deregulaton of reform: reform is the process to achieve public interest against vested interest. New Zealand had and has suffered economic inefficiency from decades of government's overintervention into private sector under Labor Party ruling since 1940s. Most policieswhic had been put into effect under the name of welfare state, eventualy proved to be populist pork barrel politics. New Zealand economy has suffered from good politics but bad policies over decades. in effect populist politics could not be carried on with a few hundreds % of deficit. in 1980s every politicians admitted the need of reforming public sector. But it was not easy task at all. "I know the reform is needed. But constituencies don't want it" What did Roger Douglas to his country is propose the vision in the face of constituencies. He insists that once you could ensure them with the vision, you could carry on reform against the jungle of vested interest. In this book, you can get the clear idea of what is reform and how it should be put into effect.

Roger Douglas, former finance minister for the Labor Party in New Zealand, writes an insightful book arguing for transparency in government. Argues for accrual based accounting, consumption taxation, school vouchers, etc. Should be required reading for any government official or politician. The numbers make it a bit dry but a must read book

Vietnam ANZACs - Australian & New Zealand Troops in Vietnam, 1962-72 is the latest Vietnam War-related volume in Osprey Publishing's Elite Series. For years Osprey has been known for its excellent treatment of a wide variety of military history topics and this volume is no exception. Kevin Lyles has written and/or illustrated more than a dozen books on military history, most particularly on the Vietnam War, his area of special interest. Lyles does double duty as both the book's author and illustrator, allowing for a greater coordination between the photographs and artwork than is possible when different individuals perform the roles of author and illustrator.

It is only fitting that Lyle, a member of the British Commonwealth, should turn his attention to the contributions of Australia and New Zealand during the Vietnam War. The term `ANZAC' originally referred to the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps of World War I, but has remained in use for Australian and New Zealand troops. While these nation's troop commitments to South Vietnam may seem small (only 8000 at their peak in 1968), the population of both nations combined was approximately the same as New York state by itself.

Lyles begins by discussing the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam (AATTV), which would serve in Vietnam for more than ten years and became the most decorated (including four Victoria Crosses) unit of its size in the Australian Army. These men, mostly from the infantry and SAS, were professional soldiers, many of whom had already seen combat in Malaya in the 1950s and who worked closely with the South Vietnamese. Lyles then discusses the actions of the regular army units from Australia and New Zealand.

While the majority of the regular army troops were trained in conventional warfare, they employed a radically different style from American soldiers. The U.S. Army employed large, conventional forces and took advantage of their tactical mobility and heavy firepower over the Viet Cong. The ANZACs, on the other hand, widely dispersed their forces and used stealth to hunt the enemy - a tactic used by some more elite formations of the American military. Lyles concludes this section by discussing the most well-known ANZAC battle - Long Tan. On 18 August 1966 at the rubber plantation of Long Tan, D Company, 6th Royal Australian Regiment, with the fire support from American and New Zealand artillery defeated the Viet Cong 445th Battalion and 275th Regiment, who outnumbered them more than 10-1.

The remainder of the book includes a chronology, an order of battle, and a discussion of uniforms and equipment. In fact, more than half of the book is taken up by photos, artwork, and the discussion of uniforms and equipment. All of these are of the highest quality, but it is important for readers to understand that this is not a comprehensive history. With that one caveat in mind, I wholeheartedly recommend this book for those interested in Australian and New Zealand military history and/or the Vietnam War.

Given that Vietnam War uniforms is a pet subject of Kevin Lyles and knowing that he has devoted a number of years to this project, I had high expectations of this book. I am happy to report that these have largely been fulfilled.

I'll admit this is not exactly an objective review - firstly the author, Kevin Lyles, is my favourite military artist; secondly the title covers a subject which I myself have done an extensive amount of reading and collecting into over the years.

Lyles starts off with a brief political and military background and then describes the gradual build up of ANZAC forces. The text continues on to include differences in warfighting doctrine between the Allies and a brief description of the Battle of Long Tan.

The author illustrates and describes very well the genesis of the ANZAC uniform from the first combat troops to the pull-out 10 years later. In dealing with the complexity of the subject he has logically divided the subject matter into chapters dealing with Australian uniforms; Australian webbing; NZ uniforms & equipment; and finally SASR/NZSAS field dress.

Some of the photos are pics that have appeared in other publications but all illustrate quite well points that the author desired to stress.

The colour plates are simply stunning and illustrate well the uniform genesis from early to late war and covers not only the average 'digger' but also includes special forces, advisors and other corps.

In summary this book is an absolute gem in that it covers quite comprehensively a niche subject that has been largely ignored or simply been wrongly reported by other less-informed publications. The text is packed full of precious tidbits of information and the colour illustrations are .. well, it's Lyles!

Although aimed primarily at the collector/modeller I have to say that if you have any interest at all in the Australian military or the Vietnam War then this book should sit on your bookshelf.