We Will Not Cease by Archibald Baxter

$15.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

Against the backdrop of troops being mindlessly slaughtered at the whim of upper-echelon officers, WE WILL NOT CEASE is a story of extreme bravery and resolve. WE WILL NOT CEASE is the epic record of New Zealander Archibald Baxter's brutal treatment as a conscientious objector. In 1915, when he was 33, Baxter was arrested, sent to prison, then shipped under guard to Europe where he was forced to the front line against his will. Punished to the limits of his physical and mental endurance, Baxter was stripped of all dignity, beaten, starved and left for dead. In the final attempt to discredit him authorities consigned him to a mental institution, an experience that would haunt him for the rest of his life. Archibald Baxter's lonely fight against 'the war to end all wars' is a nightmare that Kafka could have penned except that the story is true. Long regarded as a classic, his book is as relevant now as when it was first published in 1939. ...Show more

Life Inside the Cordon by Kim O'Brien-Williams

$12.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

Deadline: The Gripping Memoirs of a Pioneering Newsman by Alan Sayers

$16.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

If all the world's a stage then Alan Sayers has met most of the cast - from miscreants and murderers to hobos and heroes. His career as a ground-breaking photo journalist has led him to dive the depths for gold and scale the heights for survivors...

Uncommon Heart by Anne Audain and Jon L. Parker

$16.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

A woman born with deformed feet, put up for adoption as an infant, grows up to become a runner who thrives despite an abusive, maniacal coach. After setting a world record and becoming a highly successful professional runner on the US road racing circuit, she eventually located her birth parents in her native country, New Zealand. ...Show more

Annette King: The Authorised Biography by John Harvey; Brent Edwards

$20.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: near fine

Annette King is New Zealand's longest-serving women MP - 1984-2017 less three years in the wilderness from 1990-1993. In her 30 years in Parliament, she spent 15 in government (10 as a cabinet minister) and 15 in opposition. She is a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, and held a number of senior cabinet portfolios. This book will take a dual approach to her life and political career. Annette's career embraces a tumultuous time in New Zealand politics and Labour politics . . . Rogernomics and Lange's independent foreign policy; the 1990s and advent of MMP; the refinement of Rogernomics under Ruth Richardson etc; the rise and nearly fall of Helen Clark; the Clark government (where Annette served as Health, Food Safety, Police, Transport, Justice and Racing Minister); the subsequent 9 years of difficult and troubled opposition for Labour; and eventually the rise of Jacinda Ardern. Annette played pivotal roles in all these eras, often as the peacemaker or as Auntie Annette. She became a mentor for many of the prominent members of the Ardern government and, of course, played a lead role in the 2017 election campaign and subsequent negotiations. The book will give rein to Annette's voice, but also feature other prominent figures including Jacinda. The book will open with the 2017 campaign. ...Show more

Helen: Portrait of a Prime Minister by Brian Edwards

$18.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

New Zealand's first elected woman Prime Minister remains an enigma to many, despite her almost daily exposure on television. In Helen: Portrait of a Prime Minister, Brian Edwards has produced a comprehensive, balanced and absorbing account of the life, times and character of the real Helen Clark. Wor king largely from taped conversations with the Prime Minister herself, with her family, friends and colleagues, and with a wide range of political journalists and commentators, the author presents a fascinating panorama of anecdote, fact, and opinion on Helen Clark's strengths and weaknesses as a person and a politician. Part oral history, part biography, the narrative follows Clark's life and career from childhood through to the present day. It explains how the daughter of a conservative, National-voting, farming family became a left-wing activist; how she was transformed from a seemingly dry and brittle academic into a popular, media-savvy and charismatic leader; how she moulded a disparate group of factions into a cohesive coalition. Brian Edwards is the author or editor of numerous books, including Right Out, a study of the 1972 General Election, in which he stood as the Labour Party candidate for Miramar. With his wife, Judy Callingham, he runs a media consulting business in Auckland. The couple have provided media advice to Helen Clark since 1996. In 1999 Dr Edwards was made a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to broadcasting and journalism. Hardback ...Show more

Deadline: My Story by Pat Booth

$25.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

Walter Buller The Reluctant Conservationist by Ross Galbreath

$30.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

Dog in the Snow: The Story of the Middle East Ski School by James Riddell

$35.00 NZD

Category: Mountaineering | Reading Level: near fine

He was an Alsatian called Rex, who lived among the snows of the mountains of Lebanon and Syria. When the author first met him, in November 1941, Rex belonged to a Bishop of the Maronite Church. Rec disliked strangers, but James Riddell proved an exception. The dog became his devoted companion at the new ly-formed ski instruction school which the author was appointed to command. Rex was a great favourite with the troops who came to the school from all regiments and nations - Australians, New Zealanders, Greeks, Gurkhas, and British. This is Rex's story and theirs. Dog in the Snow is an informative book about an almost unknown war-time activity, written with great charm and humour. All who love animals, and particularly those who can understand the fascination of skiing, will delight in the book. ...Show more

Husna's Story by Farid Ahmed

$18.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: near fine

Husna Ahmed was a victim of the Christchurch mosque terrorist attack on 15 March 2019. She was shot while looking for her husband, who was in a wheelchair. The couple had been praying when a gunman burst into the mosque. He shot and killed 51 people that day and injured many others. In this book Husna's husband, Farid Ahmed, tells Husna's story, including the day of the attack. Farid describes the selflessness and bravery with which Husna lived her life. As well as looking after her daughter and paraplegic husband, Husna was an important member of the community, helping women and running classes for children. Her last selfless act was going back into the mosque to look for her husband on that fateful day, after she had already led other women and children to safety. Husna's husband, quite remarkably, forgives the alleged killer. Farid's philosophy of forgiveness, peace and love is an example of how faith and humanity can be tools for navigating even the most horrific of tragedies. ...Show more

Rebel in a Wrong Cause by S. W. Scott

$20.00 NZD

Category: Biography | Reading Level: very good

If I Only Had Time by John Rowles

$20.00 NZD

Category: Music | Reading Level: near fine

John Rowles had the popular music world at his feet in Britain in 1969. Managed by Peter Gormley, the same man who ran Cliff Richard's career, Rowles had two hits in the British top 20, 'If I Only Had Time' and 'Hush Not A Word To Mary'. Forty years later John admits that if had stayed in the UK he coul d have laid the base for a multi-million dollar career. But homesick for the sun, the 21-year-old Kiwi gave it all up for Hawaii in 1970, and signed up as a caberet star at the famous Royal Hawaiian Hotel on Waikiki Beach. It had been a sensational rise for the kid from Kawerau who left home at 15 to play guitar. Basing himself in Hawaii, John's stellar career continued with regular trips all over the USA and appearing on television. He travelled back and forth to New Zealand and Australia regularly and released numerous albums, featuring best-selling hits such as 'Cheryl, Moana Marie' and 'Tania'. Following a highly successful Farewell Tour of New Zealand where he performed over 25 sold out two-and-a-half hour shows with his six-piece band, John Rowles recalls a lifetime of achievements in his highly illustrated autobiography. He speaks candidly to Angus Gillies about the highs and lows of his professional and personal life. ...Show more