"The Great War is now typically regarded as senseless and futile, but most New Zealanders at the time, rightly or wrongly, considered it to be a war to preserve security and freedoms, to punish an aggressive enemy, and to win a better world. Yet the war years proved a tumultuous time, and bitterness and animosities ran alongside idealism and sacrifice. Divisive issues, economic volatility and a rising death toll all threatened resolve. The Home Front offers a compelling account of how a small and developing country confronted the complex questions and brutal realities of a world war"--Back cover.

Steven Loveridge works from the Stout Research Centre for New Zealand Studies, and has researched, written and lectured on numerous aspects of the First World War. James Watson has recently retired from the post of associate professor at Massey University. His book WF Massey: New Zealand was published in 2010.