More results...
Blog Archives
“Evolution or revolution?”, Simon Upton
The New Biological Economy: How New Zealanders are Creating Value from the Land Eric Pawson and the Biological Economies Team Auckland University Press, $45.00, ISBN 9781869408886 Having lived away from New Zealand for the best part of 15 years, I…
Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Autumn 2019, Biological Economies Team, Eric Pawson, Issue 125, Simon Upton
Posted in Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Non-fiction, Review
A prime ministerial primer, Simon Upton
New Zealand’s Prime Ministers: From Dick Seddon to John Key Michael Bassett David Ling Publishing, $50.00, ISBN 9781927305294 New Zealand’s Prime Ministers is a very large volume. It is also an extremely ambitious one that is challenging as a through-read.…
Tagged with: David Ling Publishing, Dick Seddon, Issue 119, John Key, Michael Bassett, Simon Upton, Spring 2017
Posted in Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review
Posted in Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review
Town and country, Simon Upton
The Big Smoke: New Zealand Cities 1840-1920 Ben Schrader Bridget Williams Books, $60.00, ISBN 9780947492434 I live in a very large city – Paris. It is a melting-pot of anonymity, dynamic and dangerous. There are futuristic experiments in eco-design and…
Tagged with: Ben Schrader, Bridget Williams Books, Issue 118, Simon Upton, Winter 2017
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review, Sociology
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review, Sociology
Larger than life, Simon Upton
Richard Seddon: King of God’s Own – The Life and Times of New Zealand’s Longest-serving Prime Minister Tom Brooking Penguin, $65.00 ISBN 9780143569671 I grew up in a very complacent country which didn’t really take its history seriously. New Zealand…
Tagged with: Issue 108, Penguin, Simon Upton, Summer 2014, Tom Brooking
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Review
Transformation, Simon Upton
Home in the Howling Wilderness Peter Holland Auckland University Press, $50.00, ISBN 9781869407391 This book is about what can be learned of the environmental and ecological understanding of pioneer farmers in the southern half of the South Island over the…
Tagged with: Auckland University Press, Issue 102, Peter Holland, Simon Upton, Winter 2013
Posted in History, Natural History, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in History, Natural History, Non-fiction, Review
A certain political autism, Simon Upton
Palmer: The Parliamentary Years Raymond Richards Canterbury University Press, $45.00, ISBN 9781877257926 For Geoffrey Palmer, politics was a serious business. It was about legislating for a better society and demanded the serious-minded attention of elected politicians. This sense of…
Tagged with: Canterbury University Press, Issue 94, Raymond Richards, Simon Upton, Winter 2011
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review
Posted in Biography, Non-fiction, Politics & Law, Review
Otherwise fine, Simon Upton
Poles Apart: Beyond the Shouting, Who’s Right About Climate Change Gareth Morgan and John McCrystal Random House, $39.99, ISBN 9781869790455 When I learnt that Gareth Morgan was writing a book on climate change I groaned. Out of politeness, it was…
Tagged with: Autumn 2010, Gareth Morgan, Issue 89, John McCrystal, Simon Upton
Posted in Non-fiction, Review, Science
Posted in Non-fiction, Review, Science
A view from afar, Simon Upton
My Father’s Shadow: A Portrait of Justice Peter Mahon Sam Mahon Longacre Press, $39.99, ISBN 9781877460173 I like Sam Mahon’s writerly qualities. This book confirms the literary reputation inaugurated with The Year of the Horse and broadened with delicious malice…
Tagged with: Issue 86, Longacre Press, Peter Mahon, Sam Mahon, Simon Upton, Winter 2009
Posted in Biography, Memoir, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Biography, Memoir, Non-fiction, Review
The high ground, Simon Upton
Whose High Country? A History of the South Island High Country of New Zealand Roberta McIntyre Penguin Books, $45.00, ISBN 97801430084125 At the risk of irretrievably mixing one’s metaphors, it is dairy farmers who are today on the sheep’s back.…
Tagged with: Autumn 2009, Issue 85, Penguin Books, Roberta McIntyre, Simon Upton
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in History, Non-fiction, Review
Watering down debate, Simon Upton
The Water Thieves Sam Mahon Longacre Press, $34.99, ISBN 1877361518 New Zealand is a largely debate-free zone. A couple of years ago, I co-authored an article on the Resource Management Act. Three of us – a partner in a national…
Tagged with: Issue 80, Longacre Press, Sam Mahon, Simon Upton, Summer 2007
Posted in Memoir, Non-fiction, Review
Posted in Memoir, Non-fiction, Review
More results...