Breaking Ranks
McNeish, JamesA doctor, a soldier and a judge, all men of strong conviction, all men who died prematurely. In his final book, New Zealand literary luminary, James McNeish, brings together three men who defied the Establishment and broke ranks: Dr John Saxby, a pioneering psychiatrist; Brigadier Reginald Miles, a soldier who disobeyed orders and went into battle with his men; and Judge Peter Mahon of Erebus fame.
Presented in a compelling narrative, this highly readable book not only celebrates the lives of these notable men and their contributions to New Zealand, but also considers what it means to be a good New Zealander. [Larger font]
Pages
289
289
Year
2017
2017
Reviews
02-02-2023
A mixed reaction to this book. It had interesting insights into three men - some more well known than others. Most discussion was on Mahon and the opposition he encountered. Writing style was "questioned". Personally I enjoyed this book - learning about three strong men who "defied authority".
12-03-2022
Great discussion on the three men. Those of us who read all three accounts enjoyed McNeish's literary style and his investigative style.
02-03-2022
Lively discussion about these principled men who faced establishment/personal/societal pressures.
23-02-2022
Book was well received by all our group - very interested in all the stories, particularly John Saxby and Tokonui, with mental health topical among health professionals in our group. The Mahon report bought poignant memories, as did Reginald Miles' army history. Lack of editing noted by some but still enjoyed the book.
23-07-2021
Our group enjoyed this book. Easy to read in three relatively short stories about three New Zealanders from different walks of life and different eras, all with sad endings. We related to the Mahon story most as our age group knew the back story and the controversy resulting from his report. The Saxby account is current considering the current news reports of our mental health system, and the Miles story reminded us of the apparent 'bizarre inefficiencies' of some of the British war leaders.
25-05-2020
An unfortunate book to have during lockdown - as they had sad lives, and sad endings. We didn't discuss it in the depth we usually would as we weren't uplifted from reading about these men.
22-11-2019
Overall the group thought they would be happy to recommend the book. It widened our knowledge of the three men who sacrificed so much for what they believed in. Well-written with McNeish's opinion worthwhile.
20-11-2019
We found this book really interesting, and it produced a lot of discussion.
04-11-2019
Highly recommend as a discussion book. Our opinions were very diverse and strong. Some rated 4/10, others 8/10. We particularly enjoyed the Peter Mahon story.
04-11-2019
An interesting book that gave us some interesting information that we didn't know. Created a lot of discussion about NZ past and present and the coming elections.
15-10-2019
Great book. We had great sympathy and empathy for those discussed.
15-10-2019
Most of the group enjoyed the book.
24-06-2019
This book was greatly enjoyed. It created great discussion which extended outwards to a variety of topics.
24-06-2019
The author showed what immense courage these three men had in their very different lives. They stood up for what they believed in, often against the view of their peers. Sadly they all died when they still had so much to give. Writing poetry was an interesting link between all three. At times the writing felt a bit clumsy and perhaps needed more editing, but generally a good read.