Memorable Memoirs of Kiwi Men

Home Again

Shane Cameron

Did I Ever Tell You This?

In this unexpected memoir, written in a creative burst of just a few months in 2022, Sam Neill tells the story of how he became one of the world’s most celebrated actors, who has worked with everyone from Meryl Streep to Isabel Adjani, from Jeff Goldblum to Sean Connery, from Steven Spielberg to Jane Campion. By his own account, his career has been a series of unpredictable turns of fortune. Born in 1947 in Northern Ireland, he emigrated to New Zealand at the age of seven. His family settled in Dunedin on the South Island, but young Sam was sent away to boarding school in Christchurch, where he was hopeless at sports and discovered he enjoyed acting. But how did you become an actor in New Zealand in...

Speaking My Language Te Korero i Toku Reo

Well-known journalist and presenter Mike McRoberts opens up about his experiences of reconnection to te ao Māori and learning te reo, and encourages others to do the same. For much of his life, Mike McRoberts felt burdened by not knowing his own language - te reo Māori. Growing up at a time when te reo was scarcely spoken in daily conversations, and within a mixed-race family with little connection to Māoritanga, his experience mirrored that of many other New Zealanders of his generation. In later years, as a journalist and presenter of Newshub's six o'clock news, his confident television persona masked the anxiety he felt greeting viewers with the simple phrase, 'Kia ora, good evening'. Not being comfortable speaking his language was a source of shame - a...

How to Escape from Prison

The Remarkable Story of How One Man Defied the Odds At 18, Paul Wood thought he had lost everything. He had committed an act he knew would send him to prison for many years. To a young man like Paul, it might as well have been for the rest of his life. Plunged into a nightmarish world of extreme violence, solitary confinement, gang allegiances, drugs, vindictive wardens, and regular stabbings, Paul spent the next 11 years confined in some of New Zealand's toughest jails. Based on an account of his experiences he wrote while still inside, How to Escape from Prison chronicles Paul's road to redemption and a new life as a doctor of psychology, helping others strive to fulfil their potential and develop the resilience to flourish,...

A Bushman's Book of Yarns

Back to the bush with the bestselling author of Sam The Trap Man. Sam Gibson's best-selling debut, Sam The Trap Man, introduced us to a natural-born storyteller with a deep enthusiasm for the ngahere. Now, Sam takes us back to the bush with another round of cracking yarns and hard-case characters, as well as a guide to edible native plants and trees—perfect for inspiring the next generation of bushmen. Whether it's tackling naked kiwi with lacrosse sticks, stumbling across giant red stags in Haast, or trading venison for crayfish in Fiordland, Sam's the man to inspire not only your next outdoor adventure, but a lifelong love and respect for the ecosystem we're lucky enough to call home.

Beyond Hope

A powerful story of how one man didn't let other people define him Bariz gifts us his truth-telling, delivered with unwavering optimism.' Matt Brown, author of She Is Not Your Rehab Beautifully written. Takes us right inside a young person's life and is ultimately uplifting in the way they take control of that life.' Kathryn Ryan, RNZ Nine to Noon At age 18, Bariz Shah ended up in an Auckland prison. As an Afghan migrant who was deeply affected by 9/11, Bariz spiralled from schoolyard fights into crime and drugs - until prison made him rethink the story of his life. Years later, in Christchurch, Bariz had turned everything around when a terrorist walked into the local mosque and took the lives of 51 people in his community....

View from the Second Row

The most capped All Black in history speaks for the record about his storied career, spanning four World Cups, nine Super Rugby finals and 153 appearances in the black jersey. THE NO. 1 NEW ZEALAND BESTSELLER 'A modern-day Colin Meads' - Steve Hansen 'The ultimate winner' - Scott Robertson 'A legend of the game' - Richie McCaw After making his debut for New Zealand in 2010 at the age of 21, Samuel Whitelock was selected for the 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign. He played in all seven matches and emerged victorious with the nation's first trophy since 1987. Four years later he played in all seven matches of the 2015 tournament, becoming one of an elite group of players to win back-to-back World Cups. Whitelock was instrumental in...

Perspective

Discover the man behind the magic as rugby league sensation Shaun Johnson tells the story of his life on and off the field for the very first time in his own words. ‘For 14 years I was judged on 80 minutes of my life, once a week. That’s it . . . it’s how I judged myself. Eighty damn minutes of footy. It is ridiculous how much that can impact on your life, and even more ridiculous to think how long it can take to put that in perspective.’ Shaun Johnson burst onto the NRL stage with a bang — his mix of speed and skills and side steps dazzled fans and experts alike as the New Zealand Warriors reached the Grand Final in his debut season. Over...

Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight

The previously untold story of Steven Adams' incredible rise to NBA stardom comes to life in Steven Adams: My Life, My Fight. This powerful memoir details Adams' journey from his humble beginnings in Rotorua, New Zealand, to his status as one of the NBA's most formidable players. It explores the personal and professional highs and lows that have shaped him into the athlete he is today. Featured in the New Zealand Listener's Top 100 Books of 2018, this autobiography offers an intimate and candid look at Adams' early life and career. From his challenging childhood and the profound impact of his father's death when he was just 13, to overcoming immense odds to become a top prospect in the 2013 NBA Draft, Adams takes readers through the pivotal...

The Life of Dai

A deeply moving and profoundly uplifting story about living with joy, even in the face of adversity. Part memoir and part masterclass in finding hope and joy in the face of unthinkable challenges. This isn't a book about cancer, it's a book about living – Jaquie Brown The Life of Dai by Dai Henwood and Jaquie Brown tells the inspiring story of Dai, a comedian who has always believed in the power of laughter. Over his 25-year career, this much-loved Kiwi entertainer and TV host has won every major comedy award in New Zealand. However, in January 2023, Dai shared publicly that three years earlier, he had been diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. Perhaps the ultimate teacher for what really matters, Dai's incurable cancer has shown him...

After the Tampa

When the Taliban were at the height of their power in 2001, Abbas Nazari's parents were faced with a choice: stay and face persecution in their homeland, or seek security for their young children elsewhere. The family's desperate search for safety took them on a harrowing journey from the mountains of Afghanistan to a small fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers. When their boat started to sink, they were mercifully saved by a cargo ship, the Tampa. However, one of the largest maritime rescues in modern history quickly turned into an international stand-off, as Australia closed its doors to these asylum seekers. The Tampa had waded into the middle of Australia's national election, sparking their hardline policy of offshore detention....

One Last Question, Prime Minister

Impossible

A powerful memoir of redemption and the remarkable journey to find one’s purpose amidst adversity. Stan Walker, one of the most celebrated musicians to emerge from Australia and New Zealand, invites readers into his life story with Impossible, an unflinching memoir that is as captivating as it is inspiring. Growing up in a tumultuous environment where love and violence coexisted, Walker bravely recounts his experiences with raw honesty. He delves deep into the struggles of enduring domestic violence, the shadows of addiction, and the harsh realities of facing cancer. As Walker narrates his journey from a troubled but hopeful Maori boy to an acclaimed artist, he carries the reader through valleys of suffering and peaks of personal triumph. Impossible reveals how he carved out his identity amidst adversity,...

This Farming Life

Farmer Tim Saunders manages to incorporate some writing into his days, and here he describes his life through the seasons: Summer, shearing, slaughter, crop harvest, conservation; Autumn, floods, trading stock, drenching, dagging; Winter, maize harvest, lambing; and Spring, docking, pet sheep, weaning. It's a tough life and through his powerful, poignant writing, Tim tells of his connection to the land, why he loves farming, how he's also conflicted by it, and what it is that keeps him tethered to that place.

No Excuses: My Story

The amazing true story of Dave "the Brown Buttabean" Letele and how he turned his life around. Dave Letele's incredible life has taken him from footy to failure, crime to community, fat to fit and riches to rags — and back again. Today, he is an award-winning community leader and life coach who, as the face of Buttabean Motivation, helps literally thousands of ordinary people achieve their goals. He provides targeted health and fitness programmes, helps young people find jobs, and runs a foodshare for those in need. But it wasn't always like that. He has overcome poverty, obesity, intergenerational trauma, depression, the lure of a life of crime and his own demons. Like Dave says, "I've been at the bottom and I've been at the top, and...

Hook, Line and Misadventure

Tall tales and fishing lore from Kiwi fishing personality Cliff Barnes. As he looks back over his adventurous life, Cliff Barnes muses that he must have used up eight of his nine lives while fishing along the Northland coast but, on a recount, concedes he has used up the lot. Among his many scrapes with death was the time his boat was smashed against rocks and sank. Then there was the time when he fell overboard and was left fully clothed and treading water as his pilotless boat motored away into the distance. On yet another occasion, he was stuck in a big marine cave on a distant archipelago for a week waiting for a storm to blow itself out, with nothing to eat but a rotting octopus...

Anything Could Happen

In this illuminating and beautifully written book, Grant Robertson reflects on the major events in his life, from growing up in a loving but complex family, to his highly successful career as a Labour politician and becoming Finance Minister in the Ardern government during one of New Zealand history's most tumultuous times. A natural storyteller, Robertson writes memorably about his childhood and teen years in Dunedin. He delves into grappling with his sexuality as a teenager, his passion for music and a fleeting career managing bands, his emerging political beliefs, and confronting the shocking news that his father had been stealing from his employer and was facing imprisonment. Robertson paints a vivid picture of life inside parliament, including his time in opposition where he learnt at the feet...

Mana

Mana. It's a big word. But what is it? Are you born with it, can you earn it, can it be taken away? For more than five decades, Tāme Iti has stood at the heart of Aotearoa's struggle for indigenous rights. From land marches to performance art, police raids to prison cells, his voice has challenged New Zealand to reckon with its colonial legacy. Once branded as a dangerous and extreme activist, now hailed as a national treasure, Tāme has lived the contradictions and realities of standing with mana motuhake in a modern world. After being silenced from speaking te reo Māori as a child, Tāme went on to champion its revitalisation. He discovered the power of protest and what it means to live with mana in a...

Mortified

Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer

Novelist, memoirist and playwright Witi Ihimaera – author of Pounamu, Pounamu and The Whale Rider – decided, at the age of eighty, to dive back into the water and spend a year full-time at Te Wānanga Takiura, immersing himself in his own language, in te reo Māori. This book tells the story of this kaikaukau, this swimmer, and his year i te ao o te reo – of sinking and floating; of loss and shame, connection and wairua; of fathers and teachers, kuia and friends. A riveting and revealing memoir, Te Kaikaukau | The Swimmer sparkles with whaikōrero and whakataukī and is written for all – Māori and Pākehā, fluent reo Māori speakers and those for whom the language is still a mystery, a dream, an aspiration. It...

Built for This

Raised among strong women, butcher's benches, and hard ideas about what men are meant to be, Brad Poulter grows up knowing he's different long before he has the words for it. But in late '90s small-town New Zealand, 'different' isn't discussed, it's managed. Joining the Royal New Zealand Navy offers escape, certainty, and belonging. The rules are clear, the uniform fits. Silence feels like part of the job. But passing as straight comes at a cost. As deployments stack up, including service in Afghanistan during the War on Terror, the pressure of pretending collides with trauma, grief, and the struggle for identity, and something gives way. From ship's galleys to combat zones, investigation rooms to leadership tables, Built for This charts a life shaped by discipline, loyalty, and...

Murray Ball

The bestselling biography of cartoonist Murray Ball, creator of Footrot Flats. In Murray Ball: A Cartoonist's Life, Murray's son Mason Ball shares all the hits and misses and long years of hard graft that went into what would become the wildly successful creative enterprise: Footrot Flats. From his unique viewpoint and with candid honesty, Mason reveals the real-life backstory to Murray's most iconic characters and themes, telling the story of the man—and father—who could see the quirks of human nature and capture them with the stroke of a pen. Richly illustrated with family photos and cartoons by the bloke who brought us that most lovable character, the Dog. Let me show you how my dad became a leading cartoonist of his generation, how his endearing characters evolved and...

Serviceman J

A new edition of the bestselling 2024 memoir by a former NZSAS commander, on serving in Afghanistan over four deployments and operating at the edge of his limits. 'Frighteningly, devastatingly real.' - The Post In 2011, following the Taliban siege on Kabul's Intercontinental Hotel, an SAS soldier identified only as Serviceman J was awarded New Zealand's second highest military honour by showing outstanding gallantry in the face of danger. After eighteen years in the New Zealand SAS, ex-commander Jamie Pennell is now ready to tell his story. Having survived the famously tough SAS selection course and excelled during its brutal training, Jamie was sent on four deployments to Afghanistan and played a critical role in New Zealand's operations. From patrols across desert territories run by warlords to hostile...

Lucky You're Tough

Lucky You're Tough chronicles the early life of helicopter pilot and NZSAS soldier Mark Law, from growing up in the rural wilds of Whangamōmona through to surviving a series of life-threatening events that would shape his life and career. After a career as a badged soldier in the NZSAS that led to an intriguing stint with the British SAS and then working as private security in active war zones, Mark returned to New Zealand to start his own helicopter business, Kāhu NZ. It was on a sunny day off on 9 December 2019 when he got the call that White Island was erupting. All those years of service and expertly trained instincts led to a split-second decision: Mark and his Kāhu NZ colleagues would fly to the erupting...