PETER COOKE HAS WRITTEN the definitive account of the conscripted military training in New Zealand. He briefly covers the development of militia forces in the 1800s before delving into the meat of the book which is the two large sections on Compulsory Military Training (CMT) in the 1950s, and National Service in the 1960s.

Each section includes extensive discussion on the political and strategic rationale for each scheme, the related legislation, and the mechanics of how men were selected and notified of their training obligation. Cooke then explores the training that the men received in the Army Navy and Air Force, liberally peppered with and memories of hijinks and (mis)adventures from the many interviews and surveys undertaken by the author. It is clear that many of the men enjoyed their period in the forces, or at least came to recognise it as a valuable experience.

There is a poignant section and that discusses the men who died while serving, and an appendix listing them. This includes an detailed description which put to rest the mystery of some photos I came across in an archive many years ago showing a 25-pr which had suffered a premature explosion in the breech. While any death of servicemen during training is tragic, it is nevertheless surprising that the number – fifteen dead out of than 100,000 men over 23 years – is so low.

Appendices include lists of intakes, ballot numbers and dates, a discussion of the introduction of the NZ Defence Service Medal, relevant legislation, and various aspects of the administrative mechanics of CMT and National Service. There are well chosen photos, documents, and cartoons on almost every page.

Throughout the book Cooke neatly sets the story within the context of the times – the 1950s and 60s, the Cold War, Korea, Vietnam, and the rise of the individual. Cooke’s conclusion nicely sums up our era of peacetime conscription, stating that
"The period in question saw NZ society cross the boundary from service to self. The era opened with well-ensconced selfless values which started to change part way through .... The period ended, however, with a triumph of the rights of the individual – a right (for some) to not serve their country. Compulsion is all about the state’s ability to ask something of its citizens and their duty to respond. Under the circumstances of the Cold War, the request made of young men under CMT and National Service was not unreasonable."

Cooke has given us a comprehensive history of peacetime conscription in this country which will stand as a fine memorial for the CMTers and National Service Men, and provide a valuable tool for future researchers of this period in New Zealand’s history for a long time to come.