Wild Knights in No-Man's Land: The Korean War recalled by a New Zealand Infantry Officer

by Bruce Matthews

Reprint of the NZ Edition due in January 2006

The Korean war is often called the forgotten war, but 50 years since the truce was declared in 1953 it is also still an unfinished war.  New Zealander Bruce Mathews was a Major with the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment in the conflict and in this book provides gripping detail of daily life in the frontline as well as his experiences of being wounded and evacuated before returning to the battle. In so doing he details the weaponry used and the fighting tactics of the two sides.  He also provides a description, illustrated with several maps of the course of the war and the various key battles.  Illustrations include diagrams and 16 pages of photographs.

A5 portrait format, softcover, 256 pages including photographs and maps. ISBN 0-908876-27-0  $29.95

"Otago Daily Times" review 20.03.04:

"From a largely forgotten theatre of war, in [this book] the author recalls his seconded service as a platoon commander with the 3rd Royal Australian Regiment.  The bulk of the story is of the daily life and characteristics of units making up his battalion, defence of a static front-line and the co-ordination of patrols to dominate no-man's land, the importance of artillery and air support, and the skills required to counter a wily Chinese enemy. We learn much of Allied weapons, the skills of patrolling, of relations with other Allied forces and of the trauma of battlefield casualties, including the author's wounding and evacuation to Japan.  As well he describes the effects of the environment, mountainous terrain, swift rivers, a lack of roads and icy cold winters.  Fifty years on, the author demonstrates remarkable recall and a freshness which belies the passage of time, " Ron Tyrrell