War

Opening with the encounter between Hongi Hika and King George IV in London in 1820, Dame Anne Salmond traces the themes of rangatiratanga and sovereignty from then through the Declaration of… Audio

Extract from a soldier's letter home to his family in Blenheim; Marjorie Lees, then a schoolgirl, tells of falling in love with a soldier who was later killed and explains how little young people knew… Audio

In the month marking the 100^th anniversary of the legendary First World War Christmas truce, Wayne Brittenden looks at how the warrior bishops on both sides managed to get the message of peace and… Audio

By the end of November 1914 New Zealanders of the Main Body were about to land in Egypt. An extract from the dairy of Colonel William Malone illustrates his "martinet" style as he complains of men who… Audio

British historian, public speaker and Doctor of Philosophy whose most recent book is Napoleon the Great. Audio

As yet there are no New Zealand casualties in action and newspapers must look for local links in overseas news. In New Zealand there's a feeling of urgency as men hurry to enlist before the war is… Audio

Reports from the Otago Daily Times about anti-German feeling and wartinme stoies from newspapers in Tauranga and Blenheim. Captain Pitimi Tahiwi comments on Maori recruitment and Second World War… Audio

Author of The Three Uncles: The Cole Brothers in the Great War. Audio

In early November 1914 the war still seemed far away. Extract from Bay of Plenty Times in which news was dominated by the battles between British and German troops in Northern Europe. But on 19th… Audio

Dunedin jeweler back from a four-month research trip to to Europe and North America for his Poppies of War and Peace project, investigating the life and work of Moina Belle Michael, the "Poppy Lady".

While the public supplied funds for motorcars and motorcycles to be bought for the Main Body, the army relied on horses for transport. Percy Lowndes and another veteran recall the shipping of the… Audio

Alfred Mazengarb describes leaving with the Main Body in October 1914 and Colin Franklin-Browne recalls the treatment of men who were not joining up. A letter home from Private John Thompson of… Audio

Ena Ryan describes excitement of Main Draft leaving and General Sir Andrew Russell describes the attitude of the men. Newspaper report of some soldiers not letting authorities know of the need to send… Audio

Literary commentators Kate Camp, Harry Ricketts, Jane Stafford and Kate Hunter look at literature from the front lines, including 'Storm of Steel', 'Testament of Youth' and 'We Shall Not Cease'. What… Audio

Jim Warner of Waikato recalls that no pressure was put on men to join up in the early days. And his own keenness to enlist. Duncan McCormick describes his experience as a conscientious objector. Jim… Audio

A panel discussion about the poetry of the First World War involving Harry Ricketts, Kate Camp, Jane Stafford and Dave Armstrong. The conversation includes generous readings from war poets famous and… Audio

Sisters in Arms tells the stories of Sofija Jovanovic, who posed as a man to join the Serbian army and fight in the First World War, and Dr Jessie Scott, among New Zealand's first women surgeons, who… Audio

Kevin Clements is the chair of the Archibald Baxter Memorial Trust, which was formed to remember New Zealand's best-known conscientious objector. The trust has plans to honour Archibald Baxter and… Audio

Researcher who identified ten representative Wellingtonians who were involved in World War 1, as part of the city's free multi-media event, Wellington - Lest We Forget. Audio

Britain's foremost scholar of world religion, author of Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence, and founder of the Charter for Compassion. Audio