Author(s): Jack Lee

Rotorua Books

First published as I have named it the Bay of Islands (a quote taken from the journal of James Cook written in 1769) in 1987, this landmark book is an authoritative chronicle of early European discovery and settlement of the area. As the focal point for much of the early trading and commercial industries of the Pacific, the Bay of Islands was the scene of the first tentative contact between Maori and Pakeha, and where the first missionaries began their work. It was also here that the bitter hostilities that raged into open conflict throughout the North Island began. Lee brings the role of Maori to the fore and uncovers much of their history and the underlying colonial politics that have been largely ignored. He also reports on the influences of individuals such as Cook, du Fresne and Hongi Hika as well as important events such as the Boyd massacre, tribal wars and the role of the missionary. Jack Lee’s fascinating and carefully researched book was the first to de-bunk many misconceptions and inaccuracies of earlier accounts of this period.