History, Philosophy & Religion

Inside New Zealand's underworld of Organised Crime

From master storyteller Witi Ihimaera, a spellbinding and provocative retelling of traditional Maori myths for the twenty-first century. In this milestone volume, Ihimaera traces the history of the Maori people through their creation myths. He follows Tawhaki up the vines into th...e firmament, Hine-titama down into the land of the dead, Maui to the ends of the earth, and the giants and turehu who sailed across the ocean to our shores . . . From Hawaiki to Aotearoa, the ancient navigators brought their myths, while looking to the stars - bright with gods, ancestors and stories - to guide the way. 'Step through the gateway now to stories that are as relevant today as they ever were.'
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From the earliest days of European settlement in New Zealand, Maori have struggled to hold on to their land. Tensions began early, arising from disputed land sales. When open conflict between Maori and Imperial forces broke out in the 1840s and 1860s, the struggles only intensifi...ed. For both sides, land was at the heart of the conflict, one that casts a long shadow over race relations in modern-day New Zealand. Wars Without End is the first book to approach this contentious subject from a Maori point of view, focusing on the Maori resolve to maintain possession of customary lands and explaining the subtleties of an ongoing and complex conflict. Written by senior Maori historian Danny Keenan, Wars Without End eloquently and powerfully describes the Maori reasons for fighting the Land Wars, placing them in the wider context of the Maori struggle to retain their sovereign estates. The Land Wars might have been quickly forgotten by Pakeha, but for Maori these longstanding struggles are wars without end.
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For the first time, the incomparable R&B superstar Stan Walker tells his story of hurt, hope and courage. After definitively winning the 2009 season of Australian Idol at the age of 19, R&B sensation Stan Walker's career went from strength to strength. His first album, Introducin...g Stan Walker, went platinum in Australia and triple platinum in New Zealand; his second; From the Inside Out, debuted at number one on the New Zealand Albums Charts and number two on the ARIA charts. He's won multiple New Zealand Music Awards, been a judge on The X Factor NZ, and played starring roles in films Mt Zion and Born to Dance. Yet few knew what he had had to overcome reach these dizzying heights. Before Australian Idol, Walker had survived a childhood marred with poverty, domestic violence and sexual abuse; dabbled in crime and drug use; and suffered his own personal tragedy. For the first time, he speaks candidly about his rags-to-riches story - and the trials and tribulations he's had to deal with since. The trans-Tasman R&B superstar's raw and open memoir is a lesson that no matter how many setbacks, no matter the odds, you will succeed if you have the courage and belief to do so.
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Paki the kiwi tells the story of a strange new virus the is sweeping around the world. Life in Aotearoa New Zealand is about to change as the country unites to fight the virus in our good old Kiwi way.