Dropping history "big mistake" – military expert
massey-university
Fri Mar 11 2016 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Dropping history “big mistake” – military expert
Friday, 11 March 2016, 10:34 am
Press Release: Massey University
Dropping history “big mistake” – military expert
Professor Glyn Harper says the biggest mistake he made at school was dropping history for accountancy in year 12.
Today he is regarded as one of New Zealand's pre-eminent historians, a Professor of War Studies with an almost unrivalled knowledge of the nation's war history - particularly World War I.
"I was awarded the fifth form history prize then I dropped history in the sixth form to do accounting, after pressure from my parents," he says. "This was a big mistake."
In Auckland tonight Professor Harper's 25 years experience as a researcher was recognised with the Individual Research Excellence Award from Massey University.
Five years ago he was instrumental in establishing New Zealand's Centenary History Programme, involving the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the New Zealand Defence Force, the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association and Massey. The series of books cover the major campaigns in Europe and the Middle East, New Zealanders’ contributions in the air and at sea, the experiences of soldiers at the front and civilians at home, the Māori war effort, and the war’s impact and legacy.
“I became interested in military history when studying at university and joined the Territorial Army to help pay my fees. I found the military world, albeit as a part-time soldier, fascinating.”
He says the First World War was always of particular interest. “It made such a huge impact on world history and there is so much about the conflict that is hard to fathom, including the poor military leadership and tactics adopted by both sides, not to mention the massive casualties. For too long the subject was not taught in schools and universities, so there was a huge knowledge gap.
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
“Military history is in fact family history and so many families around the world were affected by this conflict. The story of great events, terrible tragedy and unhappy outcomes is always compelling. I feel privileged to be able to conduct research in such an interesting and exciting field of human history.
“Research in the field of humanities helps us understand the forces that have moulded our sense of identity as 21st Century New Zealanders. This award validates the importance of understanding our past and the pivotal events that have shaped New Zealand.”
Professor Harper is also a well-established author of children’s books, having written 11 books for younger readers. One of these works, Jim’s Letters, was shortlisted for the 2015 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and won the Picture Book of the Year category.
The annual Defining Excellence Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements of Massey’s alumni, researchers, teachers and business partners. Full details of all of tonight’s winners can be found here.
ENDS
Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}
Using Scoop for work?
Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.
Join Pro Individual Find out more
Find more from Massey University on InfoPages.