Dig for Victory
David Hair
Scholastic
2016

Dig for Victory, by David Hair, is a novel that shows the different aspects of war and is told from the perspectives of Leith McArran and Tamati Baines in 1916. When war is rampant throughout Europe, Leith McArran joined “the great adventure” with his brother Callum. Yet their unit, the Otago Mounted Rifles, was shattered in Gallipoli and now must merge with the new Māori contingents to form a new battalion of “Pioneers” doing the behind-the-scenes work; but, “We are not happy – we want to fight not dig holes.”

The book shows a different side of war from Leith’s perspective, and this is the side that is hidden behind all the fighting and sacrifice: the unsung heroes digging the trenches in the dead of night with flooding, lice and poor hygiene to deal with.  Read more