New Zealand/Aotearoa Recent Picks
October 2009
Click on the underlined title links to check the item's availability in our catalogue.
Some featured items are linked via a book cover to enable you to read more reviews.
The New Oxford History of New Zealand edited by Giselle Byrnes.
"The New Oxford History of New Zealand is a new, multi-authored revisionist history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The book tests the idea that New Zealand history can be explained as a quest for 'national identity' and considers whether narratives that rely on the 'colony-to-nation' storyline arestill relevant in the early twenty-first century. The book proposes instead that history and identity have been shaped by culture, community, class, region and gender, and that these have been more important than ideas of evolving nationhood. Above all, this new book responds to the need for ageneral re-interpretation of the 'big picture' of New Zealand history. All the chapters in this book feature new and previously unpublished research, informed by international as well as interdisciplinary scholarship and in keeping with the aim of the book to set the agenda for future historical research imperatives. Chapters showcase research that explorestrans-national, comparative and regional contexts. The New Oxford History of New Zealand adopts a thematic approach to re-reading history. It takes a number of discrete topics as case studies and highlights particular incidents and stories to illustrate points of interest. A chronological structure within each chapter complements the overallthematic approach of the volume to enhance the book's utility as a teaching resource. The book also takes a slightly broader geographical definition of what constitutes 'New Zealand', locating Aotearoa New Zealand in wider international and regional contexts." (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
Ascend The Nile : a Kiwi-Brit journey of discovery, adventure & tragedy by Garth MacIntyre, Neil McGrigor & Cam McLeay.
"In just under two months New Zealanders Garth MacIntyre and Cam McLeay (who lives in Uganda) and Brit Neil McGrigor had travelled 5311 km up the world's largest river, and their expedition to find the source of the Nile was going as well as could be expected. But that all changed when they wrecked both a motorised craft and a support aircraft while battling heavy rapids in the Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda. When British friend Steve Willis rescued them in his Landrover - McGrigor having badly broken and burned his leg - they were ambushed by the RLA, a rebel group notorious for abducting and enslaving children. This ambush resulted in one of the group being killed. Grieving and traumatised, the men abandoned the expedition. Six months later they returned to complete it. They'd endured fear and fire, air accidents and toxic mushrooms, guerrillas and bullets and their comradeship had only strengthened. This is an epic adventure story that combines curiosity, geography and history with the dangers of a wild river, wildlife, disease and guerrillas. Excellently told by writer John McCrystal, this is a ripping yarn." (Synopsis, Random House NZ)
A History of the 'Unfortunate Experiment' at National Women's Hospital by Linda Bryder.
"In the late 1980s, a national outcry followed the publication of Sandra Coney and Phillida Bunkle"s "Unfortunate Experiment" article in Metro magazine about the treatment of carcinoma in situ at National Women"s Hospital. The article prompted a commission of inquiry led by Judge Silvia Cartwright, which indicted the practices of doctors at the hospital and led to lawsuits, censure, a national screening programme and a revolution in doctor-patient relations in New Zealand. In this carefully researched book, medical historian Linda Bryder provides a detailed analysis of the treatment of carcinoma in situ at National Women"s since the 1950s, an assessment of international medical practice and a history of the women"s health movement. She addresses a number of key questions. Was treatment at National Women"s an "unfortunate experiment"? Was it out of line with international norms? Did Herb Green and his colleagues care more for science than for their patients? Did women die as a result? And what were the sources of the scandal that erupted" (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
New Zealand : Portrait of a Nation by Graham Stewart.
"A pictorial parade of New Zealand since European settlement, showing the vast changes; the unbelievable growth of some towns and the demise of others. Over 850 photographs tell the story of the early pioneer spirit that gave the country a solid base which generations have built on to make it a country that is today admired and respected globally. Illustrated are the times of celebration and tragedy; the engineering feats that tamed the rugged landscape; New Zealanders who conquered the world with courage and others with ingenuity who were trail-blazers in their field of expertise. To give the reader an instant recognition of the archival pictures featured, colour photographs show the same scene today. The author’s concept has been to create a balanced archive of New Zealand in photographic form." (Synopsis, Grantham House Publishing)
Beyond the Battlefield : New Zealand and its Allies 1939-45 by Gerald Hensley.
"BEYOND THE BATTLEFIELD by Gerald Hensley is the dramatic unknown story of New Zealand's involvement in World War II told for the first time, here in an accessible, popular and enjoyable read. Savage, Nash, Fraser, Freyberg, Churchill, Roosevelt, Menzies, all great names from New Zealand and world history during the Second World War and all involved in the story of New Zealand's response to the global conflict and therefore the destiny of our nation." (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
High Misadventure : New Zealand mountainerring tragedies and survival stories by Paul Hersey.
"HIGH MISADVENTURE explores the dark face of climbing in New Zealand - the times when a slip or a poor decision can lead to tragedy. Climber/journalist Paul Hersey takes eight incidents from among the many of recent decades, and explores the critical factors behind them. Among the incidents he covers are the deaths of five climbers when the Three Johns Hut blew away in 1977, the 1990 loss of six army cadets during a training exercise on Ruapehu, and the 2004 deaths of four climbers on Mount Tasman. As well as offering a white-knuckle read, this book will improve our understanding of what can go wrong on the mountains, and will be of great interest to both climbers and non-climbers. Unlike other recent, more general books on survival in the New Zealand outdoors, this title focuses exclusively on mountain incidents and covers each one in great depth. The text is built on first-hand interviews with survivors, the bereaved, mountain guides and their employers, and from careful study of coroners' reports. Each chapter includes a custom-drawn relief map from Geographx." (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
Old South : Life and Times in the Nineteenth-century Mainland by Matthew Wright.
"A lively new illustrated history of the South Island by Matthew Wright, OLD SOUTH tells a story of triumphs, tragedies and earnest hopes. It covers: early Maori-Pakeha conflict, the Wairau Affair, colonial settlement planned and unplanned, the Gold Rush, the growth of farming and the pastoral elite, and the development of towns and cities. Wright, a noted and prolific historian, paints a vibrant picture of mainland life from the 1840s. In particular he focuses on the rise and fall of the first privately founded Pakeha settlements with their hopeful framework of social idealism, business enterprise and religious conviction. As history shows, they were doomed before they began, overwhelmed by the developing southern frontier - a colourful, vigorous world of gold and wool, of social climbers, would-be aristocrats and ambitious ne'er-do-wells." (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
A Second Helping : More from Ladies, a Plate by Alexa Johnston.
"In response to the enthusiastic reception for her LADIES, A PLATE, Alexa Johnston has gathered another tempting selection of traditional home-baking recipes. This collection has many more old favourites, like Sponge Kisses, Melting Moments and Cream Lilies, as well as a few savoury treats. Alexa has also included a chapter on home-made sweets so that readers will be able to stock the sweet stall at the school fair with Hokey Pokey, Ginger Ice and the very best Russian Fudge. Snippets of social history are once again included throughout as Alexa pays tribute to the women who contributed recipes to the hundreds of community cookbooks that were published over the past sixty years. Like its predecessor, this beautiful book will be essential in every baker's kitchen and a source of continuing pleasure." (Synopsis, Global Books In Print)
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