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1916: Dig for Victory
"As we Otago lads have only enough men for two squadrons, the General has decided that we are to be merged with the incoming Maori contingents to form a new battalion. Our new battalion will be ‘Pioneers’, doing behind-the-lines work: building barracks, railroads, roads and trenches. As you can imagine, Father, we’re not happy—we want to fight, not dig holes."
When Leith McArran signed up to fight in a war half a world away, little did he know that he and his fellow Dunedin Scots would end up shovelling dirt with Maori lads from home. Nor did he know that he’d become best mates with a young orphan named Tamati Baines, who is haunted by nightmares of steel serpents and blood-red butterflies—visions that might save them from a secret enemy or get them both killed.
When Leith McArran signed up to fight in a war half a world away, little did he know that he and his fellow Dunedin Scots would end up shovelling dirt with Maori lads from home. Nor did he know that he’d become best mates with a young orphan named Tamati Baines, who is haunted by nightmares of steel serpents and blood-red butterflies—visions that might save them from a secret enemy or get them both killed.
- GenresWar
303 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
About the author
David Hair
53 books542 followersDavid Hair is the author of The Bone Tiki, winner of Best First Novel (Young Adult Fiction section) at the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards. The Bone Tiki and its sequel The Taniwha's Tear are fantasy novels set in New Zealand. David is a New Zealander, who has worked primarily in financial services. He has a degree in History and Classical Studies. He has lived from 2007 to 2010 in New Delhi, India, but usually resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Apart from writing, he is interested in folklore, history, and has a passion for football.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
January 9, 2017
Good realistic NZ historical fiction about life of soldiers during World War 1. Theme of racism is portrayed when European Otago squadron combines with Maori contingent.
June 18, 2018
When Leith McCarran signed up to fight in a war half a world away little did he know that he and his mates would end up shovelling dirt with Maori lads from home. Nor did he know he'd become best mates with a young orphan named Tamaki Baines.....
Very well researched - a great addition to this series (Kiwis at war, Scholastic).
NZ Book Awards for children and young adults finalist.
Very well researched - a great addition to this series (Kiwis at war, Scholastic).
NZ Book Awards for children and young adults finalist.
May 7, 2018
Another great read. I am really enjoying how this series is all falling together in telling the story of WWI, even if the human element in it is complete fiction. I can almost feel these peoples lives coming off the pages. The spy spin was odd, but an interesting storyline in my opinion.
February 12, 2017
The third book in the Kiwis at War series focuses on the Western Front, in particular the battles of Armentieres and the Somme.
By choosing to write about the NZ Pioneer Battalion (made up of leftovers of the Gallipoli-ravaged Otago Mounted Rifles, combined with Maori contingents to form part of the NZ Division), author David Hair has moved away from the fighting soldiers to the men who maintained and extended the trenches. He has created the opportunity to explore Maori-Pakeha attitudes to this war, as well as to each other.
Disliked by his sergeant, who picks him for every unpleasant task, and bullied by the older Wally Kidman, Otago lad Leith McArran learns to keep a low profile. Through these characters, plus Leith's friends Prof Murdoch and Tamati Baines and Leith's brother Calum and his friend Ces Tyler, the reader experiences the harshness of army life and the unpleasantness and constant danger of trench warfare.
Time spent exploring Cairo and visiting the Aotea Club where Leith dances with Sister Burlace (from Di Menefy's 1915: Wounds of War), and time spent drinking and chatting in French taverns provide some light relief from the horrors and hardships experienced. Being the object of bullying becomes minor compared to the treatment of a deserter. A spy in their midst adds another reality of war.
Detailed yet very readable, 1916: Dig for Victory is a book for those interested in war, in particular WWI, those interested in NZ history and the development of NZ race attitudes, as well as attitudes towards Britain and Europe. It deserves a place in every library and school.
Congratulations once again to Scholastic for initiating this centennial series.
Reviewed by Chris Wright (Bookrapt)
By choosing to write about the NZ Pioneer Battalion (made up of leftovers of the Gallipoli-ravaged Otago Mounted Rifles, combined with Maori contingents to form part of the NZ Division), author David Hair has moved away from the fighting soldiers to the men who maintained and extended the trenches. He has created the opportunity to explore Maori-Pakeha attitudes to this war, as well as to each other.
Disliked by his sergeant, who picks him for every unpleasant task, and bullied by the older Wally Kidman, Otago lad Leith McArran learns to keep a low profile. Through these characters, plus Leith's friends Prof Murdoch and Tamati Baines and Leith's brother Calum and his friend Ces Tyler, the reader experiences the harshness of army life and the unpleasantness and constant danger of trench warfare.
Time spent exploring Cairo and visiting the Aotea Club where Leith dances with Sister Burlace (from Di Menefy's 1915: Wounds of War), and time spent drinking and chatting in French taverns provide some light relief from the horrors and hardships experienced. Being the object of bullying becomes minor compared to the treatment of a deserter. A spy in their midst adds another reality of war.
Detailed yet very readable, 1916: Dig for Victory is a book for those interested in war, in particular WWI, those interested in NZ history and the development of NZ race attitudes, as well as attitudes towards Britain and Europe. It deserves a place in every library and school.
Congratulations once again to Scholastic for initiating this centennial series.
Reviewed by Chris Wright (Bookrapt)
December 25, 2016
While obviously there are no longer any soldiers left alive from the First World War to talk about their experiences, I do believe David Hair has captured their time realistically and honestly. This novel is well researched and covers daily life in the trenches. We witness the young men digging the trenches, dealing with attacks from the German side and the very real day-to-day threat of injury or death.
As the Maori contingents join up with the Otago lads (many who are actually young Scots with a fierce sense of being New Zealanders) we see a definite clash of cultures. The racist overtones of some of the men have the potential to damage the morale and therefore their ability to work well as a team.
Leith McArran is part of the group shovelling dirt to make the trenches when he is teamed up with an obviously under-age young Maori boy Tamati Baines. I loved watching the relationship between these two young men and how it grew from strength to strength. Their relationship highlights the need to have someone you can count on in the worst of times and as this book shows so well, these were the worst of times.
A solid account of the First World War and life on the Somme battlefield.
A must have for intermediate and high school libraries.
As the Maori contingents join up with the Otago lads (many who are actually young Scots with a fierce sense of being New Zealanders) we see a definite clash of cultures. The racist overtones of some of the men have the potential to damage the morale and therefore their ability to work well as a team.
Leith McArran is part of the group shovelling dirt to make the trenches when he is teamed up with an obviously under-age young Maori boy Tamati Baines. I loved watching the relationship between these two young men and how it grew from strength to strength. Their relationship highlights the need to have someone you can count on in the worst of times and as this book shows so well, these were the worst of times.
A solid account of the First World War and life on the Somme battlefield.
A must have for intermediate and high school libraries.
July 31, 2021
One of my favourite reads of 2021.
These are a fabulous telling of the reality of war, written in compassionate and informative ways that make you feel like you are standing in the trenches with the characters. The characters weave their way through each of the stories. You're in for a treat if you've never read a New Zealand accent; you will find it littering these pages. They are full of Kiwi lingo. They cover many of the ANZAC troop's critical battles during the war years, like that of Gallipoli in 1915 and Passchendaele - which still hails as the most significant loss of New Zealand life in action to this day.
If you are fascinated by World War One...
...
Read my full review on my blog: https://sarahgael3.wixsite.com/sarahg...
These are a fabulous telling of the reality of war, written in compassionate and informative ways that make you feel like you are standing in the trenches with the characters. The characters weave their way through each of the stories. You're in for a treat if you've never read a New Zealand accent; you will find it littering these pages. They are full of Kiwi lingo. They cover many of the ANZAC troop's critical battles during the war years, like that of Gallipoli in 1915 and Passchendaele - which still hails as the most significant loss of New Zealand life in action to this day.
If you are fascinated by World War One...
...
Read my full review on my blog: https://sarahgael3.wixsite.com/sarahg...
October 30, 2016
More of a 3 1/2 star rating as lost a star due to a spy plot that I felt detracted from the rest of the book. Otherwise another excellent addition to the series. Story and history are woven effortlessly together. I really enjoyed learning about the NZ Pioneer Battalion.
What I especially have appreciated about this series, and 1916: Dig for Victory is no exception, is that for a children's series the horrors of the war aren't glossed over. Nothing is overly graphic but characters die, the conditions are laid out - from everyday life in the trenches to bodies being discovered when digging trenches, and the
What I especially have appreciated about this series, and 1916: Dig for Victory is no exception, is that for a children's series the horrors of the war aren't glossed over. Nothing is overly graphic but characters die, the conditions are laid out - from everyday life in the trenches to bodies being discovered when digging trenches, and the
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews