Operation East Timor: The New Zealand Defence Force in East Timor 1999-2001

By John Crawford & Glyn Harper

The deployment of New Zealand forces to East Timor is this country's largest military operation since the Korean War. It is a deployment that has received almost total support from the New Zealand people, despite the undeniable risks involved. Operation East Timor looks at why New Zealand defence force personnel were sent to East Timor, what role they have played, and what they achieved - the challenges that have had to be met, the tragedies faced, and the satisfaction of making a difference. It examines the vital relationships between the various arms of the forces, and with our Anzac and other allies, as well as `firsts' such as the role of women in combat.

This is not the definitive history of New Zealand's deployment to East Timor, nor can it be while our troops arc still there. Rather, it is an intimate account of how our forces came to be there, what they found, and how they helped, told using personal letters, diary extracts and interviews with many of the participants. It is a telling story of history in the making, and of New Zealand's place in the world.

Paperback,, 232pages, very good condition, title page cut out