As the first history to encompass the entire century, New Zealand in the TwentiethCentury can be said to be following on from the survey histories of the last century. However, this epic work is much more than a traditional chronology of events. Rather, it brings to life in vivid detail the social, political, and culturallandscape of New Zealand in this period, and combines it with often intimate portrayals of people, places, ideas, and events that defined us as a nation.The result is a magnificently panoramic portrait of the count... read more

In the West are the 'haves', while much of the rest of the world are the 'have-nots'. The extent of inequality today is unprecedented. Drawing on an extraordinary range of contemporary and historical examples, Why Nations Fail looks at the root of the problems facing some nations. Economists and scientists have offered useful insights into the reasons for certain aspects of poverty, such as Jeffrey Sachs (it's geography and the weather), and Jared Diamond (it's technology and species). But most theories ignore the incentives and in... read more

Nelson Mandela is widely considered to be one of the most inspiring and iconic figures of our age. Now, after a lifetime of taking pen to paper to record thoughts and events, hardships and victories, these precious and previously private documents have been gathered together into one incredible volume that offers an unprecedented insight into his life. While other books have recounted Mandela's life from the vantage of the present, Conversations with Myself allows for the first time unhindered insight into the human side of the icon.

"Bring[s] a new perspective to World War II literature...Exciting" -- "Library Journal." A powerful chronicle of loyalty, love, and heroism under fire, this is the unforgettable memoir of a member of the Greatest Generation who fought in America's greatest battles-and of the war one man waged both in and out of the skies. High-spirited young Robert Morgan was transformed from a fast-living, privileged playboy who grew up hobnobbing with the Vanderbilts into a steel-nerved pilot forged in the cauldron of World War II's most danger... read more

In September 1944, a mighty shock force of battle hardened Allied troops dropped from the skies into enemy-occupied Holland. This title discusses the triumph of the human spirit, as seen through the dramatic accounts of those who were there, in the cauldron, fighting for their lives, fighting for their comrades, and a battle they won hands down.

If the quest for Mount Everest began as a grand imperial gesture, as redemption for an empire of explorers that had lost the race to the Poles, it ended as a mission of regeneration for a country and a people bled white by war. Of the 26 British climbers who, on three expeditions (1921-24), walked 400 miles off the map to find and assault the highest mountain on Earth, twenty had seen the worst of the fighting. Six had been severely wounded, two others nearly killed by disease at the Front, one hospitalized twice with shell shock. ... read more

Thirty years ago the mysterious Priory of Sion revealed to the world that Jesus and Mary Magdalene were married and created a bloodline of descendants. Since then the Priory has remained silent...until now. In this book the Priory of Sion has a last chosen to reveal its secrets. Supported by exclusive interviews with Priory members as well as historical sources, Inside the Priory of Sion proves he existence of an 'underground stream' of secret knowledge and wisdom, accessible only to adepts, that flows through history. Clues to thi... read more

Merlin: the very name evokes intriguing images - magician, prophet, adviser to Arthur, counsellor of Camelot. The legend is famous but not the truth: that Merlin was a historical figure, a Briton, who hailed not from England or Wales, as traditional wisdom would have it, but from Scotland. This book uncovers evidence and re-examines the old.

All-powerful, brilliant, decisive, ruthlessly effective...this is the image of the CIA as portrayed in countless films and novels. It is wrong. This shocking book, based on thousands of declassified documents and interviews with agents at all levels, shows the reality behind the glamorous myth: a blundering, chaotic and dangerously incompetent organization, so ineffective it was nicknamed 'Can't Identify Anything' by Nato forces. In a story of botched coups, missed targets, lost operatives and fatal errors, Tim Weiner shows how the... read more

The AK-47, or 'Kalashnikov', is the most abundant and efficient firearm on earth. It is so light it can be used by children. It has transformed the way we fight wars, and its story is the chilling story of modern warfare. C. J. Chivers's extraordinary new book tells an alternative history of the world as seen through these terrible weapons. He traces them back to their origins in the early experiments of Gatling and Maxim, and examines the first appearance of the machine-gun – a weapon that first created the 'asymmetric' col... read more

Tanks, Cisterns, Aquifers, and Ponds
For Domestic Supply, Fire and Emergency Use.

A do-it-yourself guide to designing, building, and maintaining your water tank, cistern or pond, and sustainably managing groundwater storage. It will help you with your independent water system, fire protection, and disaster preparedness, at low cost and using principles of ecological design. Includes building instructions for several styles of ferrocement water tanks.

In this groundbreaking book, noted historian Thaddeus Russell tells a new and surprising story about the origins of American freedom. Rather than crediting the standard textbook icons, Russell demonstrates that it was those on the fringes of society whose subversive lifestyles helped legitimize the taboo and made America the land of the free. In vivid portraits of renegades and their 'respectable' adversaries, Russell shows that the nation's history has been driven by clashes between those interested in preserving social order and ... read more

The acclaimed biographer of Franklin Delano Roosevelt takes on Richard Nixon in the first full biography in a generation, bringing a unique perspective to the life and politics of one of Americas most controversial public figures

Jerusalem is the universal city, the capital of two peoples, the shrine of three faiths; it is the prize of empires, the site of Judgement Day and the battlefield of today's clash of civilisations. From King David to Barack Obama, from the birth of Judaism, Christianity and Islam to the Israel-Palestine conflict, this is the epic history of 3,000 years of faith, slaughter, fanaticism and coexistence. How did this small, remote town become the Holy City, the 'centre of the world' and now the key to peace in the Middle East? In a g... read more

'Do not act as if you had ten thousand years to live ...while you have life in you, while you still can, make yourself good.' The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius (AD 121-180) is a private notebook of philosophical reflections, written by a Roman emperor probably on military campaign in Germany. In short, highly charged comments, Marcus draws on Stoic philosophy to confront challenges that he felt acutely, but which are also shared by all human beings - the looming presence of death, making sense of one's social role and projects, ... read more

One of the astonishing revelations in the expose Dead Man Running, by Ross Coulthart and Duncan McNab, was the difficulty faced by the Australian police in tackling the burgeoning crime empire that outlaw motorcycle gangs were developing. Above the Law takes a hard and chilling look at the global future of organised crime, and reveals that the world's most successful criminal empire is now being operated on a massive scale by outlaw motorcycle gangs - an empire that is growing in power, reach and ruthlessness by the day. Far surpas... read more

In this successor to Dalziel and Lattimore's successful The New Zealand Macroeconomy, the authors provide a concise introduction to the contemporary New Zealand economy as we enter 'the Asian era'. The authors interpret data on key economic indicators over time to make sense of the structure and performance of New Zealand's contemporary economy in a historical and global context. The New Zealand Economy covers major contemporary economic issues: globalisation and the rise of the Asian economies, the origins and consequences of the... read more

Do we really care about each other less than we did in the past? This myth-destroying book shows that, contrary to popular belief, humankind has become progressively less, not more, violent from prehistory to today. Even the twentieth century, commonly perceived as the most brutal, is part of this trend. Debunking both the idea of the 'noble savage', and the Hobbesian notion of a 'nasty, brutish and short' life, and ranging over everything from the Enlightenment to warfare, art to religion, Steven Pinker argues that modernity and i... read more

Who benefits from state asset sales? Follow the money as Wishart looks at what happened to Air New Zealand, Kiwirail, South Canterbury Finance and more..This searing expose of one of the biggest issues in politics will be sure to capture attention this election. Ten years ago Ian Wishart’s Daylight Robbery on the plundering of the BNZ and other state assets became an instant bestseller. Now, a decade later, partial asset sales are again on the cards as Prime Minister John Key seeks a controversial mandate for privatisation... read more