War histories sell well

Press, 3 June 1983, Page 4

War histories sell well

PA Wellington The continuing price freeze has no effect on second-hand book prices, collectors found to their cost yesterday. Record prices for the official New Zealand war histories were realised at the twice-yearly book auction conducted by J. H. Bethune. The auctioneers’ cataloguer, Mr Tony MurrayOliver, predicted that yesterday’s records would become tomorrow’s average. “Over all, the official histories are very popular, and they are increasingly in demand. There was keen bidding for them,” he said.

The highest prices — Mr Murray-Oliver believed they

were records — were ?60 each for the single-volume history of New Zealand’s World War II role in the Pacific, and for volume one of the three-volume set of New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force. The history of 28 (Maori) Battalion, which fetched ?18 on the second-hand market two years ago, yesterday sold for $55. More than 40 of the histories, put up for sale by a Blenheim collector, Mr Tony Rowse, were sold at the auction. The histories, designed to form the official view of New Zealand’s activities in the war, were all published by the Internal Affairs Department, most of them during the 19505.