Brothers in Arms: Gordon & Robin Harper in the Great War

Description

Brothers in Arms is an extraordinary account of two brothers who fought side-by-side at Gallipoli and then in the Sinai Desert with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. The book climaxes with the tragic account of Gordon Harper's death in the Sinai in August 1916. It brings together: Beautifully-written letters by Gordon Harper; Stunning photographs of the war experience largely shot by Robin Harper; Images of extraordinary artefacts sent back from the war and held ever since by the family including the Maxim machine gun used by Gordon and Robin, a German-made machine gun captured from the Turks at Gallipoli, a prayer book marked by bullet tracks which was in Robin's chest pocket, the bivvy bag used by Gordon in the desert, the last orders issued to the 'C' party who were the very last New Zealanders to leave Gallipoli in December 1915; Background on the war written by award-winning historian Jock Phillips. No other account of New Zealand soldiers in the Great War brings the experience of that war to life in such a powerful and moving way.

JOCK PHILLIPS is a New Zealand historian who was general editor of Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand (www.teara.govt.nz). He previously taught New Zealand and American history at Victoria University of Wellington and was the nation's Chief Historian. He has published over a dozen books including a history of the New Zealand male stereotype, a study of New Zealand war memorials and a collection of letters from soldiers of the Great War. In 2014 he received the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement for Non-fiction.