History

A fresh and fascinating new history of ancient Mesopotamia and the birth of history. Thousands of years ago, in a part of the world we now call ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first...

Maori Soldiers signing up for the First World War representing a formidable fighting force - Te Hokiwhitu a Tu, or the Seventy twice-told warriors of the war god, Tumatauenga. Prejudice kept the Maori Pioneer Battalion well back from...

Maori myths and legends have an important role in transmitting and regenerating traditional knowledge. Yet as Ross Calman points out in his introduction to this new edition, they are also simply great yarns - reflective of a time...

The New York Times bestseller and the Edgar Award for Best Fact Crime winner Killers of the Flower Moon is now adapted for young adults.**KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON IS SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE STARRING LEONARDO...

A ground-breaking examination of the societal impact of fear that gives us a thrilling insight on world history 'Extraordinary' Ai Weiwei 'Brilliant' Simon Schama Fear has long been a driving force - perhaps the driving force - of...

Kim Philby was the most notorious British defector and Soviet mole in history. Agent, double agent, charmer and traitor, he betrayed every secret of Allied operations to the Russians in the early years of the Cold War. In...

Filled with stunning illustrations and lively, engaging text, The Repair Shop's Dom Chinea guides readers through this celebration of the history and uses of over 100 machines, which have allowed artisans to create beautiful items for centuries The Repair...

Published to coincide with the reopening of the Sarjeant Gallery in Whanganui, this substantial and handsome book examines the continuing impact of Whanganui-born and British-trained Edith Collier and her artistic legacy. In an era of growing international interest...

Cycle through time as Dr Michael Toohey uncovers the pioneers of New Zealand’s cycling history. Blacksmiths become bikers and circus hijinks ensue as the humble bicycle trundles from laufmaschine to the pedal-pushers we know today. From the first...

He toi whakairo, he mana tangata.Through artistic excellence, there is human dignity. Toi Te Mana is a landmark account of Maori art from the time of the tupuna (ancestors) to the present day. In 600 pages and over...

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...

A glorious celebration, this landmark book is an exploration of the greatest gardens, parks and landscapes in Britain, with stunning photography accompanied by insightful text from leading garden historians and conservators. It is lovingly curated by The Gardens...

Bestselling creators Alison Lester and Coral Tulloch share their fascination with Antarctica through a personally selected mix of their own and others' work, from the early age of exploration through to the present day. Go on an extraordinary...

Cookhouses and wharekai, hangi pits and coal ranges, boil-ups and mutton - this book tells the hearty story of sustenance and manaakitanga in rural New Zealand. The rhythms and routines of country life are at the heart of...

Modern Women: Flight of Time is a stunning new publication that cements a previously understudied history of modern art in Aotearoa New Zealand: that of modern women artists. Profiling 44 innovative artists, this book places women in the front...

The diaries of the last British Governor, five weeks on the Sunday Times best-seller list In June 1992 Chris Patten went to Hong Kong as the last British governor, to try to prepare it not - as other...

This new title in this bestselling series relates 37 stories of shipwrecks, great discoveries, mysteries, and disappearances still thrilling adventure seekers. From the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, from the Baltic Sea to the Caribbean, the Antarctic, and...

There is something beautiful and wild in the impossible architecture of lighthouses. They have been the homes and workplaces of men and women whose romantic guardianship has saved countless lives from cruel seas. Yet while that way of...

This substantial book of letters selected by esteemed Colin McCahon scholar Peter Simpson shines a light on one of the most remarkable relationships in New Zealand art. The painter Colin McCahon and the librarian Ron O'Reilly first met...

Kiwis in Conflict is the story of New Zealand and New Zealanders at war from the mid-19th century to the present day. Originally published as Scars of the Heart, this new revised and updated edition examines the impact...

A graceful, illuminating study of the wisdom of the natural world, from a world-renowned indigenous scientist As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member...

The definitive and bestselling history of Aotearoa New Zealand by one of our leading historians, continuously in print for 20 years. This bestselling book by the late Michael King is the unchallenged contemporary reference on the history of...

Michael Palin recreates the extraordinary life and tragic death of a First World War soldier - his great-uncle Harry. From the time, many years ago, when Michael Palin first heard that his grandfather had a brother, Harry, who...

A richly illustrated account of the life and work of one of New Zealand’s most iconic artists. Painter, printmaker, teacher, writer and ornithologist, Don Binney (1940–2012) was a mercurial presence on the New Zealand cultural scene from the...