New Zealand history gifts

Haerenga: Early Maori Journeys Across the Globe by Vincent O'Malley offers a fascinating glimpse into the first encounters between Maori and Europeans, not only along New Zealand's shorelines but also in far-flung cities such as Melbourne, Liverpool, and New York. From the late eighteenth century, Maori travellers ventured from New Zealand to explore the world. Their journeys were prompted by...

100 Words That Make Us Kiwi

Art historian Mary Kisler grew up in the early 1950s with a father who talked little, whose affection she cherished and whose anger she feared. She later came to understand the trauma that lay behind his dark moods: rejection and violence in his childhood and the brutal experience of being a prisoner of war in Italy and then Germany from...

This book is for people who enjoy driving and exploring the stories of our back roads, but most of all, it is for people who love New Zealand, whether they choose to do it from behind the wheel of their SUV or the comfort of their sofa. Stories From Our Back Roads North Island will introduce you to some fascinating...

Tamatea Dusky by Peta Carey is a captivating exploration of one of New Zealand’s most remote and beautiful regions. The book delves into the rich history, stunning landscapes, and unique wildlife of the Dusky Sound area. Carey's insightful narrative takes readers through the area's extensive past, from its first Polynesian explorers to its early European settlers and its subsequent role...

The updated edition of a travel classic. Twenty years ago, Joe Bennett hitchhiked the length and breadth of New Zealand. The result was A Land of Two Halves, a portrait of the country and its many contradictions that is as telling today as it was then. For as Joe says in his reintroduction to this classic road trip, the name...

The unsolved mystery of who killed Jeanette and Harvey Crewe in their Pukekawa farmhouse in 1970 continues to fascinate. It remains one of the most controversial cases in New Zealand legal history. The murders spawned two trials, two appeals, several books, a royal commission, a film, and—eventually—official findings of police corruption that shocked New Zealanders. It also resulted in a...

Gordon McLauchlan is a master storyteller adept at recognising a good yarn when he sees it. Following the success of his Great Tales from New Zealand History, his new collection leads us down uncharted country lanes and tempts us with many little-known tales from New Zealand's farming and rural past, and also explores many aspects of New Zealand and being...

A truly unique insight into the impact the Second World War had on the iwi of the central North Island and Bay of Plenty districts (including Te Arawa, Ngati Tuwharetoa, Tuhoe, Whanau-a-Apanui, Ngati Maru and Ngati Paoa), focusing on the region's war effort not only overseas, but also at home and in government. Through personal recollections, eyewitness accounts, numerous anecdotes,...

Ko Te Kooti Te Turuki Rikirangi tētahi o ngā maunga teitei o te wā – he kōkōrangi i ngā rā pōuri, he tokotoko i te awa kōpaka. I tū ia hei toa i te whare o Tūmatauenga, engari ki te Hāhi Ringatū, he poropiti – he matakite nāna i hāpai ngā moemoeā, ngā tūmanako, me ngā wairua o te iwi...

Captain Cook And The Unsettled Afterlives Of Empire James Cook is one of the most contested figures in Aotearoa New Zealand’s past. Today, his name evokes not only exploration and scientific endeavour but also the violence of first encounters and the enduring legacies of colonisation. In this major new history, Tony Ballantyne examines how stories about Cook have changed over...

The three young soldiers in the story are best friends from school, and they leave New Zealand together to go and fight at Gallipoli. Landing first in Egypt, they travel by ship to Anzac Cove and dig into trenches to fight the Turkish troops holding the peninsula. Conditions are tough and Joe gets sick, but his mates help him off...

Inspiring stories of courage, resilience, and determination in the face of disaster. New Zealanders have endured phenomenal natural and human disasters throughout the ages. This inspiring book documents some of these key moments in our history and, more importantly, how we responded and grew stronger; what changes and improvements were made as a result. Cyclones, tornadoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods, volcanic...

Peek into the New Zealand night, and say night-night to all your favourite places.  This charming bedtime rhyme is the perfect way to end the day.Catch a peek at the Beehive, The Harbour Bridge, Rainbows End, Te Papa Museum, Hagley Park,  The Sky Tower and Milford Sound

Fifty Years of the Waitangi Tribunal celebrates decisions, results and reports of the Waitangi Tribunal over half a century. The Waitangi Tribunal has been a unique and integral part of the Aotearoa New Zealand judicial and legislative process, upholding te Tiriti o Waitangi and providing expertise on historical claims, Maori language, land, resources and contemporary issues.This collection contains chapters on...

In a major research project, Glyn Harper and the National Army Museum combined official war photographs with more informal images to provide a moving visual history. Originally published in 2008, Images of War has now been beautifully redesigned as a stunning large-format hardback. While primarily drawn from the Museum's collection, many photographs from private sources were included. From more than...

The Sunday Times Bestseller ‘A lasting work of social history’ The Times ‘A genuinely new history of our nation’ Dan Jones ‘This celebration of women is a triumph of popular history’ Spectator 'Philippa Gregory uses all her bestseller skills to weave a narrative with pace' Antonia Fraser From the multi-million bestselling historical novelist comes the culmination of her life’s work...

Nga Tama Toa by Monty Soutar is an enthralling chronicle of C Company of the Maori Battalion, meticulously captured through personal recollections, eyewitness accounts, heart-warming anecdotes, and remarkable photographs. Delve into a narrative that brings to life the bravery, camaraderie, and indomitable spirit of men who left an indelible mark on history. This extraordinary book seamlessly blends detailed historical context...

Barbara Brookes' History of New Zealand Women offers a transformative exploration of New Zealand's past, shifting the historical perspective from the well-trodden paths of male-dominated narratives to the significant but often overlooked experiences of women. Rejecting Thomas Carlyle's notion of history as 'the biography of great men,' Brookes re-centres the narrative lens to examine the development of New Zealand through...

Wild Pork and Watercress is a rattling good yarn that has now been adapted into a major movie: Hunt For the Wilderpeople, directed and written by Taika Waititi, and starring Sam Neill and Julian Dennison. When Social Welfare threatens to put Ricky into care, the overweight Māori boy and his cantankerous Uncle Hec flee into the remote and rugged Ureweras....

This is the biography of the mighty ceremonial waka taua Ngātokimatawhaorua that rests on the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi. The inspiration for its construction came from Te Puea Herangi. In the late 1930s, the Waikato leader held a dream to build seven waka taua for the 1940 centennial commemorations at Waitangi. By 1937, two waka had been commissioned. Carved in...

Moko is written by Michael King, one of New Zealand's most celebrated historians, and photographed by Marti Friedlander, one of the country's most eminent photographers. One of New Zealand's iconic books, originally published in 1972, it was a milestone in New Zealand publishing. At that time, Māori subject matter was not thought to be of interest to the New Zealand...

Gordon McLauchlan tempts our imagination with 46 little-known tales from New Zealand's past. Here you will discover that: Auckland applied twice to the Colonial Office to be a separate colony from the rest of New Zealand, more about the man who wanted to be James Cook, when drinking beer legally became an 'art' on the West Coast, whether Kupe was...

In 1877, Kate Edger became the first woman to graduate from a New Zealand university. The New Zealand Herald enthusiastically hailed her achievement as 'the first rays of the rising sun of female intellectual advancement'. Edger went on to become a pioneer of women's education in New Zealand. She also worked tirelessly to mitigate violence against women and children and...

Ethnologist Elsdon Best spent many years documenting the culture, beliefs, customs and whakapapa of the Ngai Tuhoe people—whom he described as 'the children of the mist'. This monumental two-volume work comes back into print with the guidance of Dr Rapata Wiri (Ngai Tuhoe, Ngati Ruapani). This volume contains Best's writings. Now in its fifth edition, Tuhoe ranks as one of...

Hand painted in sign post yellow, engraved with 'New Zealand'. 76 x 17mm

The Ian Blackwell: Give Me A Sign Keyring - Aotearoa is crafted with great attention to detail. Its vibrant, hand-painted design in sign post yellow makes it a distinctive accessory. The keyring is also engraved with "Aotearoa" – which means "the land of the long white cloud" – ensuring you always have a piece of home with you. This keyring...

In the Atlas of the New Zealand Wars, five decades of maps and plans from 1834 to 1884 provide remarkable new insight into the deep conflicts running through nineteenth-century Aotearoa. Beginning with early skirmishes off the Taranaki coast and at the Chathams, Volume One follows the tracks inland from the Bay of Islands towards the Hokianga in the Northern Wars;...

Celebrating over three decades of Māori scholarship, essays from Maranga! Maranga! Maranga! The Call to Maori History, edited by Aroha Harris and Melissa Matutina Williams, draws on work published by the collective Te Pouhere Kōrero in the journal of the same name. Writers include Rawinia Higgins, Melissa Matutina Williams, Arini Loader, Nēpia Mahuika, Alice Te Punga Somerville, Rachel Buchanan, Aroha...

Force of Nature Te Aumangea o te Turoa, written by David Young and Naomi Arnold, is the inspiring history of New Zealand's oldest and most successful conservation organisation, Forest & Bird. It has been at the forefront of environmental protection for over 100 years, and to mark their centenary in 2023, this book was commissioned to document their remarkable history....

This is Where I Stand. All day. Every day. All night. Every night. A beautiful story centred around the statue of a WWI soldier – which could be any soldier. The statue gives readers an insight into the soldier’s memories of the war, as well as what he has seen from his pedestal as the years have passed.

As we Otago lads have only enough men for two squadrons, the General has decided that we are to be merged with the incoming Māori contingents to form a new battalion. Our new battalion will be ‘Pioneers’, doing behind-the-lines work: building barracks, railroads, roads, and trenches. As you can imagine, Father, we’re not happy–we want to fight, not dig holes....

Originally published by Mahia Publishers in 1988 and then by Scholastic NZ Ltd in 1990, this is the legend of how the islands east of Wairoa came to be. Mere made the commitment to her father Te Hore (Horace) Epanaia Whaanga that this story would be published. Mere took on the role of writer and illustrator, and her father then...

Oh Boy is the perfect book to accompany our best-selling Go Girl. Chock-full of stories about brilliant Kiwi men who followed their dreams and made the world a better place, it's an inspiring and essential storybook for children of all ages – grown-ups included! There are many kinds of hero! Oh Boy is a striking collection of true stories about...

Hui: A Study Of Maori Ceremonial Gatherings is the most comprehensive study of Maori hui, or ceremonial gatherings. These gatherings incorporate marae protocol, tangihanga (funerals), hurahanga kohatu (unveilings), birthdays and anniversaries, and tribal policy-making. When Maori people gather for a hui, they have immediate access to an ancestral world which remains a living reality for as long as the hui...

This book is a collection of essays arising out of the Zealandia's Great War conference organised by the New Zealand Military History Committee in November 2003. In 32 essays by distinguished military historians from New Zealand and around the world, various aspects of New Zealand's involvement in World War One are discussed. Subjects include the Pioneer Maori Battalion, women who...

LONGLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE A NEW YORK TIMES '21 NONFICTION BOOKS TO READ THIS SPRING' PICK A TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR A NEW STATESMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR A SPECTATOR BOOK OF THE YEAR ONE OF THE CONVERSATION'S 5 BEST NON-FICTION BOOKS OF 2024 'A truly radical book; radical in subject, radical in form....

Part of the Little People, Big Dreams series, meet Emmeline Pankhurst, an early women's rights activist. As a child, Emmeline Pankhurst was shocked at the inequality of men and women she saw all around her. When she grew up, she never stopped fighting for women to get the vote, inspiring other women to demonstrate, go on hunger strike, and protest...

Inspired by the hikoi in response to the Treaty Principles Bill, this story draws on the words of resilience and resistance that have inspired generations of Māori in the determination for our land, language, and right to live as Māori and shape our own destiny. In the story, a koro and his moko join the hikoi to parliament and remember...

‘He manawarū, he tāuteute hoki tēnei pukapuka e āta whakaahua ana i te wā koroniara o Aotearoa, i te wā Wikitoria hoki o Ingarangi, mā roto i te tirohanga a tētahi rangatira nō Ngāti Wai. E mīharo rawa atu ana te mahi a Paula Morris ki te whakamārama i te ao o tōna tupuna, o Paratene Te Manu, me te...

In the 1980s, life in New Zealand became brighter, louder, faster and wilder. While the decade is remembered for its big hair, bright clothing and excessive shows of wealth, it was also a time of social upheaval, protest and political reform. These years saw Kiwis make their mark on the global sport and fashion scenes, while back at home, we...

Our Untold Stories brings to light tales of human tragedies, bravery, and daring endeavours, famous firsts, and scandalous behaviour. These stories reflect the enormous changes that have occurred in the opinions, beliefs, and attitudes of New Zealanders over the years—stories that are hugely entertaining, enlightening, and educational. For over 40 years, retired journalist Tom Clarke has compiled this collection of...

Following the ongoing success of A Short History of New Zealand, Great Tales of New Zealand History, and Great Tales of Rural New Zealand — all reprinted and still going strong — Gordon McLauchlan has turned his masterful storytelling skills to one of the most important periods in this country's history. Published to coincide with New Zealand's first national day...

Joseph Kinsey is not a name many of us know— or not as well as we know the name Robert Falcon Scott. But from his base in Christchurch, Kinsey—book and art collector, philanthropist, science enthusiast, businessman—forged deep connections with the Antarctic expeditions and the explorers themselves through his tireless work as the agent for various expeditions. Two other New Zealanders...

In the first major national history of Aotearoa New Zealand to be published for 20 years, Professor Michael Belgrave advances the notion that New Zealand's two peoples - tangata whenua and subsequent migrants - have together built an open, liberal society based on a series of social contracts. Frayed though they may sometimes be, these contracts have created a country...

A paperback edition of the massive bestselling HB. Charles Upham was the most highly decorated soldier in the Commonwealth forces of WWII, and could arguably be called the bravest soldier of the war. An unassuming stock worker/ valuer at the beginning of the war, he stormed through Crete and the Western Desert amazing and confounding his comrades with his exploits....

The content of this short book is derived directly from the larger illustrated publication, foregoing all illustrations to suit the BWB Texts format. In 1893, New Zealand became the first country in the world with universal suffrage: all New Zealand women now had the right to vote. This achievement owed much to an extraordinary document: the 1893 Women's Suffrage Petition....

Who are the Māori of New Zealand? How did they get here and how did they settle the country? What are the main tribal groups in New Zealand, and where are they based? The first publication to come out of the online Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand project tells the story of the tangata whenua of Aotearoa, from their...

This major publication about Māori participation in the First World War is written by New Zealand's leading Māori military historian, Dr Monty Soutar, author of the award-winning Nga Tama Toa C Company, Māori Battalion. Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E! offers a fascinating look at the Pioneer Battalion—the unit created for Māori to serve. The book sheds light on the reasons why...

In late January 1944, a force of New Zealand soldiers and Allied specialists undertook a daring, behind-the-lines reconnaissance of the Japanese-held Green Islands of Papua New Guinea. The Japanese contested the invasion with air power and inflicted heavy damage on the American cruiser USS St. Louis. After a successful landing, the New Zealanders pushed inland and encountered fanatical Japanese defenders...

Power to Win by Lyndy McIntyre explores the compelling story of the Living Wage Movement in Aotearoa New Zealand—a movement built on the fundamental principle that every New Zealander deserves to earn enough to meet their needs, enjoy life, and fully participate in society. At the heart of this groundbreaking narrative is the relentless drive to address and rectify the...

Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego is an evocative and transformative collection of essays that bravely confronts the pervading colonial violence endured by First Nations people in Australia. Through her incisive and unapologetic narrative, Watego offers readers an unvarnished glimpse into the entrenched racism that Indigenous communities continue to face daily. Far from delivering another account of the...