New Zealand Books

This book, first published in 1921 in Britain and New Zealand, and now reissued in the United States with a generous and enthusiastic introduction by William Cronon, is certainly one of the strangest and at first sight most unpromising works of environmental history ever written. The book is basically an extraordinarily detailed account of the environmental history of a single sheep "station" (sheepfarm) on the East Coast of the North Island of New Zealand written by the lessee of the property, Herbert Guthrie-Smith. He describes in great detail the environmental transformations that he himself brought about as he cleared the forest cover from the steep hills, grassed the slopes and stocked the property with sheep. In many ways Guthrie-Smith regretted what he had to do in order to make a living.The book describes everything: clearing the land, changes in birdlife, the local geology and archaeology, the spread of noxious weeds, accelerated erosion, the complexities of exporting wool, etc etc. Guthrie-Smith was from Scotland and the book is written in an old-fashioned heavily literary style, but it is well worth persisting with. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is Guthrie-Smith's descriptions of his Maori landlords, from whom he leased his farm but who were a lot poorer than he was. One can see from his pages how the present day sheepfarming landscape of the North Island was created, and at what cost: a true classic, but for serious environmental historians only.

As all books of this author this one is wtitten with a lot of humour and love to animals. It's simply must read book.

This book is simply a must read for all Australians and anyone interested in the colonial experience, in this case by white British 'official' settlers who marginalised the prior inhabitants of Kangaroo Island, and who were also white (unoffical European settlers and sealers) its not a race thing so much, as much as it became a race thing, its just that the marginalised were not 'recognised' socially, and no one would marry them and all their hard work was lost, appropriated by those with the right connections.

The story is compelling.

My response to this excellent biography/memoir about New Zealand born poet, polemicist, private printer, pagan and pretender to the Polish throne, Count Geoffrey Potocki de Montalk, by his cousin NZ poet Stephanie de Montalk, is best conveyed by excerpts from the two following reviews. Michael King, writing in The Dominion (NZ) 17 November 2001, said, 'Every once in a rare while, a subject and an author admirably suited to each other connect and the result is a book of outstanding interest and merit. Unqiet World is one such volume ...like many poets, she writes prose very well. This quality is yet another that lifts this book from the domain of biography into that of literature.' And Ruth Brown, writing in the Times Literary Supplement, 27 December 2002, observed: 'Stephanie de Montalk succeeds in bringing her implauible relative to plalusible life. His various exploits on a worldwide stage are set in a meticulously researched analysis of the context of their times, and in openly acknowledging a complex and shifting personal reslationship with her quarry, she charts the subjectivity that must go into the making of any biography.'

An Unsettled Spirit: The Life & Frontier Fiction Of Edith Lyttleton (G. B. Lancaster) by Terry Sturm (Professor of English, University of Auckland, New Zealand) is the superbly researched and deftly written biographical story of the life and literature of New Zealand's most widely read author oversees during the first half of the twentieth century. This is the amazing and informative portrayal of the difficult experiences of a very talented woman who, in penning her tales of romance and outdoors adventure, struggled to rise above the limits of potboiler fiction. An Unsettled Spirit is an absolute must-read for literary connoisseurs of Lyttleton's life and work.

I was handed this book and was told that it has some of our Family History in it.(i'm part koori) From the moment I opened this book till the last page I could'nt put it down.

Graeme Davison draws upon his experience and expertise as an historian and commentator on national celebrations, heritage, museums, and other forms of public history in The Use And Abuse Of Australian History. He presents a wide-ranging and perceptive survey of the many ways in which history enters into and becomes a part of contemporary everyday life in Australia. The past inspires, consoles, and condemns (sometimes all at once), and here highlighted is how Australians use (and sometimes misuse) the past in attending to such present concerns, issues and national discussions on everything from gun ownership to aboriginal rights. The Use And Abuse Of Australian History is highly recommended reading to students of Australian history, culture, politics, and international relations.

An eclectic and fascinating collection of critical essays, memoirs, poetry and artwork addressing this forgotten war.

Absolutely excellent book. I read it in just 2 sittings. It combines the best of many books in a concise and enlightening way.

Complete and unabridged, The Voyage Of Their Life is an uplifting work of nonfiction superbly narrated by Deidre Rubenstein. In August of 1948, 545 passengers who had survived displaced person camps in Germany, death camps in Poland, labor camps in Hungary, and gulags in Siberia or the Aegean islands sailed upon an overcrowded vessel toward an unknown future in Australia and New Zeland. The Voyage Of Their Life draws upon recollections, memorabilia, archival documents, and much more to recreate these brave individuals' lives and dreams. Author Diane Armstrong, winner of the GeorgeMunster Award for independent journalism, was herself a child who sailed upon the "Derna" with her parents. A heart-wrenching yet ultimately optimisitc true story of finding the strength to survive and rebuild in the wake of devastation.