Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
Cover of The war in New Zealand, by William Fox, originally published in 1866. This reprint was published in 1973 by Capper Press.
Writing about New Zealand’s internal wars
War has had a great impact on New Zealand society. Over the last 60 years books about war have become a mainstay of local non-fiction publishing. Generations of New Zealanders have learned about our exploits in two world wars and the impact of these conflicts on the nation. But how familiar are we with our internal wars of the 19th century?
Credit:
Cover of Sir W. Fox, The war in New Zealand, Capper Press, Christchurch, 1973 (reprint of 1866 original)
Buller's birds
A plate from A history of the birds of New Zealand by Walter Buller, showing a pair of huia perched on a branch, the female to the left (marked with a small female symbol), the male (marked with a small male symbol) to the right. A Dutch artist, J.G. Keulemans, was responsible for the illustrations in all of Buller's books. His illustrations are remarkably lifelike considering he never stepped foot in New Zealand, and rarely saw living examples of the birds he drew.
State-funded history
A selection of books published by the History Group of the Ministry for Culture and Heritage in 2005-6.
The state of history
The New Zealand government has a long history of funding and publishing historical works of all kinds, ranging from the 50-plus volumes of Second World War history to the cutting-edge digital projects of the early 21st century.
