The Oxford History of New Zealand

by Geoffrey W. Rice (editor)

When The Oxford History of New Zealand was first published in 1981 it was acclaimed as the standard reference. The turbulent 1980s have changed much about the way we see New Zealand and its history. Some of these new ways of regarding the past have arisen, directly or obliquely, from the
activities of the Waitangi tribunal and the wealth of scholarship, Maori and Pakeha, which now surrounds the treaty of Waitangi. Others come from the events of the 1980s, with their profound social, political, and economic consequences. This new edition provides coverage of the last decade, and
takes account of recent historical writing. Six new chapters have been added, and many others have been enlarged or updated, making this a substantially revised and expanded second edition. As before, the book draws upon the work of archaeologists, social scientists, economists, historians, and
critics, to provide a comprehensive account of New Zealand's past from the first Polynesian settlement to the present day. Like its predecessor, it is essential reading for every student, scholar, and teacher of New Zealand history, and for the general reader, curious to know about New Zealand's
past.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

774 pages, Paperback

First published February 25, 1993

Reviews

[Isen]

The Oxford History of New Zealand is a collection of essays on topics in New Zealand history by authors who are presumably experts in their fields, arranged roughly in chronological order. As such I am tempted to class it in the proud genre of history-for-those-who-already-know-history, but I'm not too sure. Yes, if you don't already know New Zealand history you'll get precious little from this book. The lack of a narrative really hurts. Recognisable figures like Ngata and Sheldon appear now and then, but you certainly won't understand why they were significant from the cameos they play here. Broad trends like GDP growth and population patterns are hard to follow because only some of the authors find them interesting. One of the last essays covers the developments in New Zealand art by listing the names of the dozens of significant artists (at most one of whom I remember from ten years of public schooling), while saying almost nothing about what they actually did. You're just supposed to know.

But is there really anything to gain from this book if you do already know New Zealand history? I'm not too sure. I've stumbled upon specialised history literature from time to time, and it can be fascinating stuff -- changes in medieval handwriting, , proxies of genocide -- you may not be equipped to understand all of it, but it is immediately obvious why it is interesting and significant. The analysis in these essays tends to be limited to hot takes like "New Zealand used to be a farm for Britain, and now became slightly less so", and "European settlers were not always faithful in their dealings with the Maori".

I could be wrong, but I see little use for this book other than decorating a shelf.