This shattering memoir has become a classic, and is still as relevant as it ever was. Archibald Baxter (J.K Baxter's father) was a conscientious objector during the First World War, and was relentlessly and brutally treated by the New Zealand authorities. He was punished beyond the limits of his physical and mental endurance, and was told that it wasn't his service they wanted, it was his submission. Baxter remained determined not to submit, and didn't, but he was almost destroyed in the process. It's hard to believe that the NZ military could ever treat their own citizens as worse than their enemies, but they did. This book stands a testament to a massively inspiring and influential man.