New Zealand Books

This is a fabulous stage lighting book - not TOO basic for experienced lighting people, not too hard for beginners. I particularly like that there are chapters such as "Lighting the Musical" and "Lighting the Play", etc, as different shows have different lighting needs - but it is not always addressed in lighting books. I highly recommend this book for lighting students or people who just need to know more about lighting to have better communicate with their lighting designers.

This book , I beleive is the sixth edition, and it is out of date to todays highly intelligent systems. "Stage lighting handbook" is good for those who just started theatre stage work, but it does not apply to rock concert settings. It is well written, very basic style of writing, does not touch on the technical side of using DMX consoles or applications.

If all you want to know is about design, this is the book for you. Other then that it is useless. No information on practical set up of lighting plots. The Shelly book is much better.

This book does a wonderful job of presenting the reader with a whole bunch of basic concepts and then rpidly builds on them. For any new light designer, or even experienced ones that want to try something new and different, this is the book for you. It really gets the wheels turning and the creative juices flowing.

This book is a good overview of lighting design and lighting tech. The writing is frank and honest, the information is well-organized. I use it frequesntly as a designer to remind myself of things I might otherwise forget from time to time, or to get new ideas for how to light for this style. It is just an overview, and while it is highly practical, I would hardly call it comprehensive. Chapter titles include: Aims in Lighting, Lighting Instruments, First Steps in Lgihting Design, Color, The Lighting Design Process, Lighting Opera, lighting Thrust Stages, Agenda for a Post-Mortem, Projection and Effects, and Light Education. This book is sort of like a letter from one experienced lighting designer to a fresh-faced lighting designer, unlike many stagecraft books. It does have the UK slant, as another reviewer mentioned, but that shouldn't be a great hindrance. If you have 10 books about lighting design, this should be one of them.

I found this book to be an interesting approach to writing a memoir. There are many parallels to current events in my life and have found inspiration from the author in how I can accept change and differences. Therefore I make a strong personal recommendation to read and enjoy this book.

In this book we read an unusual life story, starting with a student's life-changing encounter on a stopover New Zealand, and continuing with her subsequent family life in Australia, Hawaii, and her native New England. At the same time we follow and ponder her developing ideas about the tsunami-like effect of Europeans on Maori civilization, as reflected in individual lives, historical and current. Almost all of this was new to me and I found the book completely engaging.

Ms. Thompson makes a good point in her book, saying that she always got the feeling that `she never quite got what was going on in NZ.' Unfortunately she went on to write this book anyway, and that is regrettable.

There are two parts to this book, history and memoir. The history is narrow and it tends to focus on sensational (exotic?) aspects that might appeal to an American audience, like shrunken heads and tattooed faces. For anyone interested in a broader account of NZ history, Michael King's `The Penguin History or New Zealand' is the best place to start. The memoir aspect should be a little more interesting for US readers - after all, it's unusual for someone from Boston to marry someone from NZ, let alone a Maori.

Not content to frame NZ concepts in American language for her audience, Ms Thompson told her story of NZ through US cultural lenses. This caused her to interpret things incorrectly. Two examples are; Firstly, when she first arrived in NZ she was looking for signs of where Maori might live - presumably so she could visit them and experience their culture (as if they were separate from the rest of the population like native Americans?) The concept of `finding where Maori live' is as absurd as visiting a reservation or plantation to see native Americans or blacks. If she wanted to find Maori, driving into the first suburb she spotted would have been the best place to start.

Second, her `fury' that her husband was `directed' into trade school (rather than university) because he was Maori is ridiculous. Trade schools, apprenticeships and polytechs (community colleges) offer training for highly valued and well paid jobs in NZ. Skilled trades people are important to the economy and ALL school children are exposed to those options in high school. Due to geographic isolation, those jobs must come from within NZ's population - there is no pool of cheap labor over the border from which to draw. Unlike America, most NZ families do not expect, or even hope, that their children will go to university (even in 2008).

The book also includes observations that are wrong, annoying or generalized. Ms Thompson implies that NZ'ers believe their racial integration is evidence that there is no racism in NZ. That is incorrect. Of course racism exists in NZ, as it does in any society with more than one ethnic population. But integration has resulted in good race relations, which is an important achievement (particularly when you compare it to neighboring Australia or race relations around the world). Her constant use of the words Maori, Pakeha and Half-Caste is annoying. Those terms are not used by NZ'ers to describe each other in 2008 and may even be considered offensive. NZ is a multi-cultural melting pot and those terms are no longer relevant. Her description of the coffee that `Seven's' family drinks is generalized to the entire country implying a lack of sophistication. NZ is an espresso mecca. I focus on it because when I came to the US I drove my husband mad trying to find a decent cappuccino.

From my perspective the book missed all the wonderful subtlety and complexity of NZ. Ms. Thompson should have stuck closer to home in her choice of topic. There are two things that make me sad about this book 1) American's who might be thinking of visiting NZ will read it and think its an accurate portrayal, and 2) that it might be published in NZ. While I am not generally in favor of book-banning, I might make an exception here : )

I thought the author became a bit lost between the history of the Maori people and her own biography. At times I almost felt that she married her Maori husband as a research project and then failed to tell the reader about it. However, I did learn a great deal of the history of New Zealand.

I picked up this book at my local bookstore and could not put it down. Thompson's book mixes memoir with historic research to create a very accessible and interesting book. She smoothly combines her research on the literature of colonial-Maori contact with her own story of how she met and married her Maori husband. One of the best books on the contacts between very different cultures that I have read in a long time. And it will make you want to go to New Zealand too.

Apart from some basic facts I already knew and rough descriptions of Russell Crowe's movies, that book contains only tons of inaccuracies and speculations, especially about how Russell Crowe was feeling and what he was thinking at certain times and situations in his life, even what Danielle was feeling in certain situations.
How does that guy know? He has obviously never spoken to Russ or Dani (he would have mentioned it if he had) and even though some things sound like they MIGHT be true, I don't buy most of what that guy wrote.

I don't remember all the details, of course - and I refuse to read that book again - but some of the things I remember as clearly wrong or totally speculative are:

- The author says Russ played the leading role in Brides of Christ. But he appears in that entire mini-series for only a few minutes.

- The author says Russell's opponent in The Crossing was a Robert Hanimone. But it was Robert Mammone.

- The author says Russell has always been insecure about his sexual orientation ("proof" of this, the author says, is that Russ didn't have a girlfriend before Dani, that he played a sexually ambiguous character in the Rocky Horror Show, and that he prefers playing movie characters who are insecure about their sexual orientation). This is complete nonsense.

- The author says Russell liked playing Nash so much, because he is also on the verge of being schizophrenic. "Proof" is that his parents have said he was always " a little crazy" as a child and that his sudden fits of rage can be explained by him being at least a little schizophrenic. This, too, is entirely speculative.

- The author says Russell has always hated his Maori heritage and still does. "Proof" of that, the author says, is that he was discriminated against in New Zealand because of his mixed blood, and that up to date, even though he speaks up against racism, he does not have any black friends and has never gotten involved in any activities to help minorities (or something like that, I don't recall the exact wording). How does the author know? Does he know all of Mr. Crowe's friends and all projects he is involved in?

Anyway, IMO the entire book contains mainly inaccuracies and speculations. There are other books out there who are much more accurate about Russell Crowe, his movies and his life.

Here we go - another biography from James Dickerson, which means strap yourself in for quite a ride. Few, if any, biographers approach their subject with such sheer relentlessness as does this Mississippi-based author.

And now he's taking on the life of Russell Crowe, one of the most enigmatic, and talented actors working today. The author knows a good subject when he sees one and a good case could be make that he's caught Crowe's life when he's getting ready to leap into full-blown movie stardom.

We learn some things about Crowe we didn't know (his Maori ancestry), some things we'd heard about (his being a musician and a darned good one) and some things about him we know all too well (his, er, gruffness). It's a handsome book and if the author had packed any more detail into these 175 or so pages, you'd have to get help picking it up.

Some say biographies don't mean much unless you have the subject's cooperation. It looks like Dickerson disagrees and we should be grateful for his attitude about his work. Without fetters or favor we get probably as close to Russell Crowe as anyone ever will -- and maybe closer.

Bravo to the bio and to Russell Crowe for being his own man. Sometimes we need guys who throw punches - and biographies like this that refuse to pull them.

this is a fantastic story of russell's overcoming and persaverance. i think russell is probably a genius. . . aren't many these days (santana, russell, and jim carrey to name a few.) particularly interesting was russell's early years, having recently survived what i think was probably SARS I felt i could relate with the idea of struggle. buy this book, you will thank me for it!

How can the author spit out phsychological assessments on a person he has not personally interviewed? According to his analysis, any young teenage boy who is shy with girls and prefers the company of his "buddies" or ("mates") suffers from some type of sexual ambiguity??!! This seems to describe just about all the teenage boys I know...Better not tell my 14 year old son...Apart from this, the books is an easy read, nothing really new, just take it with a huge grain of salt...

While much of the information in this book is interesting, it's hard to know what to believe and what not to. When the author gets a simple, well-published, and easily verifiable, fact wrong - such as that Mel Gibson was born in Australia - Gibson wasn't; he was born in Rye, NY and moved to Australia as a child - you have to wonder how thorough his research about Crowe actually was. Also, the author's psychological 'insights' say more about the author than they do about Crowe. The book would have been much better without them, as they seem to point to a bias on the author's part rather than as true indicators of Crowe's thoughts, feelings, or reasoning. Watching Crowe's dedication and loyalty to not only his art, but also to his family and friends, tells one much more about the man than any unauthorized bio does, and does it better and with more truth. Get this book if you're a fan, but watch Crowe's movies and interviews, and listen to his music, if you really want the true story about the real Russell Crowe..

The author does a pretty fair job of evoking the spirit of New Zealand. She gets around most of the country and is able to fill you in with tidbits of regional interest. However, it must be noted that her opinion of Queenstown-Glenorchy-Paradise is completely off-base (in my opinion). I can't agree with her assessment of everything being Texas style big,either.She doesn't spend much time in any area so her book doesn't reflect a strong 'feel' of place like a Bill Bryson or Paul Theroux book would. The author spends more print time on her rental motorcycle than I care to know about. Even with these disclaimers she does a better job than most others, thus making it a worthy read.

I picked up her book on bicycling in Spain at the library and liked it so much I bought Fried Eggs and Chopsticks and eagarly awaited the release of Kiwis Might Fly. Her books are written for the arm-chair traveler to laugh over but not emulate. Her personal experiences plus brief forays into history make a very enjoyable read.

I was given this book from a friend as a vague taster of NZ before I headed down there for a year and they seriously recommended reading it. I didnt know much about New Zealand and didnt really feel like I needed to know much about its history or landscape. But as I started reading this book I was suddenly fuelled with intregue and curiosity about the beauty of NZ and how it came to be. Based on a personal perspective of Polly Evans who decided one day that she's bored of Rainy England and feels it a good idea to ride around NZ on a 600cc on a mission to find out if the modern Kiwi bloke really is on the verge of extinction, this extremely funny book boasts educational references, drama, personal reflection and a fairly decent overview of NZ as a whole. Despite the strange theme, the book delves into personal experiences of many of the sights and attractions around NZ, clear and detailed references to the history different places and events, lots of good clean British humour and an engrosing writing style of adventure. I really enjoyed this book and found it to be inspiring and and exteremly interesting. Plus there arent many books that make me laugh out loud, and this one did, a lot! I've also used this book as a good reference to many trips out so far, handy!

This book is less about The Kiwi Man (its ostensible theme) than it is about Polly Evans and her newfound love of motorcycling. If you want a sometimes entertining overview of things to do and see in New Zealand, this isn't a bad choice, but a cursory overview is all it is. I read it in an afternoon. Deep, it's not: some of the background info sounds as if she pulled it off of a tourist brochure. And it could use a good editor (why, or why, does she get paid to write books when she doesn't know the difference between further and farther?) I got none of that Bill Bryson I-love-these guys feeling for the people of New Zealand, nor did I get that (often entertaining) sense of grumpy irritation that so many travel writers affect (though she sometmes seems to attempt it, it just comes off as mean and off-point, as with the minister's wife and the potato peeler...very odd). Come to think of it, I learned very little about New Zealand at all, other than it's very pretty, has a wide range of weather and topography, offers some nice roads for motorcycling, and is filled with mostly nice people who are happy to help tourists. I knew all of this. Oh, I did learn that it's frighteningly easy for a novice to rent an oversized motorcycle there.

Ms. Evans has to reach way too hard to incorporate her "theme" through most of the book (her attempt to tie it all together in the last pages is laughable). She occasionally tries out an overly arch tone that is intensely irritating -- I found myself skimming those parts -- and she sometimes falls into the "and then I went here and turned around and went there" style of a boring blog. Perhaps this would have been better if she'd been honest about her real subjects -- her motorcycle and herself. Presumably, the meaningless title for this book was chosen by the publishing house, as it has nothing to do with the text. Maybe there are too many chick-motorcycle-travel books for yet another, but a more honest tile for this book would have been something like _Kawasaki Kiwi: How I Got My Groove On and Learned to Fly_. After all, what really happened is that this gal had an affair with a bike. It just happened to have happened in New Zealand. The search for The Kiwi Man had sod all to do with it.

It's difficult to write travel books with a "twist" but Polly Evans has a pretty good try here in a book that has two on the go at the same time. First, a lady with no previous motorbiking experience passes her test in the UK and, only a couple of weeks later, hires a 500cc road bike to circumnavigate the whole of New Zealand. Brave or stupid, her gradual mastery of this "monster" provides an engaging backdrop to the journey and results in a series of hilarious problems. Second, she sets out not only to see the country but to discover whether the traditional Kiwi male - the pioneer who could mend a clapped out tractor with a rubber band - still exists. A quest which allows her to include some fascinating facts about New Zealand's development, takes her to places that most tourists miss, and gives her the opportunity to ruminate on the issues facing a traditionally male dominated society in the process of change.

All good stuff but the problem is that, as with many "I'm off to see the country in a few weeks" travel books, she can only scratch the surface of the place. For example, in Christchurch she takes an immediate dislike to its "faux" Englishness, with its boatered punters and its school children in 1950's uniform, without having the time or inclination to get behind why these things exist. As a result, her conclusion that the city is in some form of ridiculously nostalgic time warp completely misses the point that this need to replicate the safety & security of "home" was an integral part of the male "pioneering spirit" she is in fact seeking, and that Christchurch with its strong links to rural farming communities still embodies, more than any other of New Zealand's major cities, this particular aspect of its history and life.

Truth is that it's virtually impossible to draw objective conclusions about a country or its people without immersing yourself in it and, with only a couple of days in each place, what she in fact ends up with is a series of intriguing snapshots rather than any real answers to the question she sets herself. But, no matter, because, in the end, it's an enjoyable ramble which, on the way, provides an excellent "primer" into New Zealand's history, captures a great deal of what a tourist can expect to see when there, and includes some wonderfully entertaining incidents as you follow her round its beautiful landscapes on her huge machine.

"Provides complete information on how to reserve campervan/car in U.S. and on camps and scenic sights in 'Down Under.'"

This is nice little book, but it is not at all what the description led me to believe it was and it is certainly not worth the cost. This is not a true guidebook at all. Rather, it is a very brief (only 128 pages total, with wide margins on all 4 sides of the page) account of the Hostrop's personal travel experiences with little tidbits of advice tossed in.

I have visited Australia twice and am planning a third trip, which is why I purchased this book. It will not be of use to me in planning my next trip, nor do I believe it would have been especially useful in planning my previous trips, even though my last trip was made in part in a campervan.

I also found the repeated urgings to make use of Newmans (a travel agency) a bit disconcerting. Was the Hostrops' trip underwritten by Newmans?

My advice: spend your money on the Frommer's and Lonely Planet guides. They will be much more useful.

I bought this book before our trip to New Zealand to provide detailed/specifc information about using a Campervan to see New Zealand. We took the book with us and referred to it several times during our vacation there and found it to be neither helpful or accurate. Using a campervan to visit New Zealand had many serious considerations that I do not feel were adequately detailed in this very small, non detailed book. One of the funny things was that the book mentioned how patiently and how detailed the instructions would be by the campervan company. To the contrary was our experience, there was minimal information provided, just "You refuel here, the spare tire is here, you turn it on there. Any questions? No?, Well have a good day mate." Once out of the parking lot, the fun begain with trying to drive a stick shift situated on the "wrong" side of the vehicle and driving on the "wrong" side of the road. Had the book specified some of the problems associated with this, and the dangers, we would have had more realistic expectations. Since this book was a "Campervan" book, my expectations would be that the book would spend much more time on how to deal with such a "beast", as we came to consider our campervan.

In addition, the book gushed about the great roads, which were not great once outside of Auckland, and the lack of graffetti and trash, which we saw much of in Auckland and even in the rural settings. Many other details mentioned in the book we found not be be the case. The various sites to see were not discussed in enough detail to be either intriging or edifying.

This is not to discourage anyone from going to NZ, but I felt that the book did not cover the reality that a traveler meets. One would do much better with getting a general travel book of New Zealand, which be did, and use that for planning and executing his or her trip.

Though my wife and I had a general guide to Australia and New Zealand, surprisingly, we felt that the Hostrops' book gave all the sightseeing information needed as most sites also had their own detailed literature. We appreciated the emphasized suggested itinerary given which took us to the most important sites and to the excellent recommended lodgings and campgrounds. We also appreciated the excellent information on the "free" stopover islands. On the way over, we stopped in the Cook Islands and on the way back we stopped in Tahiti. This a gem of a book which goes to the heart of what independent travelers need for a most enjoyable journey to Australia and New Zealand. Highly recommended for independent travelers.

Stuart's work is an excellent overview of Australian history from the dreamtime to the present. He captures the major periods and events that shaped the progress of Australia towards federation and beyond, into the current malaise over national identity and the development of a unique and identifiable cultures.

Modern thought increasingly accepts the indigenous problems that were part of Australian colonisation, and Stuart probes these and other contemporary issues by drawing from both sides of the debate. He illustrates research that examines the language of overland explorers, to determine whether they were 'exploring' or 'conquering', and he comments on modern interpretations of the constitution by the high court. Readers not well versed in Australian issues may pass over these slights of hands without understanding their importance in the nature of forging an Australian history, culture and identity.

I would recommend this book as a necessary overview for any person interested in the history of the country, including potential tourists.

I have long wanted to read a general history of Austrailia, and when I read. on April 3, 1988, The Fatal Shore, by Robert Hughes, I said to myself, in my post-reading note: "I am glad I read this book, but maybe I'd've done better to read a plain history of Australia than this long account of this aspect of its beginning." I am shamed to say that it has taken over 12 years to do what I thought I should have done back then. This book goes up to 1999, and portrays very well the current dilemmas facing Australia. If you enjoy the articles in Current History, as I do, this book reminds me of those articles, except it is less bland and neutral. Ordinarily I avoid histories with designations such as "short" or "concise" figuring that I want a fuller treatment. But when one knows as little of a country as I do of Australia, I thought this a good introduction to its history.

According to the author, Australian history is 200 years of racism, sexism, oppression, dominance, exploitation. The victims are aborginal people, women, the early convicts -- and the environment. The villains, of course, are white males. When the Australian economy dips, the fault lies with the U.S., world capitalism and neoliberalism. When the Australian economy thrives, it just means Aussies can waste more money on bourgeois geegaws. The tone is humorless, unrelenting, shrill, one-sided -- a prime example of what one Australian referred to as "black armband history".

The first thing that came to mind as I trudged through Macintyre's wordy book was how could something called "concise" seem so long? This book is informative but entirely humorless, like reading an ingredient list. Macintyre seems more concerned with showcasing his vocabularity then with enticing you with the facinating history of Australia's past. There is plenty of information in this book if you can make it through to the end while maintaining consciousness. If you are about to visit Australia and you are looking for an entertaining and informative book to stimulate your enthusiasm I strongly recommend Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. If you are looking for a strong sedative then this is the book for you.

Flenley and Bahn have created an incredibly comprehensive reconstruction of Easter Island's history. They cover the origins, flora, fauna, tides, culture, language, stone carving, etc. In fact, for a layman such as myself, the sheer volume of details is a bit overwhelming, and I frequently found myself skimming. (I really didn't want to know that much about Chilean palm tree nuts or pollen samples.)

The authors make their very plausible (and exhaustive) case that the Easter Islanders doomed themselves by invoking an ecological disaster, possibly compounded by drought, which led to starvation and internecine warfare.

The stone giants are the embodiment of some sort of archetypal figure from the human subconscious and have fascinated generations. I came away from the reading most impressed by the fact that every scientist, archaeologist, doctor, engineer, or assorted wing-nut who had seen the stones was compelled to try and figure out how they were carved or moved. The megaliths seem to cast a spell over the most sane and rational people. (I found myself telling my husband we should go there for our next vacation)

This is likely the most comprehensive and authoritative work available on the mysteries of Easter Island, concerning its unique culture and its famous statues. The writing here is rather dry, with only occasional glimmers of personality, though the knowledge presented is robust and is usually entirely readable for the interested layperson. The book gets off to a pretty slow start as Flenley and Bahn unnecessarily debunk the discredited theories of Thor Heyerdahl, while they seem to have a colonialist-style disdain for the memories of the present Easter Islanders. The book eventually improves, presenting a general history of the island and an overview of its isolated brand of Polynesian culture. Utilizing archeology, linguistics, botany, anthropology and other disciplines, we learn here that the Easter Island culture evolved out of a likely total isolation from their Polynesian kin (it's one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth), adapted to specific environmental challenges, and developed a highly unique society focused on building giant statues and monuments. But at some point the closed cultural and environmental system collapsed, probably with deforestation and soil erosion as the root causes, and the rich island culture broke down into mayhem and anarchy. This is a chilling lesson for humankind, though Flenley and Bahn wrap up the book with a pretty weak and predictable environmental message for the world. [~doomsdayer520~]

While somewhat compelling, this book was really not what I expected. I found it to be basically a reiteration of the first edition published in 1992. Have the authors nothing new to say? I would skip this book- not worth the read- there is so much wonderful material out there on Easter Island. This seemed like a waste of good time. Next!

This is an excellent, up-to date (2003), fairly easy read of an astounding place, Rapa Nui, the island in the South Pacific better known as Easter Island. This is in fact an updated edition of an earlier 1992 edition, that has been revised to incorporate new ideas and developments in research into a place which has seen quite a deal of academic interest and debate over the last few decades.

It is, as the title suggests, mostly a discussion of some of the more enigmatic and mysterious aspects of this small island at the 'edge of the world', so to speak. Discussions include how the Polynesians got there in the first place (several thousand kilometres from just about anywhere), what happened to the island's original flora and fauna, why there are now virtually no trees on the island, why and how they built and transported the enormous statues, why their culture seemingly underwent several periods of cultural implosion, and how they came to have their own system of rudimentary symbolic writing-no small thing incidentally- since it is only one of a handful of societies where a form of writing is thought to have arisen independently (although this is debated for Easter Island).

Rest assured, once one delves into the detail and human richness of the history and culture on Easter Island, (past what one hears via the grapevine or via populist travel articles), one begins to find things one did not quite expect. Put simply, it becomes a kind of mirror of the human psyche, of humans in close interaction with their primeval environment, with all its ghastliness and beauty, and their myriad inclinations towards both the tragic and the beautiful.

Take for example, the extreme feeling of isolation that a seafaring culture must have felt, of being stranded, once all the original tree species had been cut down and driven to extinction, and they couldn't make any more sea craft (something a number of environmentalists have pointed out). Imagine the keen loss of traditional values that must have been felt, once the statues were thrown down (in a probable revolution of some sort), or the desperate alternative worship of man-like birds, who could fly away into the sea and escape their lonely, now barren, isle. And what about the island's trees in the first place-there was a highly prized native palm on the island, that could be sourced to transport statues, make ropes, make sea craft, and provide an alcoholic sap amongst other things, which was driven to extinction by the islanders-whether by over-exploitation, neglect, or through an inability to adapt and change, or all of them. And there are even suggestions that is was in the making and transporting of the statues themselves which at least partially caused the islander's ultimate cultural downfall-the transport of the statues required the felling of timber, and if one of these two practices had to cease or change, it probably wasn't the felling of timber.

It is difficult to know for certain what variety of factors were responsible for the extinction of the prized trees, but no doubt isolation, neglect, and an inability to change must have been major factors. In addition, the Polynesian rat evidently had a big appetite for native palm nuts (teeth marks in nuts). Without the timber from the trees, soil erosion and degradation set in, and most importantly they couldn't make wooden boats to fish, and so they began to starve. Archaeological evidence also indicates an outbreak of warfare at about the same time as the trees became extinct. There is indeed a myriad of archaeological evidence here to delight anyone interested in the rise and fall of nations and cultures to be sure, scattered in caves, swamps, dwellings, quarries and various other places on the island.

Another interesting discovery is the preserved fossilised roots of native palm trees, which are almost identical to the modern day, very versatile Chilean species. Also of interest to me was the subtle development from religious ritual and symbolism, to depiction of the same on favourable rock outcrops, ultimately to communication of the same on wooden articles-the Rongorongo script. In short-'religious ritual' to 'writing'. Writing originating as art inspired by cultural isolation? There are suggestions here that it was the Spanish who influenced this trend towards writing, but after reading the debate here, I'm not convinced. The extreme isolation to me suggests a kind of inspired artistic innovation or expression. Readers might also be surprised to learn that the origin of the Polynesians themselves is from Taiwan in about 4000 BC-an island nation, that has frequent political troubles, and I presume also may have had, around 4000 BC??.

There are various other discussions on the geology, geography, climate, the infamous Kon Tiki expedition, genetic research into islander origins, Polynesian dispersal and seafaring, archaeological excavations (of course), agriculture, general ecology, statues and ceremonies, food issues, the western human impact from the 18th century onwards, the introduction of smallpox, western religion, slave trading from Peru in the 19th century, and revised views on issues concerning resource sustainability, and ultimate parallels with the rest of the world. It is worth mentioning here that the first edition received some criticism for failing to note differences in resource availability with continental landmasses (which have a larger degree of alternative resources, and further discoveries of eg minerals), and these issues have been incorporated in this revised edition. Comparisons are also made with two other pacific islands, although in somewhat limited detail, Mangaia and Tikopia, which experienced similar ecological and cultural crises, but apparently managed to 'see them through'. There are also a number of black and white and colour plates, and quite a few diagrams which provide good support to the discussions.

An excellent overview of a thoroughly fascinating, and always surprising place.

I really enjoyed this book for what it was--a passage of time. I'll spare you the synopsis since 2 other reviewers have given you that already.

What I liked about this book was at times you can actually hear yourself groaning along with the characters bad decisions, and wanting to give them the high five when they make the good/best/or right decision. The ending left me feeling a bit disconnected, but I think that was the point.

It's a light easy read. No great mysteries of life solved here, you'll be disappointed if you're looking for that in this book.

For the most part, I strongly agree with the previous review. I originally discovered Perkins when I came across "Not Her Real Name", a collection of brilliantly written short stories about a somewhat lost generation. I was thoroughly impressed and couldn't wait to read the follw-up. However, after reading "Leave Before You Go", I must say, I AM a little disappointed. While I found myself able to connect with the unwittingly emotionally bankrupt characters that she portrays, and yes, both cheering and jeering at their decision-making skills -- I felt like I was being dragged in circles. In the end, I also felt disconnected and unsatisfied -- like there was not resolution or character DEVELOPMENT at all. However, I haven't lost my faith in Perkins yet. Her uniquely tangible descriptions always leave me wanting more.

Emily Perkins is supposedly one of the new and talented voices of todays New Zealand literature. By chance I read some of her articles in a magazine. It struck me that she seemed to be writing for young women, but still definitely had a talent. Just as much by chance I came into possession of her first novel, "Leave Before You Go", but here my curiosity turned into direct disappointment. The novel starts off with Daniel, a young Englishman, bored with his uneventful life in England, and so he decides to take the risk as a one-time drug courier. He ends up in New Zealand where he meets Kate and her friends who are equally dissatisfied with their lives. Again I get the impression that Emily Perkins is turning to other young women her age, who are in turn bored with their lives and maybe haven't anything better to do than reading this unfascinating and uneventful story. Nothing much happens, and the descriptions both of Auckland and a trip further south in the country are straight out dull. There are occasional moments better than others but all together the entertainment value hardly exists, neither in the storyline, the character portrayals or in the language itself. If I was an 18-year old girl, not having read any other books by my own free will, I might have given it three stars. I'm giving it two stars because of the moments where she does display her talent, but if Emily Perkins can't come up with anything better than this in more than 200 pages, she should probably concentrate her talent on the short stories and essays in women's magazines. Honestly!

Increasingly many young (and not so young) people live aimless lives. Perkins paints a realistic picture of half-a-dozen of them.

No, she doesn't paint it. She photographs it.

Here, Daniel is a Brit who takes a one-way trip to New Zealand as a one-time drug runner, and ends up destitute there. The Kiwi scene centers around Kate, a very-small-time cinema usherette who's single and looking. Unlike fairy tales, they don't pair up promptly. Instead they drift...

If you like to see your world in black and white, skip this. If you see it in shades of grey and want to get a glimpse of life at the unmotivated end of the human spectrum, it's very useful.

I thought this was a good, thorough book that contained all the info you might need to know if you're considering moving to New Zealand.

I found thins book to be not at all helpfull to me in moving to New Zealand. In fact I found it to be very out of date and the back section that talks about the Kiwi people and their way of life seemed depressing to me. I found the book to be constantly stereo typeing Kiwis. Sheep, beer, rugby etc. I think that the information in this book was true 10 years ago but a lot has changed in New Zealand in that time, especially in the cities. The information in this book is all available on the internet and it is constantly updated there.

I bought this book about a year ago, just as I was beginning to think of a move to New Zealand. Well, here we are, one year later... and I'll be there in four weeks time!

This book helped me so much that I simply had to write a review of it before leaving. There are only about twenty books on my list to take with me to NZ, and this is one of them. I can't recomend it highly enough.

I've been to NZ a handfull of time now. I find this book to be right on the mark. It captures just about everything you need to know about living and working in NZ, and many thing you don't need to know... but are entertaining in their own right.

Mr. Hempshell touches on everything that a prospective migrant would want to know, with a great deal of humor as well (I love the little cartoons). I also bought books which were supposed to be about immigrating to NZ. Steer clear of these books. They tell you nothing that you can't find out for yourself on the NZ immigration web site.

If you are thinking of moving to NZ this is the book for you. Of all the books about NZ I've bought this year, this is the only one I still refer to. You'll not go wrong, trust me.

I read this book before i went on a vacation to New Zealand last year. It was fairly informative. If you have absolutely no knowledge of the country, this book will be very helpful. However books such as this one are not extremely useful, even if they were updated each year. (which this book isn't) The section about Television in New Zealand was outdated. This book makes it seem that even the best satellite service will not compare to even cable in the US. In other words, their television offerings are scarce. However, I found that to be untrue. Sky TV offers many channels and has good variety. This is just an example of how this book cannot possibly keep you informed about a rapidly changing country like New Zealand. The point is, if you really want the scoop on living in New Zealand, ask your friends who've visited for information. An even better way is to search on the internet. Go to a chatroom that has New Zealand inhabitants and ask them. They are very friendly.

Unlike the previous reviewer whose academic qualifications are unknown, James Bellich is a well-known historian in this country. Whenever anyone in this country attempts to portray the truth about a shameful episode in this country, they are met with howls of protest and outright lies. History has always been taught here from the perspective of the so-called winners, very few Non-Maori know the true facts and sadly even less care. Anyone who wants to read the truth should read this book.

I recently returned from North Island and toured the Waikato with James Belich's book in hand. As an indepth review of the New Zealand Wars or a primer for British-Maori relations, the book is indispensible.

Twenty years after its publication, this remains one of the most controversial interpretations of an aspect of New Zealand history. The book opens with an inequivocal statement of intent: "This is a revisionist history of the New Zealand Wars." Although it was initially hailed as a brilliant new interpretation, however, large sections have since been discredited in detail.

As examples, Belich claims (incorrectly) that Maori invented modern trench warfare; that the Ngapuhi chiefs Hone Heke and Kawiti 'won' the Northern War of 1845-6; that the British never understood, and therefore could not counter, Maori strategy; that the British defeat at Gate Pa in 1864 was the result of a Maori 'ambush'....the list goes on. What is interesting is that no military historian - Maori or non-Maori - has ever endorsed his interpretation.

Belich's reputation suffered a blow in 1998, when a television series based on this book was parodied by satirists and ridiculed by military historians. His reputation suffered what should have been a fatal blow in 2000, when it was revealed that some of the references in the book did not exist, but had been 'created' to support the argument. Belich's dwindling number of supporters are now reduced to making silly comments about his critics, rather than debating points on their merits.

Notwithstanding, this book is worth reading. However, it must be read alongside the earlier works that Belich dimisses with such contempt (particularly Cowan's 'New Zealand Wars'). Readers should be aware that Belich has no standing as a military historian. This is most clearly demonstrated by his use of the terms 'strategy' and 'tactics' indiscriminately, and his complete lack of comprehension of operational art.

Probably the book's greatest value is as a demonstration of revisionism 'gone too far', and what happens when a historian arranges the 'facts' to suit his or her thesis, rather than testing his or her thesis against the facts.

Prof. Belich has become 'the authority' on the New Zealand Wars and this book has become the standard text. This is hugely unfortunate. Not only is Belich's thesis that the native Maori were tactical and strategic wizards that were more than capable of facing the might of Imperial Britain (and in the process 'invented' a totally new form of trench warfare) profoundly flawed, the manner in which be supports his thesis is somewhat dubious. Belich frequently leaves out information that conflicts with his argument and often deliberately misquotes sources in support of what he wants to say.

The disagreement and debate regarding any given interpretation of an event is a normal and even critical part of the academic or social environment. The fact that Belich presents a revisionist thesis on a subject that has not been comprehensively dealt with for 60 or so years is to be applauded, and certainly the fact that it has provoked a renewed interest in the subject here in New Zealand is wonderful. Alas what is not so good is a social historian who masquerades as a military historian who, when he cannot bend a source to fit his thesis, ignores it.

Roel van Leeuwen mithras@wave.co.nz