This is the true story of a 'splendid' brotherhood - masters and boys of Wellington College who go to the First World War. Their story is told in a scintillating series of vignettes which vividly portray their actions and emotions in the different theatres of conflict. Each vignette stems from a deep and grounded knowledge of the characters involved, what they did, who they were and where the action took place. C T McNulty's extensive use of dialouge that is crisp and real makes A Brotherhood So Splendid much more than an "action packed" recital of history.
McNulty understands the internal dramas his characters deal with as they face action in the field and by a singular blend of imagination and expertise he has unfolded history in the dialouge of these young men. The quintessentially 'Kiwi' character of these young men's actions is sewn deep into the sinews of the narrative. The interplay is is real, tangible and pure. This is a New Zealand story - authentically told at that critical point in time when New Zealanders stepped up, and stepped onto the world stage - thereby discovering that which made them different not only from their forebears, but from all other nations. These men discovered the essence of their identity - becoming A Brotherhood So Splendid...