Tuai: A Traveller in Two Worlds by Alison Jones; Kuni Jenkins

$45.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

In early 1817 Tuai, a young Ngare Raumati chief from the Bay of Islands, set off for England. He was one of a number of Maori who, after encountering European explorers, traders and missionaries in New Zealand, seized opportunities to travel beyond their familiar shores to Australia, England and Europe in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. They sought new knowledge, useful goods and technologies, and a mutually benefi cial relationship with the people they knew as Pakeha. On his epic journey Tuai would visit exotic foreign ports, mix with teeming crowds in the huge metropolis of London, and witness the marvels of industrialisation at the Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire. With his lively travelling companion Titere, he would attend fashionable gatherings and sit for his portrait. He shared his deep understanding of Maori language and culture. And his missionary friends did their best to convert him to Christianity. But on returning to his Maori world in 1819, Tuai found there were difficult choices to be made. His plan to integrate new European knowledge and relationships into his Ngare Raumati community was to be challenged by the rapidly shifting politics of the Bay of Islands. With sympathy and insight, Alison Jones and Kuni Kaa Jenkins uncover the remarkable story of one of the first Maori travellers to Europe. ...Show more

Keepers of History - New Zealand Centenarians Tell Their Stories by Renée Hollis

$40.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

In 2017, Renee Hollis interviewed 120 people over the age of 100, living in every region of New Zealand. Along the way, she had the privilege of interviewing 23 World War II veterans. Her goal in compiling the book was to preserve New Zealand history by sharing the stories and memories of our eldest cit izens. She wants all people to value the elderly and to read and appreciate their stories and contribution to our society. Most importantly, she wants to ensure that that they are not forgotten and do not become invisible in our communities, but instead are honoured and celebrated. In this collection of interviews, we meet opera singers and farmers, a politician and a racing car driver, a nun and a freedom fighter with Gandhi, and even a member of Hip Operation - the oldest hip-hop group in the world! They have witnessed momentous global events and technological innovations that have changed our world. From the everyday to the extraordinary, these are the stories of people who have lived through history and whose message of resilience and making the best of things has so much to offer the generations that have followed them. ...Show more

A Way Home by Jillian Sullivan

$39.99 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

When life as she knew it ended, with her marriage over and her last child off into the world, writer Jillian Sullivan set out to fulfil a long-held dream of building a strawbale house. She settled in a small community in Central Otago, and A Way Home tells the story of how she eventually managed to buil d her new home. With her son-in-law Sam as her builder and mentor, and she as the apprentice, Jillian describes the process of having to learn how to use tools, how to be strong and to be safe and, more importantly that there is no such thing as can¿t. The house that arises through this memoir is a physical testament to the rebuilding of a life, of finding your place in a community, and of the unexpected joyousness in joining with others on a building project. People come from all over New Zealand to help ¿ from Nelson, Auckland, Queenstown, from next door and from the next valleys. There are poets and artists, a magician and finance analyst, grandmothers and grandchildren, old friends, new friends and strangers. Each person brings their unique skills and gifts and leaves with new ones. The house absorbs their creativity and kindnesses. A Way Home reflects on our need for home, for community, and for finding a way to live sustainably in this rapidly changing world. The story evokes life in a harsh climate in a small village, the struggle to overcome lack of skills and strength, and to move past loneliness and loss to find a place to call home. This is an affecting story, quietly inspirational and beautifully told by a deft and skilled writer. ...Show more

Nathan Fa'avae: Adventurer at Heart by Nathan Fa'Avae

$42.00 NZD

Category: Sport

It takes a Tour de France cyclist about 90 hours of cycling, spread over three weeks with rest days, to win the race. To win an adventure race can take up to 160 hours of non-stop racing over six days, with virtually no sleep or rest. To excel at this sport requires an elite level of skill in mountain r unning, cycling, biking, kayaking, rafting and navigation but, above all, an almost superhuman capacity to endure suffering and pain. In this book, world champion adventure racer Nathan Fa'avae, considered by many to be the best in the history of the sport, shares his life story, and provides a unique insight into this remarkable pursuit. Part-Samoan, Nathan was raised in Nelson, and it was as a wayward adolescent that he discovered outdoor adventure. Since then he has never looked back, and has been a full-time adventurer working as an outdoor educator, the owner of multiple adventure-based businesses, and a professional athlete. His career has taken him all over the world, and he has raced in the deserts of Africa, Mexico and the Emirates, the plains of Tibet and China, and the peaks and valleys of Nepal, Ecuador, Brazil, Patagonia, Russia, the European Alps, and New Zealand. Nathan Fa'ave: Adventurer at heart is a story of courage and perseverance, and of overcoming tremendous challenges. Nathan's career as an adventure racer has been made even harder by atrial fibrillation, a heart condition which has threatened many times to stop his sporting endeavours. Nathan Fa'avae is a remarkable New Zealander, and this book is a moving and inspiring account of what it takes to become a world champion. ...Show more

Ngoingoi Pwhairangi - A Remarkable Life by Tania Ka'ai

$45.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

"Ngoingoi Pwhairangi was a highly respected leader from Te Whnau-a-Ruataupare at Tokomaru Bay who was passionate about the revitalisation and flourishing of the Mori world. She actively introduced initiatives in education, language and the arts and was a Mori leader of note, receiving a QSM for her serv ices to Mori. She is also widely remembered for her beautiful song compositions, which are performed today. This biography describes her considerable achievements across many areas, her work for others, her humility and perseverance, and it brings her to life through stories from her peers, former students and family"--Publisher information. ...Show more

Alone in the Tasman: Tony Allan's True Story of Survival at Sea by Les Hill

$38.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

The longest-known survival on the Tasman Sea in a life raft. After competing in the Solo Tasman Yacht Challenge 1974, Christchurch man Tony Allan was sailing back to New Zealand from Mooloolaba when his boat, Rebel II, capsized two days into the journey, leaving him adrift in his life raft for 20 days. Alone in the Tasman, as told to Les Hill, is an inspiring story of survival as Tony battled through nightmares, hearing voices, loneliness, and absolute vulnerability. Tony's is the longest-known survival on the Tasman Sea in a life raft. ...Show more

The Wind at My Back by Josh Komen

$30.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

`I was a lost little boy, trapped in a world where I didn't belong, one that would tear me apart and build me back into someone new . . .' Twenty-three-year-old Josh Komen is on track to represent New Zealand in running at the next Commonwealth Games when he is diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. In a single moment, the course of his life has changed irrevocably. What follows are years of excrutiating pain, brutal treatments both in New Zealand and Australia, and shocking side-effects that send a young man to the brink of despair and back innumerable times. Ultimately, it is the enduring love of his close-knit family and friends, the incredible medical professionals who treat him, his spiritual beliefs, and his passion for nature that carry Josh through the hardest of challenges. The life lessons Josh gathers along the way are an inspiration for us all. This is an incredible story of courage, love and endurance. ...Show more

Many a Muddy Morning by Mark Warren

$37.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

The off-roading, hillseeking and muddymorning adventures of farming legend Mark Warren. Mark Warren is a larger-than-life character of rural New Zealand. He grew up with an obsession with Land Rovers, council tip trucks, bulldozers, hill-country tractors, snow-plows - basically anything with four wheels . Interwoven with his stories of working as a grease monkey, rallying in a purpose built Toyota Landy, rescuing ski-bunnies off icy mountain roads, is his tale of being thrust into single-handedly managing a muddy Hawke's Bay farm in his twenties, just as Rogernomics was introduced and the removal of subsidies that would change the face of farming forever. Many a Muddy Morning is a funny, original and affecting read that will appeal to petrolheads and farmers alike. Mark brings together the traits we love to celebrate in our rural heartland in a book that is a colourful addition to the Kiwi story. ...Show more

Whale Oil by Margie Thomson

$40.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

In May 2012 Auckland businessman Matt Blomfield found himself the target of a vicious online attack, the work of Whale Oil blogger Cameron Slater. The attack came out of the blue, destroying Blomfield’s reputation and career, stealing his identity, turning him into a social outcast. Two years afte r the online attack began an armed gunman came to Blomfield’s house and tried to kill him. He only survived because the intruder’s shotgun misfired. But Matt Blomfield decided to fight back. He spent seven years and many hundreds of thousands of dollars taking a defamation case against Slater, which he ultimately won, establishing that Slater’s vendetta was based entirely on lies. This book is a remarkable piece of investigative writing, a story of courage and tenacity, which reminds us how important it is to stand up to bullies, and to be reassured that in the end they do not always win. ...Show more

Stephen Donald - Beaver by Scotty Stevenson

$40.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

Stephen Donald etched himself into All Blacks folklore with that 'kick' in the 2011 Rugby World Cup final at Eden Park. Donald, one of the country's most popular All Blacks, had not originally been wanted for the World Cup squad. He was whitebaiting in the Waikato and effectively off the rugby grid when the SOS went out for his services. The rest, as they say, is history. That one penalty goal in the final has ensured him a special place in All Blacks history. Now, Donald is combining with the hugely talented rugby writer and commentator Scotty 'Sumo' Stevenson in a book which will cover not only Donald's sporting career and his part in the All Blacks' historic Cup win, but also poke the borax at both himself and his team mates. Stevenson's unique brand of humour - he collaborated with Cory Jane on the screaming funny Cory Jane: Winging It - will ensure Beaver's book will be one to be both remembered and most feared (especially if you're a high profile teammate!) ...Show more

Finding the Mountains: An Older Woman's Guide to Skiing by Peeta Wellsford

$19.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography

Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another by Emily Writes

$35.00 NZD

Category: NZ - Biography | Reading Level: very good

Popular blogger Emily Writes gives words of encouragement to sleep-deprived parents everywhere.With two small boys, both non-sleepers, Emily finds herself awake in the wee small hours night after night. Her writing is often done then, and she offers her own often hilarious and always heart-warming exper iences to other exhausted parents. She describes the frustrations as well as the tender moments of real parenting, as opposed to what you thought it was going to be like, or what well-meaning advice-givers tell you it shouldbe like. A must-have for all new parents and parents-to-be. Emily's blogs have been wildly popular, as have her on-line columns with New Zealand Woman's Weeklyand The New Zealand Herald. ...Show more