This is the story of Haane Manahi and his exceptional bravery in Tunisia during the Second World War. At the Battle of Takrouna, Tunisia, Sergeant Haane Manahi of Te Arawa led a small group of Maori soldiers who captured a fortress on a 200-metre pinnacle that was being held by at least 200 enemy soldiers. While Haane Manahi was recommended for a Victoria Cross by seven officers, including Generals Freyberg and Montgomery, the award was mysteriously downgraded to a Distinguished Conduct Medal. Until now, little has been known about who made this decision or for what reasons. In this biography, acclaimed author Paul Moon uncovers the man, his life, his courageous feats during the war, and the events surrounding the downgrading of the award for his extraordinary act of bravery.

Author Biography

Paul Moon is Professor of History at the Faculty of Maori Development, Te Ara Poutama, at Auckland University of Technology and is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society at University College, London. Dr Moon is well-known for his writing on New Zealand and Maori history, of biographies and on the Treaty of Waitangi, and he has worked on several Waitangi Tribunal claims. His books include two studies on the Treaty of Waitangi, biographies of New Zealand governors William Hobson and Robert FitzRoy, a biography of Kotahitanga leader Hone Heke Ngapua, and a trilogy about Tuhoe tohunga Hohepa Kereopa. He has also written histories of New Zealand at the time of the Treaty of Waitangi signing and mid-1800s and on the social and economic situation of Maori to 1900.