Chris pugsley is New Zealand's leading expert on the First World War period and his writings have stripped away the myth that the Anzacs were natural soldiers. This collection tells the story of New Zealanders, Australians and Canadians at war -- from the Boer War in South Africa to the Empire's involvement in the cataclysmic struggle of 1914-1918. Pugsley describes how citizen armies gradually became professional as they learned from their mistakes and how the crucible of war shaped New Zealand identify forever.