David Littlewood – författare

The First World War is widely conceived as a pointless conflict that destroyed a generation. Petty squabbles between emperors pushed naïve young men into a nightmare of mud and blood that killed millions and left scarred and embittered survivors.

However, the ongoing reinterpretation of the First World War reveals that matters were rather more nuanced and complex. Hardship and death were all too common, but there were positive experiences, too. Vast numbers of people, for example, travelled to new parts of the world and encountered new cultures, inspiring a sense of wonder and respect. Military tactics were improved, and great military commanders of the inter-war and Second World War periods came to prominence during the First World War. The conflict also had a formative influence on politicians, writers, artists, union leaders, businessmen and some ethnic minorities, who used their participation to press for equal rights and full citizenship. This book’s 16 chapters, written by a range of leading New Zealand and international historians, explains how.

While a plethora of studies have discussed why so many men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received relatively little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the fact that substantial numbers of men appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men, and the workings of the bodies charged with assessing their cases, through a sustained transnational comparison of the British and New Zealand contexts.

While a plethora of studies have discussed why so many men decided to volunteer for the army during the Great War, the experiences of those who were called up under conscription have received relatively little scrutiny. Even when the implementation of the respective Military Service Acts has been investigated, scholars have usually focused on only the distinct minority of those eligible who expressed conscientious objections. It is rare to see equal significance placed on the fact that substantial numbers of men appealed, or were appealed for, on the grounds that their domestic, business, or occupational circumstances meant they should not be expected to serve. David Littlewood analyses the processes undergone by these men, and the workings of the bodies charged with assessing their cases, through a sustained transnational comparison of the British and New Zealand contexts.

The biggest challenges of the twenty-first century require global solutions. Focusing on three of the most urgent problems of our time — climate change, conflict, and poverty and inequality — Tū Rangaranga introduces the notion of global citizenship, and what it means to be an active citizen in today’s world. If we are fundamentally linked to people around the globe by the clothes we wear, the phones we use and the resources we consume, what does this mean for the rights and responsibilities that underpin citizenship? How should we respond to the climate crisis, conflict or inequality? In the face of these daunting global crises, this book encourages reflection on the power of collective action to enhance the dignity and rights of others.

Part of a series of books exploring and promoting citizenship in Aotearoa and beyond, Tū Rangaranga joins Tūtira Mai (2021) and Tūrangawaewae (2017, 2022) in combining academic rigour with an examination of how to engage as an active citizen.