War Blacks: The extraordinary story of New Zealand's WWI All Blacks / Matt Elliott
- Bib ID:
- 7577337
- Format:
- Book
- Author:
- Elliott, Matt, author
- Online Access:
- National edeposit: Onsite at National Library of Australia
- Related Online Resources:
- Thumbnail
- Access Conditions:
- National edeposit: Available onsite at the National Library of Australia, State Library of New South Wales
- Description:
-
- Sydney,New South Wales : HarperCollins Publishers, 2016
- 1 online resource (320 pages)
- ISBN:
- 9781775490722 (EPUB : : :)
- Summary:
-
War Blacks is the extraordinary story of New Zealand's national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other. Rugby and war have played major roles in the forging of a national New Zealand identity. This is the story of where both met, on the hot sands of Egypt and the muddy fields of Britain and France during World War I. War Blacks presents for the first time the stories of more than 90 men who had been, were, or would be All Blacks and their 1914-18 wartime service, wearing the double silver fern of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force or the badges of other nations. While first-class and senior rugby in New Zealand came to a halt as the war progressed - "fit to play, fit to fight" - the game played an important role in the recreation and morale of our troops. The mighty rivalry between the All Blacks and the Springboks can be traced to this period. When the "Invincibles" were touring the Northern Hemisphere in 1924-25, the ex-soldiers in the team made a point of visiting the battlefields they had fought on only a few years earlier, as well as the graves of their fallen comrades. Arguably the most famous of the New Zealand player-soldiers was Dave Gallaher, captain of the "Originals" All Blacks in 1905, who lost his life in 1917 at Passchendaele. He was one of 13 All Blacks killed in action during WWI. Others were wounded and left suffering the effects of active service for the rest of their lives. But amongst those who played after the war was Maurice Brownlie, one of the greatest forwards the game has seen. War Blacks is the moving - and at times humorous - story of our national sport and The Great War, and the effect each had on the other.
- Notes:
- Imprint: HarperCollins.
- Subject:
-
- All Blacks (Rugby team) -- Biography
- All Blacks (Rugby team)
- World War (1914-1918)
- Rugby football players as soldiers -- New Zealand -- Biography
- World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, New Zealand
- Rugby Union football -- New Zealand -- History
- World War, 1914-1918 -- New Zealand
- Biography & Autobiography - General
- Biography: sport
- Rugby football players as soldiers
- Rugby football players
- Rugby Union football
- Soldiers
- New Zealand
- Australian
- Also Titled:
- Subtitle from cover: Extraordinary story of New Zealand's World War I All Blacks
- Available From:
- Ingram Content Group
- Copyright:
-
In Copyright
You may copy under some circumstances, for example you may copy a portion for research or study. Order a copy through Copies Direct to the extent allowed under fair dealing. Contact us for further information about copying.
Copyright status was determined using the following information:
- Material type:
- Literary Dramatic Musical
- Published status:
- Published
- Publication date:
- 2016
Copyright status may not be correct if data in the record is incomplete or inaccurate. Other access conditions may also apply. For more information please see: Copyright in library collections.