New Zealand’s greatest war hero, Charles Upham, was one of the few people in history to have won the Victoria Cross twice. In consultation with Upham, and with those who knew him, Kenneth Sandford has crafted a fine testament to his legenday exploits, his acumen as a soldier, and the classically understated Kiwi mannerisms that have for ever endeared him to all New Zealanders.

In 1957 Kenneth Sandford persuaded a reluctant Charles Upham to allow his unique and heroic story to be told. Sandford, the author of two novels and a lawyer and father of three, took five years from 1957-1962 to complete the highly successful book which has been reprinted several times.

A quietly spoken sheep farmer from Canterbury, at the front in Crete and North Africa, Charles Upham destroyed enemy machine-gun posts single-handed and led a frontal assault on enemy guns. He then spent the rest of the war in prisoner-of-war camps, including the famous Colditz Castle, where he made life a misery for the German guards, constantly trying to escape.

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