Reviews for
the Rabbit hunter
Carl daymon
The most graphic, masterfully and expertly written books I have ever been privileged to read. Author Christopher Worth has excelled.
I have been reading novels for 75 years now and honestly have never experienced the total feeling of “being there”.
Well done, that man. And congratulations.
Steve tilleyshort
Anybody whose parent is a serviceman will appreciate The Rabbit Hunter. It creates a vivid image of what daily life in WW2 was like: a topic our fathers seldom talked about.
The transition of Neil Rankin from a young country boy to an active fighter and leader of men explains the journey our soldiers experienced. Weaving the story into actual events of the battle of Greece bought it alive and allowed me to associate with what my father experienced. The Rabbit Hunter is such an engrossing book that urged me to read more.
Matthew Fulton
As the editor of The Rabbit Hunter, it was difficult not to get drawn into the story as a reader, transported to the front lines of WWII. From the real-feeling characters to the thrilling battles, I could almost say I was there in Greece experiencing the confusion and horror of smoke clouds and skull-thumping explosions.
I would recommend this book to any reader inside or outside New Zealand who has an appreciation of history and what was experienced by young men and women in such times.
Truly a masterfully written story.
Ross parry
I have recently had the pleasure of reading The Rabbit Hunter written by Christopher Worth. I found the book exceedingly well written, which made the book easy and enjoyable to pick up but difficult to put down – the book being based on World War Two battles and locations.
The fictional characters in the book all have their own strong personalities. These personalities really come to life and you can almost imagine the stress and difficulties they had to endure, both on the front line fighting and in their downtime when being so far away from their homeland and loved ones.
I would highly recommend this book to any age group, as it really makes you appreciate the hardships that war causes on both the soldiers and civilian population.
Once again a must-read. Five out of five stars.
Pauline moore
"I've finished your book! Well done; you have painted an effective picture or what went on, which is both shocking, tragic, maddening and uplifting all at once. Should you do a second edition, a map would be a great addition :)"
Nevil Gibson
Former Editor at Large for NBR
Worth gives detailed descriptions of the weapons, vehicles, and aircraft on both sides, underlying his comprehensive research. While the characters remain two-dimensional, the geography and underlying history of the region is solid and informative. The battle at a bridge over the Corinth canal is a superb action piece, suggesting Worth has a future in this type of writing. The evacuation to Crete is also full of suspense, with the next chapter of the story yet to be told.
The novel was written as a tribute to a generation of men and women who grew up during the Depression of the 1930s, had their lives put on hold for five years, and, for those who survived, returned to rebuild a country without revealing much of their experiences. More of these stories must exist in memories and imaginations.
glenn chapman
The way you (Christopher) write the characters is so spot on with how I remember those guys of that generation used to think and speak. I heard a lot about my great uncles as a kid; my grandfather was extremely proud of his brothers. Four of them served. The others served in North Africa and Italy.
The two on Crete weren’t infantry; one was in the Medical Corps and a boxer, and the other was an army mechanic, but as my grandfather said, ‘everyone was infantry’ when the invasion happened. Reg was killed at Maleme in an aircraft strafing attack while manning a Bren Gun and Dale was captured a few days later and spent the war in poor conditions in Germany, until being diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer and sent home in a Red Cross exchange.
Apart from a few stories in the family—and I’m fortunate to have their medals—there’s very little said or known about this very New Zealand story that touched the lives of many families.
So thank you so much for your book. It makes me—and others, I’m sure—feel closer to these brave lads we never got to meet.
