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836 days ago

Secret Army: An elite force, a secret mission, a fleet of Model-T Fords (book)

Cordwainer from Melville

Secret Army: An elite force, a secret mission, a fleet of Model-T Fords, a far flung corner of WWI

Barry Stone

Allen & Unwin, 2017. Paperback, 228 pages. Excellent condition

It was arguably the greatest fighting force in the entirety of the Great War. They were the very best: hardened, fearless, decorated, cocky fighting men, all veterans of Gallipoli and the Western Front. Yet this elite force secretly assembled in London in late 1917 remains an enigma even today.

Barry Stone tells the story of these Australian, British, New Zealand, Canadian and South African men who were sent to the ethnic powder keg of the Caucasus to preserve British interests. They matched wits with German spies and assassins. They fought the Turks. They dined with sheiks, outraged local mullahs, forged unlikely alliances with Russian Cossacks, helped Armenians flee genocide, and saved the lives of thousands of starving Persians.

This book is a rarity: a story set against the backdrop of war, filled not with bloodshed but with acts of kindness and selflessness; a triumph of the human spirit.

Price: $10

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More messages from your neighbours
3 hours ago

Can you crack Today’s neighbourhood conundrum?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

Without a bridle or a saddle, across a thing, I ride a-straddle. And those I ride, by help of me, though almost blind, are made to see. What am I?

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3 days ago

Poll: Do you think the idea will work?

Libby Totton Reporter from Waikato Times

The Government will today unveil a radical new plan to www.waikatotimes.co.nz...
|underwrite construction of new private houses|, as high interest rates and an economic downturn make it tough for developers to get finance for new projects.

The new time-limited scheme is designed to de-risk developments, making finance easier to obtain for developers to start building. Developers often have to pre-sell a proportion of dwellings in any development in order to secure finance, which has become much more difficult in the current economic downturn.

Do you think the idea will work? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).

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Do you think the idea will work?
  • 31.6% Yes
    31.6% Complete
  • 26.3% Not sure
    26.3% Complete
  • 42.1% No
    42.1% Complete
19 votes
6 days ago

Poll: Do you think Waikato needs an agency to grow its economy?

Libby Totton Reporter from Waikato Times

Waikato may be getting a new ‘go-to’ body for building the region’s economy.

The previous economic development agency, Te Waka, shut down earlier this year, saying the “passionate advocates” no longer had the resources to do what they’d planned.

Do you think Waikato needs an agency? Tell us your reasons in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).

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Do you think Waikato needs an agency to grow its economy?
  • 20% Yes
    20% Complete
  • 15% Maybe
    15% Complete
  • 65% No
    65% Complete
20 votes