Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori in the First World War – Monty Soutar (2019)
In this landmark publication about Māori participation in the First World War, Aotearoa’s leading Māori military historian studies the Pioneer Battalion, specifically created for Māori service. With over 300 images, this fascinating book helps explain why some men signed on to serve, while others staunchly resisted the call to join the imperial conflict.
Publication details
M. Soutar. Auckland: Bateman Books, 2019.
About the book
This major publication about Māori participation in the First World War is written by NZ's leading Māori military historian Dr Monty Soutar, author of the award-winning Ngā Tama Toa C Company, Māori Battalion. A fascinating look at the Pioneer Battalion (the Battalion created for Māori to serve) that will shed light on the reasons why some men signed on to serve, and others staunchly resisted the call to join the imperial conflict. As with Dr Soutar's first book, it combines the story of the war and the role of Māori in it, with the words and thoughts of the men themselves, as well as those back home. Over 300 images, many from family collections and not published before.
Further information
This book is part of the series marking the publication of Books of Mana (Otago University Press, 2025). It builds on the project Te Takarangi: Celebrating Māori publications and adds 30 titles to a selected list of 150 non-fiction books, led by Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga in collaboration with Royal Society Te Apārangi.