In the Face of the Enemy: The Complete History of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand

The highest Commonwealth military decoration for gallantry is the Victoria Cross, and this book examines the history of the award, telling the stories of those New Zealanders (or those with strong New Zealand associations) who have won it. This includes awards made to British soldiers serving in New Zealand during the New Zealand Wars, the Boer War and the First and Second World Wars. (No New Zealander has been awarded a VC since 1943.) Also covered are some of the controversies and political machinations surrounding those whose nominations have been declined, Manahi, Stott, Simpson and Malone. An extraordinary collection of individuals and their courageous exploits is the outstanding result. Informative, exciting and provocative, In the Face of the Enemy is a riveting and valuable addition to our military list, by two highly respected military historians. Each story is powerful and unique, and provides fascinating insight into the battles that have made our nation and forged our history.

Author Biography

Glyn Harper lives in Palmerston North and lectures at Massey University, where he is Associate Professor of Military Studies and heads the Centre for Defence Studies. A former teacher, he joined the Australian Army in 1988, transferring to the NZ Army where he holds the rank of lieutenant Colonel. He is the author of several books on military history. Colin Richardson currently serves on the NZ Army General Staff in Wellington and has taught military history and strategy at the Australian Army Command and Staff College. Author of several articles for history magazines, the Victoria Cross is his specialist area of study.