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A History of New Zealand
This vivid history of New Zealand, by the late Professor Keith Sinclair of the University of Auckland's history department, has long been regarded as a classic, one of the most authoritative studies of this country's history. This updated version has been brought up-to-date by Raewyn Dalziel, Professor of History at the University of Auckland (and Sinclair's widow). It brings the story up to the end of the 1990s and the election of the Labour Government in the second MMP General Election.
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
396 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 4, 2019
This book is a good introduction to New Zealand history from a white perspective. The book is on the whole nicely written. It gives a good overview of colonialization and interesting discussions on post-colonial NZ society.
However, the book does have specific important problems.
Firstly, any "history of New Zealand" should devote more than at least one chapter to pre-colonial history. Now, of course, pre-colonial history will differ from the colonial and the post-colonial one because non-western societies might treat history/past in different ways. At the very least, there should be a detailed discussion about Maori culture before colonialization. There is much to say about Maori philosophy, myths, and community. However, there is little of that in this book.
Also, the references to Maori are from a remarkably colonial perspective. Take this one sentence as an example: "In exchange, they provided women and food, including potatoes". Firstly, they provided women assumes that the Maori had a particular gender dynamics, which is not really true. Secondly, writing women and food in the same sentence is a good example of the extreme objectification of women. If they indeed 'provided' women, this sentence should come up with a more explanation of the situation. Also, the Moari come into the picture as a foreground for the colonials. They are written about mostly in relation to colonials. After the Maori wars, there is a conspicuous absence of Maori perspectives for decades before some discussion in the later chapters.
Lastly, the environment is almost completely absent from the book. It comes in reference to the colonial need for lands or pioneers who tamed the land. Still, I think any history of New Zealand must discuss the wholescale destruction and exploitation on the environment and the Maori peoples that happened here.
I know that this book was last updated in the 1980s, and later a section was added in 2000s, but it is important to not excuse a book from criticism just because its old. One thing that is clear from the book is that colonials themselves were fully aware of colonialism and its impacts owing to the later colonialization of New Zealand.
However, the book does have specific important problems.
Firstly, any "history of New Zealand" should devote more than at least one chapter to pre-colonial history. Now, of course, pre-colonial history will differ from the colonial and the post-colonial one because non-western societies might treat history/past in different ways. At the very least, there should be a detailed discussion about Maori culture before colonialization. There is much to say about Maori philosophy, myths, and community. However, there is little of that in this book.
Also, the references to Maori are from a remarkably colonial perspective. Take this one sentence as an example: "In exchange, they provided women and food, including potatoes". Firstly, they provided women assumes that the Maori had a particular gender dynamics, which is not really true. Secondly, writing women and food in the same sentence is a good example of the extreme objectification of women. If they indeed 'provided' women, this sentence should come up with a more explanation of the situation. Also, the Moari come into the picture as a foreground for the colonials. They are written about mostly in relation to colonials. After the Maori wars, there is a conspicuous absence of Maori perspectives for decades before some discussion in the later chapters.
Lastly, the environment is almost completely absent from the book. It comes in reference to the colonial need for lands or pioneers who tamed the land. Still, I think any history of New Zealand must discuss the wholescale destruction and exploitation on the environment and the Maori peoples that happened here.
I know that this book was last updated in the 1980s, and later a section was added in 2000s, but it is important to not excuse a book from criticism just because its old. One thing that is clear from the book is that colonials themselves were fully aware of colonialism and its impacts owing to the later colonialization of New Zealand.
November 14, 2024
It's really informative and explains a lot of issues with the gaps in New Zealand history well. Politics isn't my bag but it is accessible, a lot of detail on Māori land rights.
November 17, 2023
i only got 80 pages in, found it at salvos in nz for 3 dollars.
i don’t think i know enough about history (esp history of australia and colonisation in general) to fully appreciate what ive read or motivate me to go further.
i’d read more about the “pre-history”; the development of maori culture and social structure; developed in isolation, gradual settlement of the exiled, re-settled by a polynesian fleet ..?
i don’t think i know enough about history (esp history of australia and colonisation in general) to fully appreciate what ive read or motivate me to go further.
i’d read more about the “pre-history”; the development of maori culture and social structure; developed in isolation, gradual settlement of the exiled, re-settled by a polynesian fleet ..?
August 6, 2024
A clear and concise history. I've read others and I think this was probably the best introduction to the dispute between the freeholders and leaseholders in the late 1800s. Perhaps more could have been said about the second world war period.
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July 5, 2010This is a place holder, really. I don't have any good reason to believe this is the book I read, it's just that I don't know which book it was — my notes say simply "February 1993 — Maori — Anderson?".
February 1993 was when I began a three-month visit to New Zealand, and I picked up a good paperback history while I was in Auckland, before heading down to spend the rest of the visit on the South Island.
Among the tidbits I learned was the fact that the Maori were masters of guerrilla warfare long before anyone in the west had coined the term. The stealth tactics that were sometime practiced by the Native Americans against the interlopers in North America were similar, but less violent and less consistently practiced. Inter-tribal warfare had been a lethal game there for a long time before the British arrived in their colonial attempt, and they were tactically outclassed for quite a while.
There was a lot of other stuff, but the military history is what stuck in my brain. I suspect I left the book at some hostel in Dunedin before heading out on another backpacking trip.
(Atholl Anderson has quite a few books covering this part of the world, but a search through his stuff on Worldcat didn't reveal any likely contenders. Oh well.)
February 1993 was when I began a three-month visit to New Zealand, and I picked up a good paperback history while I was in Auckland, before heading down to spend the rest of the visit on the South Island.
Among the tidbits I learned was the fact that the Maori were masters of guerrilla warfare long before anyone in the west had coined the term. The stealth tactics that were sometime practiced by the Native Americans against the interlopers in North America were similar, but less violent and less consistently practiced. Inter-tribal warfare had been a lethal game there for a long time before the British arrived in their colonial attempt, and they were tactically outclassed for quite a while.
There was a lot of other stuff, but the military history is what stuck in my brain. I suspect I left the book at some hostel in Dunedin before heading out on another backpacking trip.
(Atholl Anderson has quite a few books covering this part of the world, but a search through his stuff on Worldcat didn't reveal any likely contenders. Oh well.)
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews