"... a nostalgic look at the wartime American presence in this country. In 1942 shiploads of American servicemen and support staff began to arrive in New Zealand. They were posted here to train for, and recover from, the battlefields of the Pacific. Our own men were overseas. The US soldiers with their foreign manners and smart uniforms appeared as romantic dreams. They brought a new sophistication. Our culture was permanently altered by their presence." -- Back cover. Chapter 7, "Haere Mai Amerikana" discusses race relations issues which arose 1942/43 between Maori and American servicemen.