New Zealand Books > NZ Non Fiction

A head buried in his garden, his mission station plundered and burnt, warfare and acnnibalism whithin his own district: these were among the varied experiences of missionary Thomas Chapman (1792-1876) who came to New Zealand as a cathechist for the Church Missionary Society in 1830, and spent over thirty years in the field, at the Bay of Islands, Rotorua and Maketu. This book describes the missionary work, attitudes, opinions, and wit of this respected, dedicated, humourous and widely-loved missionary, an important though largely o... read more

"A century of remembering-- the random recollections of a group of over-90 year olds, who were drawn to Rotorua at varying stages of their lives."

Greg McGee's haphazard journey as unlikely writer, rebellious rugby player, ambivalent protestor, lawyer and defendant, mutineer tourist, dilettante coach and incompetent kangaroo culler has taken him from Ponsonby to Paraburdoo, Tapanui to Harlem, Dunedin to Venice and various other T-shirt destinations. During this time he has crossed paths with a diverse cast of characters, from Peter Mahon to Keith Murdoch, Peggy Guggenheim to Duncan Laing, Ken Gray to Billy T. James, Raymond Hawthorne to Bert Potter, not to mention Grizz Wylie... read more

A lightweight pocket size guide to the stars of Aotearoa for travellers & backpackers. Fourth edition now in full colour and includes chapter about Matariki.

This book is about Maureen Doherty, poet, teacher, mother and angler. Imbued by her father with a passion for trout fishing and poetry, these remained throughout her life. Widowed in her early 30s, one wonders whether the ensuing grief and solitude acted as catalysts for her considerable literary talents. Maureen won a number of literary prizes for both her poetry and short stories and was a passionate advocate for the environment.

Through the work of 20 of New Zealand's best tattoo artists and photography, this book presents some of the best examples of tattoo art in New Zealand, including traditional Maori and Polynesian designs.

The Christchurch earthquake of 22 February 2011 was one of the worst natural disasters in New Zealand's history. The quake devastated New Zealand's second biggest city and caused significant damage to infrastructure both within Christchurch itself and its immediate surrounds. After declining several quake books - none of which felt right - Hachette NZ was approached by the Canterbury District Police to produce a high-quality book of colour photography taken by Police forensic photographers, documenting the response to the earthquak... read more

In collaboration with The Waikato Times this book covers the history of the phenomenon that is the Fieldays. It looks at the origins, how it evolved, key players, royal family involvement, competitions, inventions, themes, international growth/exposure, rural bachelor competition, AgArt wear, economic benefits, the organisation today and the future

The Canterbury earthquake of February 2011 altered landscape, history and most importantly, human lives. Many perished and the lives of thousands were upended. In Trapped, Martin van Beynen documents with sensitivity and unerring detail the personal experiences of more than thirty quake survivors - before, during and after the event - in their own words. At once poignant, dramatic and enthralling, their stories record a defining moment in Canterbury's history and testify to the courage and heroism of everyday people. The firs... read more

The MV Rena was making 17 knots when she ploughed into the Astrolabe Reef in October 2011. On her way from Napier towards Tauranga carrying 1368 containers, 1700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 200 tonnes of marine diesel she impaled her bow on a pinnacle of rock. A few days later, fluids and lubricants seeping from her ruptured hull had formed a 5 km slick, and by the following day heavy fuel oil began to foul the beach at Mount Maunganui. The scene was set for a major economic and environmental catastrophe. Salvors worked in hideous... read more

The Len Jury New Zealand Stamp Catalogue is now in it

Garth McVicar is the quintessential Kiwi battler. A cow-cocky from the Hawke's Bay and a dedicated family man, he - like many New Zealanders - noticed an alarming increase in violent crime. Garth took it upon himself to ask the hard questions of the legislators, demanding fairness and honesty in criminal sentencing, and ultimately be the voice for the many silent victims of crime in New Zealand. Justice is his story, and that of the Sensible Sentencing Trust its creation, history, highlights and lowlights, successes and failures.Pe... read more

The history of YMCA Auckland mirrors the history of Auckland itself. Established in 1855, New Zealand's first YMCA set out to fulfil the objective of supporting young working men in following a Christian path through life. In 2005, the YMCA is a very different organisation. While the goal of nourishing the development of mind, body and spirit among its members has not changed, the society in which the organisation now operates demands different facilities, a largely secular mission, and openness to all ages, genders and creeds. Bo... read more

Many bright minds have come up with expressions we now take for granted as part of the English language, and which we use freely in vernacular speech. But the originators of many of our most useful second-hand remarks go uncredited. The Bible and Shakespeare are rich sources of many common phrases, but in this book Max Cryer concentrates on familiar expressions whose origins lie elsewhere. So who said it first? This collection sets out to credit - as far as it's possible to do so - the people who actually created many familiar term... read more

SPECIAL PRICE The New Zealand landscape photography coffee table book category is a crowded category indeed. Here's a book that takes a novel approach, viewing New Zealand not through a photographer's lens but through the eyes of the country's greatest landscape painters, from Gully to Frizzell, Angus to Palmer. Drawn from public and private collections, these 100 beautiful and significant landscape paintings, both traditional and contemporary, range through the New Zealand landscape,from north to south, covering every region and p... read more