The Penguin History of Aotearoa, New ZealandThe Penguin History of Aotearoa, New Zealand

New Zealand was the last country in the world to be discovered and settled by humankind. It was also the first to introduce full democracy. Between those events, and in the century that followed, the movements and conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in New Zealand than anywhere else on Earth ... The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Māori and Pākehā. It shows that British motives in colonising New Zealand were essentially humane; and that Māori, far from being passive victims of a 'fatal impact', coped heroically with colonisation and survived by selectively accepting and adapting what Western technology and culture had to offer. Now more relevant than ever, this edition includes a Foreword by Sir Tipene O'Regan and a biographical essay on the author by Jock Phillips.