The most complete collection of in-depth content regarding Queen Elizabeth II and her childhood, family, life, and reign, A Tribute to Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Edition is filled with never-before-seen photographs, fascinating articles on major milestones, and more. After the death of her father in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne at 25 years old, and this tribute carefully details the monumental events that followed, including her coronation, the birth of the Commonwealth, her influential role as one of the most experienced heads of state in the world, her pivotal state visit to China in 1986, and more. In this touching tribute to one of Britain’s most loved monarchs, we explore the woman who has ruled over generations, her legacy, the history of her royal family, and more, with expertly written articles by the most knowledgeable historians and royal family experts, including Scott Reeves, June Woolerton, Jon Wright, and others.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 128

Dimensions: 210 x 276 mm

Publication Date: 30-09-2022

The story of the second half of Nigel's career as one of the most famous referees in World Rugby, and one of only two Welsh refs ever to officiate at a Rugby World Cup Final. With his contract with the Welsh Rugby Union having come to an end in 2020, he is free to reveal all about his career since his previous autobiography, 'Half Time', to speak his mind on various issues and to give the full story of his last Rugby World Cup in 2019.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 272

Dimensions: 140 x 215 mm

Publication Date: 28-10-2022

Get to know and take a ride with the eight-time world-champion. Being Marc Márquez lifts the curtain behind the iconic acronym MM93 and reveals what matters to the fastest man on two wheels both on the racetrack and in life. Whether it's friendship, fun, focus, loyalty, spirit, or family—in eight chapters, he allows readers to get an up-close look, opening his tinted visor to let us peak into his mind and all-out racing soul. This book shares the personal insights and credos of a tireless fighter and unapologetically optimistic family guy.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 200 x 260 mm

Of modest stature, from Central European stock and born in West Auckland, Peter Hubscher first trialled as a winemaker in Hawke’s Bay in the 1960s. His apprenticeship completed, he returned to the Waitākere Ranges to begin his career with Montana Wines and put into practice his vision for the undeveloped New Zealand wine industry. Driven by a desire to see local wines as a quality product on the world stage, Peter led Montana into a fruitful period — they established Sauvignon Blanc as the wine for which New Zealand became known, began using techniques influenced by European and American vintners, and overcame the Achilles’ heel for Kiwi winemakers: excellence in red wine. Montana widened its palate in the 1990s with sponsorship of the World of WearableArt Awards, Montana Sunday Theatre and the Montana Book Awards, and support for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. In retirement, Peter’s love of the arts culminated with the Tironui Music Trust, founded with his wife, Pam, to support disadvantaged youth to learn music. Provocative and irreverent, A Vintner’s Tale is the story of change and innovation in one of New Zealand’s notable industries and an important record of the people who made the world take notice.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 142

Dimensions: 190 x 250 mm

Publication Date: 05-09-2023

In turn inspirational and extraordinary, these profiles in female courage, determination, and adventure are illustrated with breathtaking photography from some of the most intriguing corners of the world. The twenty women profiled in this collection are from a variety of backgrounds and cultures. One thing they all have in common is a deep desire for adventure. There’s Belén Castelló who left the comfort of a high-profile job to explore the world on her bike; Gina Johansen who skied solo across the Arctic Finnmarksvidda plateau; Alienor Le Gouvello who horse trekked over 3,300 miles across Australia; Cal Major who SUPed the length of the UK to raise awareness of ocean plastic pollution; and other women, who tell of how they listened to their own inner voice, bucked tradition, and gave it everything they had. Told in their own words, their fascinating stories are illustrated with jaw-dropping photographs of their adventures—on passes in the Swiss Alps; under the stars in Hawaii; through Iceland’s lava fields; deep in the Guyanese jungle; from Mexico’s underwater caves to the Sequoia forests of California. From the ocean’s deepest canyons to the earth’s highest peaks, these extraordinary women offer readers the inspiration and encouragement they need to pursue their dreams—whatever they are, wherever they may be.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 240 x 300 mm

Publication Date: 05-09-2023

Whilst learning to fly, Amanda Harrison discovered a beautiful vintage Tiger Moth. After researching the amazing pioneers who flew this fragile aircraft, a spark was ignited, and Amanda dreamed of emulating their adventures. On 11th May 2019, she made that dream a reality, taking off from Biggin Hill with the aim of flying to Darwin, Australia in 19 days – just as her idol Amy Johnson had done in 1930. Eschewing the convenience of modern aero technology, Amanda chose to experience the authentic adventure and flew solo in a Tiger Moth. Solo2Darwin documents one woman’s exhilarating journey across the world. Indeed, the launch of her biplane, ‘Solo2Darwin’, received extensive press coverage including print features in The Times and The Telegraph and TV footage broadcasted on ITV and Channel 5 Evening News respectively. Faced with adversity, navigating through torturous mountain ranges covered in cloud, across seas, dodging thunderstorms and surviving engine failures, Amanda’s route had plenty of highs, lows and drama. Alongside this she also experienced the difficulties of solo-flying a biplane and having to navigate dangerous regions across the world. What makes Amanda’s expedition even more remarkable is that this was all undertaken whilst recovering from cancer. So strapped in and prepare to go on a journey of a lifetime. Twelve countries, 2,600 miles, 46 flying hours, two engine failures, one aeroplane, one female pilot, all equals one amazing adventure!

Bind: hardback

Pages: 192

Dimensions: 156 x 234 mm

Publication Date: 01-05-2024

The Baby Boomers: the first generation to unite globally with music, culture and action to challenge the personal and political power of those in authority. Growing up in a post-war world but living with the daily shadow of the Cold War and the growing horror of the Vietnam War, the Baby Boomers protested. They were loud. They were visible. They weren’t going to take it anymore. And they made a difference. So what happened to all that juice and energy, that passion to change the world for the better that marked many of those who grew up in the Sixties and Seventies? Were they just a bunch of hippies after all? Activist, creative entrepreneur and counsellor Robin Woodsford is a Baby Boomer and in this moving reflection on his life and times he discovers that his personal story is also a universal one. More, he says the job’s not done yet and calls on fellow Baby Boomers to remember their passionate youth, to dust off their placards and to join their grandchildren on the front line as the world faces the new monster at the door – climate change. Baby Boomers: it’s time to make your legacy count.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 152

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 22-05-2024

Bob Calkin was born in 1935 and grew up as Aotearoa New Zealand was entering a period of unprecedented stability and boom times. Tales from the Lucky Generation follows Bob’s rise from humble roots in working-class Whanganui to the world of law and business before a spectacular fall from grace landed him with a six-year prison sentence. Imprisonment changed Bob from an ambitious go-getter to a thoughtful, socially conscious man intent on recovering his sense of self-worth by making a positive contribution to society. His experience of the criminal justice system brought him into contact with dozens of disaffected young men and he set about studying the social causes of the wave of crime which, according to his PhD research, exploded from around 1970. Bob’s research has never been more relevant as we continue to deal with the fallout from the resulting crime and alienation. In the best traditions of meaningful autobiography, Tales from the Lucky Generation is also replete with useful and well-researched information about the changing political and economic environment that framed his life, and offers hope and advice for the future.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 240

Dimensions: 152 x 229 mm

Publication Date: 08-04-2024

MY LIFE ON THE ROAD THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLING HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM THE NATION'S FAVOURITE COMEDIAN, BILLY CONNOLLY Being a Rambling Man was what I always wanted to be, to live the way I damn well pleased. I've met the weirdest and most wonderful people who walk the Earth, seen the most bizarre and the most fantastic sights - and I've rarely come across something I couldn't get a laugh at. I don't think I've ever had a bad trip. Well, apart from in the 1970s, but that's a whole other story . . . When Billy set out from Glasgow as a young man he never looked back. He played his banjo on boats and trains, under trees, and on top of famous monuments. He danced naked in snow, wind and fire. He slept in bus stations, under bridges and on strangers' floors. He travelled by foot, bike, ship, plane, sleigh - even piggy-backed - to get to his next destination. Billy has wandered to every corner of the earth and believes that being a Rambling Man is about more than just travelling - it's a state of mind. Rambling Men and Women are free spirits who live on their wits, are interested in people and endlessly curious about the world. They love to play music, make art or tell stories along the way but, above all, they have a longing in their heart for the open road. In his joyful new book, Billy explores this philosophy and how it has shaped him, and he shares hilarious new stories from his lifetime on the road. From riding his trike down America's famous Route 66, building an igloo on an iceberg in the Arctic, playing elephant polo (badly) in Nepal and crashing his motorbike (more than once), to eating witchetty grubs in Australia, being serenaded by a penguin in New Zealand, and swapping secrets in a traditional Sweat Lodge ritual in Canada, Rambling Man is a truly global adventure with the greatest possible travel companion.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 320

Dimensions: 240 x 170 mm

Publication Date: 10-10-2023

Miriam Sharland’s eco-memoir Heart Stood Still is the latest title in the Ka Haea Te Ata series from Otago University Press, a series dedicated to casting light on issues of importance in Aotearoa today. In early 2020 Sharland was nearing the end of a 17-year adventure in Aotearoa. A desire to return to family and the familiar was pulling her back to her homeland, England. When Covid put an end to her travel plans, she found herself facing isolation in Manawatū instead. Despite her initial unhappiness, Sharland came to see this strange and unexpected time as a gift – an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of the home she’d known for many years but had not fully seen or appreciated. Her explorations were grounding, and she began to examine what it means to truly ‘belong.’ Heart Stood Still is a record of Sharland’s journey towards finding healing in the world’s natural beauty, a beauty that we must fight to protect in the current climate crisis. It is both a memoir and a lyrical portrait of Manawatū. Through a series of personal essays that follow the pattern of the seasons, Sharland skilfully weaves reflections on her life and family history with observations on the native and introduced plants and animals about her; all tinged with her experience as ‘an unsettled settler’ in Aotearoa. Readers who enjoy books such as Olivia Laing’s To the River (2017), Ingrid Horrocks’ Where We Swim (2020) and Patricia Grace’s From the Centre (2021) will appreciate the quiet, contemplative nature of Heart Stood Still.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 184

Dimensions: 148 x 210 mm

Publication Date: 22-04-2024