*Moore, Peter. Endeavour: The Ship That Changed the World. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2019. Endeavour famously carried James Cook on his first major voyage, charting for the first time New Zealand and the eastern coast of Australia. Moore tells the story of one of history’s most important sailing ships, and in turn shines new light on the ambition and consequences of the Age of Enlightenment. (AUDIO, HARD COVER, KINDLE, 432 Pp.)

A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters. Custom House, 2021. New Zealand’s spectacular scenery is underpinned by rocks that record a fascinating and still evolving history of geological upheaval and climate change occurring on what some have called Zealandia, the eighth continent. We will be exploring parts of this history as we move from north to south, and Andy Knoll’s book is an excellent introduction to how the Earth works. (Available as a Kindle e-book for $12).

Mike’s comment: I use this text in many of my Stanford Continuing Studies classes, and my students have found it to be informative and easy to read.

*King, Michael. The Penguin History of New Zealand. Penguin Putnam, 2012. One of New Zealand’s leading historians, winner of the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement, tells the story of the island nation -- the last country to be discovered and settled by humankind. (PAPER, KINDLE, AUDIBLE; 576 Pp.)

Mike’s comment: King’s book is by far the ‘gold standard’ of New Zealand history books. Travelers who have neither the time nor initiative to tackle a 576-page tome may benefit from a quick look at Peter Jessup’s The Complete History of New Zealand (In Less Than Two Hours) published by Hurricane Press, Cambridge, New Zealand (2019). Definitely not Pulitzer Prize material, but a fast and inexpensive way to get some key facts and interesting snippets that will liven up your cocktail party banter on the trip. (The Kindle edition is only $3). Another, more serious alternative is A Concise History of New Zealand by Phillipa Mein Smith, published by Cambridge University Press (you can rent the Kindle edition for $8).

*Thompson, Christina. Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All. Bloomsbury USA, 2009. Historian Thompson effortlessly alternates tales of mostly disastrous early encounters with the Māori and the story of the love of her life, Seven, the Māori she married, in this endearing memoir. (PAPER, 288 Pp.)

*Catton, Eleanor. The Luminaries. Little Brown and Company, 2014. Murder and mystery in 19th-century New Zealand. This epic and intricately constructed tale -- spinning out over 800 pages -- is set during the wild days of the 1866 gold rush on the west coast of South Island. It’s just over Arthur’s Pass from where Catton was raised in Christchurch. (PAPER, KINDLE, AUDIBLE; 864 Pp.)

Anderson, A., J. Binney, and A. Harris. Tangata Whenua: A History. Bridget Williams Books, 2015. A rich narrative of the Māori past from ancient origins in South China to the 21st century, the authoritative text is drawn directly from the award-winning big hardback Tangata Whenua: An Illustrated History. Māori leaders and reviewers alike have endorsed the book, noting how it draws together different strands of knowledge from historical research through archaeology and science to oral tradition. (E-BOOK, 846 Pp.)

Belich, James. The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict. Independent Publishers Group, 2015. First published in 1986 and later made into a TV series, Belich offered a revisionist history of the New Zealand Wars (1843-1847), emphasizing the inability of the ‘Victorian interpretation of racial conflict’ to acknowledge the tactical and military skill of the Māori, which reshaped the understanding not just of New Zealand history, but of colonial wars and occupation in general. (PAPER, 400 Pp.)

Chambers, John. A Traveller’s History of New Zealand and the South Pacific Islands. Interlink Publishing Group, 2015. A brisk portrait of New Zealand and its culture, economy and society, this concise history also covers the settlement of the Pacific Islands. (PAPER, 416 Pp.)

Fischer, David Hackett. Fairness and Freedom. Oxford University Press, 2012. Pulitzer Prize-winner Fischer compares the politics of America and New Zealand, posing the question: is it possible to be both fair and free? Despite its focus on politics and fairness, the book is thoroughly enjoyable and, in its own way, a travelogue. (HARD COVER, 629 Pp.)

Ihimaera, Witi. Pounamu Pounamu. Reed New Zealand, 1972. First published in 1972 and endorsed by Māori and Pākehā for original stories that showed how important Māori identity is for all New Zealanders. Ihimaera explores what it is like to be a New Zealander from a Māori perspective. (HARD COVER, PAPER, KINDLE, 180 Pp.)

Moran, Warren. New Zealand Wine: The Land, The Vines, The People. Aa Balkema, 2017. Illustrated with three-dimensional maps of regions and localities and spectacular photographs, this deluxe journey into the world of New Zealand wine is an unrivalled introduction. (HARD COVER, 384 Pp.)

Potts, Annie. New Zealand Book of Beasts, Animals in Our Culture, History and Everyday Life. Independent Publishers Group, 2014. This engaging scholarly work explores New Zealanders’

relationship with native fauna, how New Zealanders have nurtured, glorified, cherished, demonized and devoured the nation’s animals. (PAPER, 336 Pp.)

Robley, H.G. Māori Tattooing. Dover Publications, 2004. A new unabridged edition of the classic, illustrated sourcebook on Māori tattooing (moko), first published in 1896. The author pays scrupulous attention to the intricate patterns, design and meaning of traditional Māori tattoos. (PAPER, 240 Pp.)

Duff, Chris. Southern Exposure. Globe Pequot Press, 2003. Seasoned kayaker Chris Duff challenges the waters of the Pacific while ruminating on the beauty of New Zealand’s coast and its people. (PAPER, 264 Pp.)

Krull, Friedrich August. An Indescribable Beauty: Letters Home to Germany from Wellington, New Zealand, 1859 & 1862. Aa Balkema, 2013. A small but priceless addition to the historical record of early New Zealand, this unique book includes the astonishing letters of a 22-year-old German settler in early New Zealand. The letters describe the people, landscapes, and birds of early Wellington, Wairarapa, and Kapiti as he travelled on foot and horse around the lower and central North Island. (PAPER, 134 Pp.)

Theroux, Paul. The Happy Isles of Oceania. Mariner Books, 2006. The peripatetic author flies off to Australia and New Zealand with a kayak and ends up exploring much of Melanesia and Polynesia, including Tonga, Fiji and the Marquesas, in this wickedly funny, wide-ranging tale. (PAPER, 480 Pp.)

Tindale, Jonathan. Squashed Possums: Off the Beaten Track in New Zealand. Self-published, 2014. Tindale shares his adventures and mishaps during a year spent in the outskirts of New Zealand. In a lone caravan dubbed the Squashed Possums he gets a taste of life in wilderness across through four seasons – including the coldest winter the country had experienced in decades. (AUDIOBOOK, KINDLE, PAPER, 198 Pp.)

Butler, Samuel, and Peter Mudford (Introduction). Erewhon. Penguin, 1970. Butler’s classic Victorian novel inspired by his experiences in 1860s New Zealand. A satirical account of a journey to an upside- down country at the end of the world, where sick people are thrown in jail and murderers are taken to the hospital. (PAPER, 232 Pp.)

*Goudge, Elizabeth. Green Dolphin Street. Aa Balkema, 2015. Set in 19th-century New Zealand, this novel traces an unlikely marriage that becomes stronger than “love at first sight.” When a naval officer writes (nervously) to request Marguerite’s hand in marriage, he mistakenly writes the wrong name, and it is Marianne who arrives aboard the ship The Green Dolphin. (PAPER, 571 Pp.)

Grace, Patricia. Tu, A Novel. University of Hawaii Press, 2005. Acclaimed Maori novelist Patricia Grace delves into the experience of the Maori Battalion in Italy during WWII. Tu and his three brothers head

to war, and only he returns, with a shadow over his experience. Winner of the Deutz Medal for Fiction. (PAPER, 287 Pp.)

Ihimaera, Witi. The Whale Rider. 1987, Reed Books; and 2003, Harcourt. Pai, a twelve-year-old Māori girl, strives to become the chief of the tribe, but her grandfather Koro Apirana believes that this is a role reserved for males only. This novel is the basis for the award-winning 2002 film of the same name. (AUDIO, HARD COVER, PAPER, KINDLE, 152 Pp.)

*Kidman, Fiona. The Book of Secrets. Aa Balkema, 2013. A winner at the New Zealand Book Awards, this historical novel follows a group of Scots as they settle the North Island in the 1850s. Three women are entangled in the migrations - Isabella, her daughter Annie and granddaughter Maria - and all have varied reactions to the strict preacher who led them to New Zealand. (PAPER, 552 Pp.)

*Lark, Sarah. In the Land of the Long White Cloud. Lightning Source, 2012. The story of two unexpected New Zealand marriages, this novel is chock full of romance, friendship and adventure. When her father loses a blackjack hand to a New Zealand baron, Gwyn’s hand in marriage goes to the baron’s son. Meanwhile, a British governess responds to an advertisement seeking wives for churchgoing New Zealand bachelors. The two women will need their friendship as they navigate uncertain waters. (PAPER, 667 Pp.)

Mansfield, Katherine. Stories. Vintage Books, 1991. The three marvelous, long stories in this collection constitute the beginnings of a novel based on Mansfield’s childhood in Wellington. (PAPER, 368 Pp.)

*Olsson,Linda. The Memory of Love. Penguin Putnam, 2013. Novelist Linda Olsson weaves a tender story of love, friendship and the power of memory over the rugged landscape of the New Zealand coast. (PAPER, 209 Pp.)

Fitter, Julian. A Field Guide to the Birds of New Zealand. Princeton University Press, 2012. A comprehensive and compact guide by longtime resident Julian Fitter featuring 600 color photographs, range maps and species descriptions. (PAPER, 288 Pp.)

Gibbs, George. Ghosts of Gondwana: The History of Life in New Zealand. Craig Potton Publishing, 2016. An award-winning book that presents in highly readable form the latest scientific research explaining why New Zealand’s plants and animals are so different from those in other countries, revealing the deep geologic background of New Zealand’s landscapes, fauna and flora – from ancient frogs and moa to delicate insects and the magnificent southern beech forests. (HARD COVER, 416 Pp.)

Campbell, Hamish and Nick Mortimer. Zealandia: Our Continent Revealed. Penguin NZ, 2014. Zealandia is a continent almost entirely submerged. With New Zealand as its largest inhabited land mass, it stretches north to incorporate New Caledonia, south beyond Auckland and Campbell islands, west beyond Australia's Lord Howe Island and east past the Chathams. Its ancestry reaches back more than half a billion years – a long, complex and dramatic story of growth, stretching, break-up, submergence, immersion and collision. The story of its cargo of plant and animal life is also one of change – of extinction, adaption and migration. (PAPER, HARDCOVER, 272 Pp.)

Kavanagh, James. New Zealand Wildlife. Waterford Press, 2015. A handy, laminated guide to 140 familiar species of bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian, fish and butterfly in New Zealand. Ideal for quick nature reference. (PAPER, 12 Pp.)

*Campion, Jane (Director). An Angel at My Table. Baker & Taylor Video, 2005. Beautifully capturing the color and power of the New Zealand landscape, this film of the life of troubled author Janet Frame earned Campion a sweep of film awards, including the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival. (DVD)

*Caro, Niki (Director). Whale Rider. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2003. The film adaptation of an important work of New Zealand literature. When the male heir to a Maori chiefdom suddenly dies, a young girl must prove her leadership and claim her destiny as the rightful leader, the legendary “whale rider.” (DVD)

Neil, Samuel. Hunt for The Wilderpeople. Baker & Taylor Video, 2016. A quirky, offbeat film set in the New Zealand bush. Stuck in New Zealand’s youth welfare system, Ricky Baker is a rebellious kid who enjoys hip-hop and haiku. When he and his foster uncle go missing in the wild, a national manhunt ensues. (DVD)

Tamahori, Lee. Once Were Warriors. Baker & Taylor Video, 2016. Set in urban New Zealand, this film tells the story of the Heke family, descended from Maori warriors. Treated as social outcasts, the family members are bedeviled by a violent father and trouble with the police. (DVD)

Baird, Ljiljana, and Sue Butler. Culture Smart! New Zealand. Kuperard, 2017. A concise, well-illustrated and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture. (PAPER, 168 Pp.)

*Fodor’s. Fodor’s New Zealand. Fodor’s, 2016. This regularly revised practical guide is now in full-color and with a pullout map. (PAPER, 688 Pp.)

Harawira, K. T., and T. R. Buxton (Introduction). Beginner’s Maori. Hippocrene Books, 1997. A guide to the Maori language, written for the traveler looking for an introductory foundation to the language, culture and traditions of the Māori people. (PAPER, 121 Pp.)

Leland, Louis. A Personal Kiwi-Yankee Dictionary. Pelican Publishing Company, 1990. Take this book with you on your trip to help you untangle the sometimes perplexing and colorful local idioms. (PAPER, 115 Pp.)

Lonely Planet. Wine Trails, Australia & New Zealand. Lonely Planet Publications, 2018. A new entry in Lonely Planet’s Wine Trails series, profiling must-know winemakers alongside excellent color photographs, maps, bits of history and recommended itineraries. (HARD COVER, 256 Pp.)