From the days even before Christchurch was settled its cathedral has been the focus of ferocious public debate: Where should a cathedral be built? How would it be paid for? Should it be built in wood or stone in an earthquake-prone country? Who should oversee the building? It took far too long to build and its financial position has often been perilous. In recent times there have been fresh quarrels over a visitors’ centre and whether ratepayers should help to pay for necessary earthquake strengthening. And, when the building was left almost in ruins, should it be demolished and rebuilt or should it be restored? And, most important of all to the people of Christchurch, to whom did it really belong? It has been a tranquil and lovely place of devotion and worship, and a venue for the celebration of civic, national and international events. Thousands of tourists have walked its aisles and climbed its tower. It has won fame for the beauty of its music. Along with the Avon/Ōtakaro River, its silhouette appears on all the city’s official signage. Christ Church Cathedral has stood in its square for close to a century and a half. Acclaimed historian Edmund Bohan tells the full and fascinating story of this beloved building, from its begin-nings in an embryonic settlement to its resurrection after disaster. In a lively, approachable text – well-illustrated throughout – he outlines the cathedral’s remarkable past and brings to life the equally remarkable people who have worked and worshipped there. He details the triumphs and the troubles, and looks to a future in which this instantly recognisable church will once again stand as the safe and welcoming heart of the city to which it belongs.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 352

Dimensions: 153 x 234 mm

Publication Date: 14-09-2022

Some families shouldn’t stick together. When unlimited wealth and power are incorporated into the mix too, no boundaries are safe from being crossed to get what you want. Dan Calder’s thrown in at the deep end to help Police make some sense of all the evidence about the terrorist bombing plot at Auckland International Airport, but the one thing he needs most of all is the one thing he doesn’t have… Time! When Calder challenges the authorities view, he’s summarily dumped altogether from the investigation. Aggrieved and hell bent on solving the outrageously audacious crime, he takes off to St Louis in search of a missing sister and preventing the family reunion to end all reunions. One insatiable desire passed down through four generations in America’s broken heart city, a mercenary entirely focused on the job, unbreakable family bonds and Dan Calder’s career covering up a domestic life in turmoil. Everything is on the line with multiple stories interwoven by time and blood… Bonded. Taking inspiration from arguably the most famous, rare and sought after postage stamps ever, Ian Austin has created a brand new crime thriller using the real life stories and histories of those few Plate 77 Penny Reds known to exist . From being lost in earthquakes to stolen from auction houses, the fabled Plate 77's are accepted as the 'Holy Grail' for philatelists across the globe. Using his vast police experience, including undercover and specialist surveillance stints. Austin's Dan Calder character has embedded himself into New Zealand's crime writing culture, with his previous books The Agency, The Second Grave and Frozen Summer. Bonded sees Calder become a truly international crime busting traveller for the first time. Taking his skills and his internal struggles across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States and thereby opening the potential for a whole new audience. Bonded is an edge of the seat thriller and Ian Austin's best yet.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 350

Dimensions: 153 x 254 mm

Publication Date: 19-11-2021

Poems greet Kevin Ireland in the morning with a crafty smile, or fly into his kitchen out of nowhere. Some dream themselves into his mind, or twist a bottle-cap and offer to share a cup of friendship. Lively words vie for places in his poems, or catch alight from cheerful thoughts. They are never predictable, because... Incongruity lies at the heart of poetry. Words in verse so often can suggest a kind of double-take on what we think we’ve seen – and aim to open up our minds to the uncustomary. Kevin Ireland’s 27th collection is brimful of poems that do all this and more. Whether he is writing about writing, ruminating on the mixed blessings of ageing, or reflecting on love and other viruses, Kevin’s poems are peppered with wry humour and celebrate a sparkling pleasure in life, with all its contradictions, balls-ups, mysteries, happiness and richness.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 80

Dimensions: 160 x 235 mm

Publication Date: 04-11-2021

More Than A Roof is about housing. It's about nostalgia, anger, contentment, longing, fear and much much more. It brings together voices from across the spectrum - from those with no homes, those in emergency accommodation, in caravans, in cars, on boats, in rentals, or in their own houses. Drawing together well-known writers and first-time poets, it's a unique and timely collection. Each poem lets us in to a personal viewpoint and narrative that gently and inevitably leads to a self-reflection of what makes up our own home. A welcome respite to the endless editorials on the housing crisis and who is to blame. – Vic Crockford and David Zussman, Community A house, a home, to be homeless, to be at home in the world… I guarantee you’ll be moved by the stories in this collection, lavish in its multiplicity of voices. It’s beautiful and heart-warming, and at times it will move you to tears. A wonderful read. – Bernadette Hall

Bind: paperback

Pages: 218

Dimensions: 129 x 198 mm

Publication Date: 20-11-2021

Multiple generations of the same family living under one roof is not a new idea. But what is new is the way architects around the world are re-embracing this form of living, back by increasingly popular demand. While the 20th century experience emphasized a single-family home for the nuclear family and bachelor pads, we are now seeing more tiers of the family unit choosing to live together. Come Together explores the why, the what, the where and, perhaps most importantly, the how of the homes that succeed to be livable for all generational tiers - with designs that are not only architecturally stunning, but balancing private and communal spaces to come together.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 288

Dimensions: 210 x 260 mm

Publication Date: 01-11-2021

Could you live permanently on the road? When all your belongings fit in a few bags, your office is a roadside diner, and your home is a meandering route from Canada to the southern tip of Argentina? In Two Years on a Bike, Martijn Doolaard puts it to the test. Strapping the necessities onto his bicycle, he ventures into desolate wastelands and sojourns in vast cities, exploring what it means to be at home in the world while embracing a life of minimalism and long-term travel. Along the winding roads of California's coasts, the impenetrable jungles of Mexico, the ever-higher passes of the Andes Mountains, and the severe alpine forests of Patagonia, Doolaard eschews comfort and convention for the sake of documenting life on one of the world's most breathtaking--and notorious--routes.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 420

Dimensions: 240 x 320 mm

Publication Date: 05-11-2021

Long before Western man ‘discovered’ them, the People of the Sea, as many inhabitants of the South Pacific islands called themselves, had a vibrant, socially sophisticated culture in which travel on water played an essential part. For sixty-five years James Wharram has designed, built, and sailed craft of Polynesian double canoe form, demonstrating that the sea, far from being a barrier between the islands, is their highway. The ocean voyages of James and his team culminated in their circumnavigation in the stunning 63ft Spirit of Gaia, during which they explored the lands and cultures of their vessel’s spiritual home — the Polynesian islands. Inspired by the lifetime of creativity and discovery James describes in this book, many modern People of the Sea are sailing the world’s oceans, seas, coasts and rivers in craft they have built for themselves to James Wharram designs. JAMES WHARRAM’s life was changed forever when, in his early twenties, he saw Thor Heyerdahl’s film of the Kon Tiki voyage, and in Manchester Central Library encountered a book on Polynesian double canoe sailing craft. He determined to disprove Heyerdahl’s assertion that Polynesia could have been settled only from South America, and not from south-east Asia, which would require craft more sophisticated than a balsa raft. He has dedicated his working life to demonstrating the seaworthiness, windward ability and practicality of the Polynesian double canoe form, and has probably sailed more sea miles in craft of this pattern — all to his own design - than any other person.

Bind: paperback

Pages: 272

Dimensions: 156 x 216 mm

Publication Date: 10-10-2021

Mercedes-Benz G-Class specialist Joerg Sand has written the ultimate book on this all-wheel-drive legend, from its design and development to its extraordinary and diverse career up to the present day. Very few automobiles remain as faithful in their character and appearance as the hardcore, all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz G-Class luxury SUV. Even when it comes to the most recent series, the W 463 A, with its technically profound changes, the designers at Mercedes have barely changed the classic look. And for good reason. From its first year, 1979, the G-Class has always been one of the very few off-road legends. Tourists, firefighters, foresters, race drivers, and boat owners all appreciate the unique qualities of this indestructible force, the "G Wagon," from Graz, Austria.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 224

Dimensions: 229 x 305 mm

Publication Date: 30-11-2021

In over 60 handmade, black-and-white photographs, renowned film photographer Michael Kahn renders Martha's Vineyard beachscapes in exquisite detail. Produced in his darkroom, these masterful, curated images depict the diversity and intense beauty of this enchanting island. Scenes of Edgartown, South Beach, Zack's Cliffs, and other locations are interspersed with inspirational quotes and poetry. The warm, tritone-printed images represent the artist's 22 years of work using a 1950s camera to capture the area's sculpted beaches on traditional film, and producing the images as luminous silver gelatin prints.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 112

Dimensions: 203 x 203 mm

Publication Date: 08-03-2022

The most precious natural resource on our planet, water has the power to soothe, hydrate, and heal. World-renowned film photographer Michael Kahn invites us into this meditative realm with more than 60 black-and-white images of pristine waters in North America, Italy, and England, capturing the mists, movement, and quiet depths. He collects his images on traditional black-and-white film and produces luminous silver gelatin prints in his darkroom. The warmly toned photographs, printed in tritone, are interspersed with inspirational quotes that reveal the deep spiritual connection we have with water, and its restorative power.

Bind: hardback

Pages: 104

Dimensions: 203 x 203 mm

Publication Date: 08-03-2022