Arguably the best biography of the great navigator, written by the scholar who also edited his journals.New Zealand: country study guide. Washington DC: International Business Publications, 2004.
The Life of Captain James Cook. J C Beaglehole. Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 1992.
Arguably the best biography of the great navigator, written by the scholar who also edited his journals.
Journals of Captain James Cook on His Voyages of Discovery: The Voyage of the Endeavour, 1768-1771. James Cook, Ed. JC Beaglehole. Suffolk, UK: Boydell & Brewer, 1999.
Fodor’s New Zealand 2008 (Fodor’s Gold Guides), New York, NY: Fodor’s Travel Publications, 2007.
New Zealand Travel Guide. Charles Rawlings-Way, Errol Hunt, Brett Atkinson, Peter Dragicevich, Sarah Bennett. 14th edition, Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet Publications, 2008.
The Coming of the Maori. Te Rangi Hiora (Sir Peter Buck). Wellington, NZ: Whitcombe and Tombs, 1987 (2nd edition).
Now somewhat dated, the book is still the classic introduction to early Maori culture in New Zealand and is written by one of the great Maori scholars of the 20th century.
Moon New Zealand (Moon Handbooks). Andrew Hempstead. Emeryville, CA: Avalon Travel Publishing, 2007 (7th edition).
The Penguin History of New Zealand. Michael King. Auckland, NZ: Penguin, 2003.
New Zealand Official Yearbook. NZ Government Printer.
An annual publication that contains useful statistical information, company and commercial information etc. This information can also be accessed through the website of the Statistics Department.
Frommer’s New Zealand. Adrienne Rewi. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing, Inc, 2008 (5th edition).
The Oxford History of New Zealand. Ed. Geoffrey W Rice. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 1994 (2nd edition).
An illustrated history of New Zealand.
Captain Cook’s World. John Robson. New Zealand: Random House, 2000.
A fascinating and comprehensive collection of maps depicting the life and voyages of Captain Cook.
Te Marae: a Guide to Customs and Protocol. Hiwi Tauroa. Auckland, NZ: Reed Books, 2000.
A very useful guide to Maori etiquette.
New Zealand has a very rich and varied tradition in both fiction and poetry, and an exhaustive bibliography would fill many more pages. I therefore list only a few biographies and autobiographies that seem to me to be of particular interest because of the insights they provide both into the author’s or subject’s personality, and into the social history of New Zealand. I then list a number of authors whose works have become or are becoming part of the literary ‘canon’ of New Zealand. You will find them in all New Zealand libraries, and many of their works will also be in libraries in English speaking countries overseas. The list is, of course, not authoritative, it reflects my own personal tastes.
These three volumes are the autobiography of the New Zealand poet Lauris Dorothy Edmond:
Hot October. Wellington, NZ: Allen & Unwin/Port Nicholson Press, 1989.
Bonfires in the Rain. Wellington, NZ: Bridget Williams Books, 1991.
The Quick World. Wellington, NZ: Bridget Williams Books, 1992.
Again a trilogy, the autobiography of the novelist Janet Frame. Angel at My Table is also the title of the highly acclaimed film made of Janet Frame’s life and is based on her autobiography.
To the Island. New York, NY: George Braziller, 1982.
The Envoy from Mirror City. New York, NY: George Braziller, 1985.
Angel at My Table. London, UK: Womens Press Ltd., 2001.
Frank Sargeson: a Life. Michael King. New York, NY: Viking, 1995.
The biography of a major literary figure in 20th century New Zealand is written by the late Michael King, a leading New Zealand biographer, writer and historian.
Te Puea: a Life. Michael King. Auckland, NZ: Reed International Books, 2003.
The biography of a great Maori leader who made a major contribution to the renaissance of Maori pride and Maori culture.
Whina: a Biography of Whina Cooper. Michael King. Auckland, NZ: Hodder & Stoughton, 1983.
Another great Maori kuia whose role in the Maori struggle to regain lands lost after the wars in the 19th century gave her the status of a New Zealand icon and earned her the respect and affection of both Maori and Pakeha.
Wrestling with the Angel: a life of Janet Frame. Michael King. Washington, DC: Counterpoint, 2002; London, UK: Picador, 2002.
Pedaller’s Paradise South Island: A Cycle Touring Guide to New Zealand’s South Island. Nigel Rushton. Lake Tekapo, New Zealand: Dab Hand Publishing, 2001 (2nd edition). The same guide is also available for the North Island.
Diving and Snorkelling New Zealand. Tony and Jenny Enderby. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet, 2002.
A monthly magazine, Dive New Zealand, is available on newsstands.
North Island Weekend Tramps. Shaun Barnett. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing, 2008 (revised edition).
Classic Tramping in New Zealand. Shaun Barnett and Rob Brown. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing, 1999.
A Tramper’s Guide to National Parks. Robert Burton and Maggie Atkin. New Zealand: Reeds Books, 2001.
Tramping in New Zealand. Jim DuFresne. Victoria, Australia: Lonely Planet, 2006 (6th edition).
Hidden Trails: 21 Private Walking Tracks in New Zealand. Walter Hirsh. Auckland, NZ: New Holland Publishers, 2002.
Classic Walks of New Zealand. Craig Potton. Nelson, NZ: Craig Potton Publishing, 1997.