Allan’s family are very sad to be letting you, his readers, know that their much admired and cherished husband, brother, uncle, great uncle, cousin and good friend died in Auckland on Christmas Day 2016 as a result of a brain tumour. He died gently in the arms of Gay, his deeply loved wife and life’s partner of 45 years, supported by his treasured family and friends…

MUD BENEATH MY BOOTS
“I walk home through a night when the moon is dark. I do not remember crossing streets and do not remember falling but my knees soon bleed to my ankles. I do not know what happens to my hat but I never see it again. I do not know what I do with the spade and guess it probably lies alone in a ditch. In the morning all I have is the gun and quiet bullets”…

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“Fit to rank alongside the classic All Quiet on the Western Front. The direct narrative and unemotional descriptions provide an authentic, moving picture”

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A BRIDGE OVER
“I leant over and told him I was going on my own. I said I’d come back for him. I could see the pain and shock and a look that told me he thought I was leaving him to die. Like huh, white officer leaving me. I wasn’t a Gurkha officer.”

“Pretty damned compelling, with the page-turning quality of a first class novel. For an insight into life in the trenches, this could hardly be bettered…”

NEW ZEALAND LISTENER

Allan Marriott (1944-2016) has an extensive background in education, community development and primary health. He is the author of: A Bridge Over: The story of John Masters, veteran fighter, (non-fiction 2009 and 2nd edition 2010); Mud Beneath My Boots: The poignant memoir of the effects of war on a young New Zealander, (non-fiction 2005) – both highly acclaimed; Joshua, (fiction 1992), and The Prance of Men, (non-fiction 1988).

Mud Beneath My Boots was selected by the book Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) and by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise as an example of a New Zealand biography/memoir for display at international Book Fairs in 2006 and 2007.