On Thursday evening I
joined the festive crowd at the Children’s Bookshop in Kilbirnie for the
Wellington launch of “Anzac Day, The New Zealand Story – what it is and why it
matters” by Philippa Werry.
The room was
full of well known faces, Fleur Beale, Frances Cherry, Fifi Colston, Barbara
Murison, Susan Price, Mandy Hagar ... I’m bound to have left someone famous
out, but you get the picture. Stephen
Clark, Chief Executive of the RSA, was there to officially launch the book and
most enthusiastic that such a book has been published. And, as always, John and Ruth McIntyre and
their team, turned on a very special and warm welcome to us all.
Philippa Werry has done meticulous research to produce a glossy pictorial and informative New Zealand guide to Anzac Day – and
especially, as it says on the front cover ‘What it is and why it matters’. The book is full of photographs and
fascinating snippets of history that together bring the story of Anzac into
perspective. It tells a big story in
informative snippets, carefully chosen.
My favourite is a quote from Bertrand Russell “War does not determine
who is right, only who is left”. The
most heart-breaking entry is a translated letter from a Turkish front-line
soldier to his family back home. And the
book ends with the beautiful poem by Alistair Te Ariki Campbell ‘Gallipoli
Peninsula’.
The book is suitable for a wide
range of reading up to and including adults, but aimed at the younger school
age, (I think) as a very useful resource book for teachers or parents wanting
to explain why New Zealanders turn up in droves at Dawn (or later in the
morning) each April 25, wearing red poppies.
Personally, Anzac Day means a lot to me because like many baby boomers,
my father was in the Second World War, and for the author, the book is
dedicated to both her grandfathers who served in the First World War, as well
as to a great-great-aunt who served as a nurse.
I doubt there is a family in New Zealand who
isn’t in some way affected by this story (the Korean War, the Vietnam War and
more recently troops in Afghanistan and Iraq).
It certainly is not a book glorifying war, and it includes information
about all sides of this conflict, New Zealand, Australia, France, Britain,
Turkey, the death toll. And then, helpfully,
at the back, along with the bibliography (testimony to the meticulous research)
is a page titled ‘More things to do’ which gives encouragement and ideas to
students and readers on how to find out more for themselves – for example go
and visit your local war memorial, find out who built it, what information it
contains and which families still live in the area, or a recommendation to see
the play ‘King and Country’ by Dave Armstrong – just a couple of the handy tips
for students.
Anzac Day is just around the
corner, so if you have a child, grandchild or family friend who you would like
to buy a gift for – this is the perfect purchase – it is a book for all ages, a
timely reminder of who we are, and as Bertrand Russell said – the ones who are
left.
Anzac Day, The New Zealand Story - Stephen Clarke, Chief Executive of the RSA,
launching the book
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