With the Lost Legion in New Zealand

A vivid, first‑person account takes you into the little‑known campaigns that shaped New Zealand’s north‑island in the late 1860s. The narrator, a veteran of frontier service, feels compelled to set the record straight about the “Lost Legion” – the makeshift, unlisted units of colonial volunteers who fought without regular Imperial support. Through gritty anecdotes and plain‑spoken reflections, you hear the clatter of muskets, the strain of trekking through unfamiliar terrain, and the harsh reality of disease and hunger that claimed so many.

The opening pages introduce Richard Burke, a soldier whose family’s military pedigree contrasts sharply with the rough, improvisational life of these irregulars. As he recalls the brutal skirmishes, the constant danger of tomahawk and bullet, and the camaraderie forged in hardship, a clear picture emerges of a forgotten chapter of empire‑building. Listeners will gain a fresh appreciation for the ordinary men whose sacrifice paved the way for New Zealand’s later development.