{"title":"History","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"sapiens","title":"Sapiens","description":"\u003cp\u003eTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Planet Earth is 4.5 billion years old. In just a fraction of that time, one species among countless others has conquered it. Us. We are the most advanced and most destructive animals ever to have lived. What makes us brilliant? What makes us deadly? What makes us Sapiens? In this bold and provocative book, Yuval Noah Harari explores who we are, how we got here and where we are going. Sapiens is a thrilling account of humankinds extraordinary history \" from the Stone Age to the Silicon Age \" and our journey from insignificant apes to rulers of the world. It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language. You will love it. Jared Diamond, author of Guns, Germs and Steel For more, visit www.ynharari.com\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44969114468508,"sku":"9780099590088","price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/99fe076d276dd2668444fe07f18e9eb3.jpg?v=1746914548"},{"product_id":"the-wager","title":"The Wager","description":"THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER *LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION* 'The beauty of The Wager unfurls like a great sail... one of the finest nonfiction books I've ever read' Guardian 'The greatest sea story ever told' Spectator 'I cannot think of anyone who would not love this book . . . It is an extraordinary true story, beautifully written' Richard Osman 'A cracking yarn... Grann's taste for desperate predicaments finds its fullest expression here' Observer From the international bestselling author of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and THE LOST CITY OF Z, a mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, the Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. Then, six months later, another, even more decrepit, craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with counter-charges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. While stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death--for whomever the court found guilty could hang.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45021549297820,"sku":"9.78147E+12","price":28.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/wager.jpg?v=1748917812"},{"product_id":"nz-history-in-bite-sized-chunks","title":"NZ History in Bite-Sized Chunks","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe story of New Zealand and its people is rich, layered and diverse. This is a place that many people have made their home. It's a country that has celebrated successes that belie its small size. It's also a country that has seen its fair share of heartache and dissent. This is an easy-to-digest history of New Zealand presented in bite-sized chunks. Through the pages of this book, you'll be guided through many of the key events that have shaped our nation.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45063432863900,"sku":"9780473496272","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/nz.webp?v=1754816038"},{"product_id":"central-otago-history-in-bite-sized-chunks","title":"Central Otago History in Bite-Sized Chunks","description":"This is an easy-to-digest history of Central Otago, New Zealand presented in bite-sized chunks. Through the pages of this book, you'll be guided through many of the key events that have shaped our nation.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45179765555356,"sku":"9780473496289","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/809bd699365a2e71963e25d17d10189e.jpg?v=1754806374"},{"product_id":"maori-place-names-their-meanings-and-origins","title":"Maori Place Names","description":"\u003cp\u003ePronounce and understand Māori place names with the new fourth edition of A.W. Reed's classic guide to meanings and origins of names across New Zealand. From Ahaura to Whitianga, this handily sized book is the definitive guide to the most common and notable Māori names on our land.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhy do Whangarei, Tauranga, Motueka and Timaru have the names they do? Why all the fuss about the spelling of Whanganui and Rimutaka? What are the original names for Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMāori Place Names gives concise and clear answers, as well as taking in curiosities like one of the world's longest place names--Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu. The new Māori Place Names includes maps on the inside covers showing principal names, and also reproduces the illustrations from the original 1950 edition by renowned artist James Berry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor bookshelf, glove box or backpack, this is a must.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45214409326748,"sku":"9780947506087","price":34.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/maoriplace_550cc586-ff7c-499d-9ddf-e34a3037366d.webp?v=1756975160"},{"product_id":"tunisgrad","title":"Tunisgrad","description":"FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF SKY WARRIORS AND SBS, COMES AN EPIC HISTORY ABOUT THE NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR. On 8 November 1942, British and American troops invaded French North Africa as part of Operation Torch, the largest amphibious operation of the war to date. The Germans responded by flooding troops into Tunisia and the stage was set for one of the most decisive clashes of the war. When it ended, six months later, the Allies were 'masters of the North African shores'. It was, with Guadalcanal in the Pacific and Stalingrad in Russia, one of three Axis defeats in early 1943 that changed the course of the war. Historians have recognized the significance of the others, but not Tunisia which they have either ignored or characterized (as the Americans did at the time) as a sideshow. Yet it ended Axis seapower in the Mediterranean, destroyed more than 2,400 Axis aircraft (40 per cent of the Luftwaffe's strength), and resulted in the surrender of over 250,000 German and Italian troops, more than were captured at Stalingrad. Such was the scale of their defeat that the German public wryly dubbed it 'Tunisgrad'. It was the first campaign fought by the Anglo-American alliance, and would determine how and where the Allies would fight for the rest of the war. It was where America first brought to bear the full weight of its industrial strength, and where the Allies learned, after early setbacks, how to defeat the Germans with a combination of air, land and sea power. It featured many of the great commanders of the Second World War, including 'Ike' Eisenhower, George S. Patton Jr, Omar N. Bradley, Harold Alexander, Bernard Montgomery, and Erwin Rommel. But the campaign's chief significance is that it extinguished any lingering hopes in Italy that that that the war could be won and led, inexorably, to the dissolution of the Axis in Europe. By destroying the Axis it marked, for Hitler, the beginning of the end. Tunisgrad is the first comprehensive 360-degrees history, told from the perspective of all the combatants, and ranging in focus from politicians and senior commanders to ordinary servicemen fighting in and over the mountains of Tunisia, and across the Mediterranean. Using a variety of first-hand sources, it restores the campaign to its rightful place as a defining moment of the war.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45631796150428,"sku":"9780008653828","price":45.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/42e7e75d5ce8133fadb21163f1489bcc.jpg?v=1764126019"},{"product_id":"launch-of-rocket-lab","title":"The Launch of Rocket Lab","description":"The incredible story of Rocket Lab and its founder Sir Peter Beck. From a young age New Zealander Sir Peter Beck had his mind set on one thing: space. And as he tinkered with motorbikes in his parents' garage as a teenager, he was quietly forming a plan-a plan that would eventuate into the establishment of one of the most dynamic and influential aerospace manufacturers the world has ever seen. The Launch of Rocket Lab traces Rocket Lab's extraordinary journey from fledgling start-up to international powerhouse competing against two of the world's richest men in the global space race. From the early days raising venture capital to the successful launch of the first Electron small orbital launch vehicle-which transformed the way we see and access space-to the company's expansion across the US, going public on the stock exchange, and its countless partnerships with major organisations including the DARPA, the Space Test Program, United States Air Force Space Command, and NASA. Now the fastest company to launch 50 rockets into space, with a market cap of US$13.63 billion, a mission to Mars in production, and plans to reach Venus in the foreseeable future, Rocket Lab has long outgrown its humble beginnings and far surpassed international expectations. A story of of innovation, dedication, teamwork, and brilliance, spanning the rocky shores of coastal New Zealand to the warmth of California, Florida, and the darkness of space itself, The Launch of Rocket Lab documents the company's past as it looks to a future of unlimited possibility.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45741169803420,"sku":"9781775542995","price":75.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/db3d315671b2ab8b116ad2df6dcd5023.jpg?v=1765321235"},{"product_id":"first-anzacs","title":"The First Anzacs","description":"The untold story of the Australian sappers - army engineers - in World War I. They were airbrushed out of history. Charles Bean claimed the first Australian ashore at the Gallipoli landing on 25 April 1915 was an army officer, but he was wrong. Even today, the military hierarchy is reluctant to accept that of the 16,000 men who landed that fateful day, the first Australian soldiers ashore were in fact army engineers. This is the first book about the Australian sappers - army engineers - who fought in World War I. They were usually in the vanguard, clearing defences, building bridges and other roads for the troops who followed. At Gallipoli they used grappling irons and ropes to dismantle the Turkish defences - under enemy fire. On the Western Front, they tunnelled under tunnels into the German zone to lay massive explosives. In Egypt they demolished a Turkish railway in a day. The First Anzacs takes us from Gallipoli to the sands of the Middle East, to the blood-soaked battlefields of France and Belgium. They were engineers, and they also fought as combat soldiers in their own right, present at every major battle and campaign, often with deeds of great courage. Sappers were classic Aussie larrikins, indefatigably practical men who don't take kindly to bureaucracy. There are plenty of great stories, including the three who stole a giant field gun from under German noses at Amiens, and how they sourced drinking water for thirsty men and animals of the Light Horse Brigade in the Battle of Beersheba. 'An excellent insight into the role of the Field Engineers in World War One' Brigadier Mick Say DSC, Head of Corps Royal Australian Engineers","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46606350188700,"sku":"9781761473227","price":37.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/b34d465161496171c685dba97f8e995d.jpg?v=1777014395"},{"product_id":"battle-of-the-arctic","title":"Battle of the Arctic","description":"WINSTON CHURCHILL called it 'the worst journey in the world'. But was even this telling quote, describing the nightmarish torment experienced while transporting military aid to northern Russia during World War Two, an understatement? As this book's title implies, Battle of the Arctic tells a unique story. For much of the conflict was complicated by terrific storms, snow, ice, fog, whales and Arctic mirages, so that what is chronicled at times sounds like a cross between the nightmarish torment experienced by both Shackleton in his ship Endurance and Scott of the Antarctic, and an Arctic version of Robinson Crusoe. The action unfolded as Allied naval and merchant seamen, airmen, submariners, soldiers and intelligence officers delivered on their countries' promise to take arms to Russia notwithstanding the German attempts to hunt them in their aircraft, U-boats and surface fleet spearheaded by Tirpitz and Scharnhorst. When ships were attacked, and went down in seas so cold that a man could die after five minutes of immersion, it triggered events reminiscent of the do-or-die moments during the sinking of the Titanic. Men perished one by one in lifeboats, and as castaways on deserted Arctic islands where they were stalked by polar bears. Frostbitten and wounded survivors ended up in primitive Russian hospitals where amputations were carried out without anesthetics. Others, while stranded for months in the communist state they were aiding, experienced the murky worlds of the NKVD, and the gulag, as well as famine and prostitution. Using new material unearthed in American, British, Russian and German archives, as well as Polish, Norwegian, French and Dutch sources, and a remarkable collection of vivid witness accounts brought together at the passing of the last survivors, Hugh Sebag-Montefiore can at last shine a revealing light on this extraordinary tale that oscillates between the sailors' eye view on the front line, and the controversies that infuriated world leaders.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46691861069980,"sku":"9780008335786","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/e4ef5abc9a0630457e0a115fe4087468.jpg?v=1777016286"},{"product_id":"chief-and-the-empire","title":"The Chief and the Empire","description":"A forgotten hero. A fatal misunderstanding. A story that shaped Aotearoa and Australia.","brand":"The Nook Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46762006741148,"sku":"9781991142184","price":39.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0682\/8484\/2140\/files\/eebf57d9e9784cf9d02b91626f97c879.jpg?v=1777341637"}],"url":"https:\/\/thenookbookshop.co.nz\/collections\/history-1.oembed","provider":"The Nook Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}