NZ Non Fiction

Useful for the whole family, this fascinating new book exposes the rich history behind Anzac Day in an engaging and informative style, seeking to answer the many questions children often ask their parents and teachers around the 25th of April every year. It covers all aspects of Anzac Day, from the Gallipoli Campaign and the Great War, right through to the format of the commemorative services held annually throughout the country. The author identifies important memorials around New Zealand, examines the national anthem, the tradit... read more

New Zealand is an extraordinary land. It has been called ‘the closest thing to life on another planet’ and ‘a planetary lifeboat’. The main reason behind our uniqueness is that our islands have remained an isolated outpost for life in the midst of the ocean. This isolation has been a huge advantage. It has turned New Zealand into a wild laboratory where evolution could conduct experiments that led to weird and wonderful outcomes. Our uniqueness has also made us a magnet for scientists from around the world; ... read more

An uncommon tale of friendship, food and two very different gardens
Janice Marriott and Virginia Pawsey went to Gisborne Girls’ High together and met again after thirty years at a school reunion. They rekindled their friendship and began writing, discovering in the process a shared passion for gardening and cooking - despite having lived very different lives. In their first book, Common Ground, they wrote about their very different gardens and lives. In their eagerly received second book, Common Table, their wise and wi... read more

When Kim and Jeanette Goldwater planted their first tiny vineyard on a couple of hillside acres on the magical little island of Waiheke in 1978, just 15 miles East of Auckland City, all the leading experts warned them that grapes would not grow in that salt laden island environment. The Goldwaters, both 4th generation New Zealanders, had no experience of winemaking but doggedly persisted with their island experiment eventually proving the sceptics wrong by winning numerous international awards for their wines. This success encourag... read more

Te Papa stores more than 2 million pieces in trust for the nation. 100 Amazing Tales from Aotearoa takes readers on a tour behind the scenes of the museum to discover more about 100 of these treasured items. Readers will learn the secrets of the first dinosaur fossil ever discovered, see new and unique spider species, be inspired by famous paintings and quirky jewellery, encounter fearsome weapons and armour from the Pacific and uncover the deep and personal stories of Māori taonga. Based on ‘Tales from Te Papa’, the fa... read more

Training and get fit goals are great to have, but sometimes it pays to take advice from people with loads of experience. Who better to ask, then, than Ben and Owen Franks, two of the fittest and finest rugby players in the world. The two brothers have been nurtured and encouraged by their father Ken Franks, who is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's fitness gurus. Ken, himself, is a top exponent of Cross Fit training. In this book, Ben and Owen provide the basic exercises you can start with, all the way up to the ultimate bluep... read more

New Zealand and its territories are home to a greater number of penguin species than any other region on the planet. Not only are these birds a tourist draw, they are the subject of much ongoing research. Lloyd Spencer Davis, one of the country's top researchers into penguin biology and behaviour, has written an informative and accessible guide to 12 species, covering all key aspects from their evolution and prehistory to their feeding and breeding behaviour and current conservation issues. Penguin watching is also covered, making ... read more

Many strong minded women have headstrong daughters. But this isn't supposed to extend to their cats...
Some say your previous cat chooses their successor. If so, what in cat heaven's name was Helen Brown's beloved Cleo thinking when she sent a crazy kitten like Jonah? When Cleo died, Helen Brown swore she'd never get another kitten. But after she was diagnosed with breast cancer an unscheduled visit to a pet shop resulted in the explosive arrival of a feisty kitten called Jonah. Like Cleo, Jonah possessed great energy and cha... read more

Crete: Death from the Skies takes a fresh look at one of the most controversial events in our country's military history. Many books about New Zealand's war experiences tell stories of heroism and sacrifice and of plucky soldiers going beyond the call of duty, with blame for failure usually placed squarely on the shoulders of British commanders. But this book tells a different tale; of how many of the blunders that led to the deaths or imprisonment of thousands of New Zealand, Australian, British and Greek soldiers fighting on Cret... read more

This is an account of that global campaign and the role of the New Zealanders who served as pilots, navigators, gunners, wireless operators, bomb aimers and ground staff from so many far flung airfields and ship.The book is largely about men, because that is the way it was: women were confined to support roles. Today their ranks are rapidly thinning and this is a tribute to their greatness. Some 67,000 New Zealanders served in the Royal New Zealand Air force, the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy

A new addition to the popular New Holland series of natural history and science photographic guides, the thirteenth title focuses on plant and animal fossils commonly found in New Zealand. Fossils are the preserved remains of past life and are very much part of the natural environment in this country. The range of fossils described covers the geological time-scale of Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods. The younger Cenozoic rocks are especially widespread in New Zealand and for this reason Cenozoic fossils are the most common.... read more

The country's longest-standing scenic book, A Portrait of New Zealand depicts the landscapes of the North and South Islands in over 200 glorious photographs. The book was first published in 1982 in two separate volumes, with the combined edition published in 1988 and reprinted every year since. Today, with over 200,000 sales to its credit, A Portrait of New Zealand is a Platinum title on the Premier New Zealand Bestsellers list - a statistic that testifies to the book's immense appeal and its high value for money. The current editi... read more

'We are often told what great navigators ancient Polynesians were but we've seldom had it demonstrated so convincingly or with such clarity.' Paul Little North andamp; South Tupaia, lauded by Europeans as 'an extraordinary genius', sailed with Captain Cook from Tahiti, piloted the Endeavour about the South Pacific, and interceded with Maori in NZ. Tupaia, a gifted linguist, a brilliant orator, and a most devious politician, could aptly be called the Machiavelli of Tahiti. Being highly skilled in astronomy, navigation, and meteorol... read more

Lavishly illustrated - over 2000 photos - over 450 maps. Stylish and beautifully presented, Charming Places to Stay is Number One with both New Zealand and overseas travellers. This edition showcases 250 totally delightful places to stay : Romantic Cottages, Sumptuous Lodges, Bed & Breakfasts, Seaside Escapes, Boutique Accommodation, City Apartments, Small Hotels, Chic Townhouse Apartments, Great Farmstays and the list goes on. Practical travel information translated into German, Japanese and Mandarin.

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Now You Can Spell is a unique spelling book, designed for learners who must cope with the specialised vocabulary they meet in subjects beyond English. Peter De Ath has drawn on several decades of teaching experience to produce 35 lists, totalling 700 words, that sum up concepts encountered in science, mathematics, the arts and humanities at Levels 4 and 5 of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework. Learning to use and spell these words accurately is an important skill for intermediate and secondary school pupils. The interesting an... read more

This title has been a stand out amongst Godwit's highly regarded gardening titles since its first publication in 2001. Author Fiona Eadie, horticulture tutor, writer and now head gardener at Larnach Castle, where she can take credit for the Castle's stunning plantings, has revised and updated this classic book to make it even more indispensable to the New Zealand gardener. Over 25 per cent of the plants have been changed, bringing it in line with the author's evolving views of the growing habits and climate tolerance of our native ... read more

Imagine you are 23 years old, newly arrived in a country on the other side of the world where there are only a handful of other white men to keep you company. Imagine that you are fearless, bursting with energy and entrepreneurial resolve. Imagine that you are also well educated, a shrewd observer and a gifted writer. Four decades on you are one of the colony's wealthiest and best known citizens and politicians and you sit down to remember those amazing years in the 1840s when the world was your oyster. This is the achievement of S... read more

Amanda Taylor-Ace lives her life by her philosophy of Joie de Vivre - unlimited joy.
 
So when her 14-year-old son was falling in with a bad crowd and her life in Auckland needed a shake-up, she packed her bags and headed to France with her son for a year. Joie de Vivre is the story of how and why she decided to stay and how her new life has unfurled. Finding two adjoined 18th-century houses and converting them into guest accomodation and a cooking school was her next adventure. Amanda tells of renovation disasters... read more

The South Pacific is not only our geographic environment, it is also our cultural environment, and many New Zealanders trace their ancestry to Polynesian seafarers. This book is an introduction to the history of the South Pacific. A companion book to Illustrated History of New Zealand, also written by Marcia Stenson, it covers the following topics: geology and geography, the arrival of the first people to the Pacific, European exploration, war in the Pacific, political issues both historic and current.There is also specific infor... read more