William Marjouram, a Royal Artillery non-commissioned officer, was involved in New Zealand's First Taranaki War of 1860-61.

An ill-disciplined hard drinker turned Methodist lay preacher, he was a reliable 'Centurian of the Empire'.

Arriving in New Zealand in December 1855, Marjouram served primarily as an artillery senior sergeant, acted as a spy on covert operations, and as the creator of an army signals system, unitil his medical evacuation to Britain in 1861.

During his stay here, he kept a fascinating diary recording his day-to-day life as a soldier and lay preacher in frontier colonial New Zealand.

It includes observations of the Maori, and military activities including the use of artillery, signalling and engineering works by the British and of their intelligence operations.

This book is an edited version, together with an introduction, explanatory text, and illustrations, including art, landscapes, portraits, photoghraphs and maps.

The diaries were originally published in England in 1863 under a different title.

Contents include: Glorious summer days Disheartened and dispirited The darkness deepens Conclusion Chronology References Appendix Maps

Sergeant, Sinner, Saint & Spy: The Taranaki War Diary of Sergeant William Marjouram, RA, is a first edition published in 1990 by Random Century NZ, Auckland.

Edited by Laurie Barber, Garry Clayton and John Tonkin-Covell, it is a 102-page large-format 19.5x27cm hard cover with dust jacket (sun fade to spine and a light area to top front) in otherwise near-new condition. There is a pen name and 1993 date on page 3.

Pickup is North Shore, Auckland, close to harbour bridge.

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