Nine New Zealanders

Te Ao Hou, March 1964, Page 56

Nine New Zealanders by Barry Mitcalfe Whitcombe & Tombs Limited, 6/- ‘Nine New Zealanders’ contains compact biographies of some notable figures in New Zealand history. It is an unpretentious little book—but a very interesting one indeed. What makes it so valuable is that the author has chosen to write about some of the men who in earlier times played especially significant parts in the tragic conflict and the mutual education which occurred between the two races of New Zealanders. This relationship is the central fact in the history of our country; and it is really astonishing that several of the people who appear in this book have not yet had full-length biographies devoted to them. The Maoris discussed are Potatau te Where-whero, the first Maori king, Te Kooti, Te Whiti and Maui Pomare. The Pakehas are John Rutherford (a sailor who wrote an interesting account of 10 years spent in the 1820s with the people of Tokomaru Bay), Judge Maning (another early Pakeha-Maori, whose reminiscences, ‘Old New Zealand’, is a New Zealand classic), the missionary Henry Williams, Sir George Grey, and Elsdon Best. ‘Nine New Zealanders’ is balanced and sympathetic in its approach, and the facts of these men's lives are so lively that one's interest is held throughout. It is simply written, and is excellent for children; but adults will also find it absorbing. One wishes that a short bibliography could have been included, for many people would surely like to be able to follow it up by reading such books as Pei te Hurunui Jones' ‘King Potatau’, Professor James Rutherford's ‘Sir George Grey’, and J. F. Cody's ‘Man of Two Worlds: Sir Maui Pomare’. But in several cases no adequate references to published books could be made. In particular Te Kooti and Te Whiti have been sadly neglected by writers. When will books worthy of their subjects appear on these great men?