Military & War

Herbert Hart’s diary is an unrivalled and gripping account of life on the front lines of the First World War. Hart commanded the Wellington Battalion during the closing stages of the ill-fated Gallipoli campaign and went on to serve as a commander on the Western Front for two brutal years.

One of the most important personal sources relating to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, this riveting record of his experiences during the great battles of Gallipolli, the Somme and Passchendaele tells an extraordinary tale of combat and the wartime reality of NZ soldiers, with unexpected humour and captivating detail.