Overview

'The cloak and dagger, secretive, mercurial, exceedingly hazardous life behind enemy lines ...' (Allan Yeoman) Between 1941 and 1945 a fair number of young Kiwi combatants found themselves loose behind enemy lines in occupied southern Europe - mostly Greece, Yugoslavia and Italy. Most were escaped prisoners of war, trying to reach friendly territory. A few brave souls such as John Mulgan and Dudley Perkins took even riskier routes, actually landing in occupied territory to bolster the resistance and carry the fight to the enemy. When need arose, the escapees fought, often as members of partisan bands. 'We decided that if it was too late to get across to Turkey or Palestine the alternative was to kick up a bit of a bloody shindig in southern Greece,' Bill Griffiths recalled of his experiences. Resourceful and determined Kiwis helped make life a headache for German and Italian occupying forces. This book tells of many extraordinary feats of heroism and survival. We have only to look at Bill Griffiths' adventures, scudding into Piraeus harbour amidst a storm, right under the noses of the Nazis; or at the way Frank Gardner took the war into his own hands, dynamiting German trains with or without the help of the partisans, to realise just how remarkable, determined and capable these young New Zealanders really were.

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9781869790691

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Matthew Wright is one of New Zealand's most published and bestselling historians, who has written extensively on many aspects of New Zealand's past. He has qualifications in music, history and anthropology, holds postgraduate degrees in history, and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London. Renowned for his military history, he is also well known for his work on social history, and has a passionate interest in science and technology. His work has been recognised for its detailed research, and his total of more than 50 books includes a general history of New Zealand, a history of the New Zealand Wars, books on settler society and life, and a critically acclaimed biography of Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg. His book Hawke's Bay - the history of a province won a J M Sherrard Award in local and regional history in 1996. Other titles include: Big Ideas: 100 wonders of New Zealand engineering; Behind Enemy Lines: Kiwi freedom fighters in World War II; Torpedoes: Kiwis at sea in World War II; Trains, Tunnels, Bridges: Icons of our New Zealand rail history; and Trucks Across New Zealand. He edited Escape: Kiwi POWs on the run in World War 2, Behind Enemy Lines and Torpedo! Matthew has been a published author for over 30 years, as an historian, reviewer and journalist, and has written on many topics, including travel guides, biography, engineering, and military and social history. He lives in Wellington with his wife, Judith. See more at www.matthewwright.net, and see his blog at http://mjwrightnz.wordpress.com.

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