The tagline on this book is “How fishing companies reinvented slavery and plunder the oceans”, and that’s exactly what it’s about. Michael Field has done an outstanding job outlining the disgraceful state of conditions on foreign charter vessels fishing in New Zealand waters for New Zealand quota. The Catch is a fascinating, yet horrifying, expose […]
■ REVIEW: The Catch
Shame on the high seas Read Post »
Jo Seagar has done a good job of finding 130 recipes that help inspire tasty dishes. You do not have to flick far to find recipes – balsamic roasties, slow-roasted pork belly with lemon and fennel seed crackling, easy strawberry cheesecake in a glass – to set the tastebuds tingling. She has designed the book
■ REVIEW: A Bit of What You Fancy
Recipes to set the tastebuds tingling Read Post »
This book was published to mark the 50th anniversary of a shocking crime that drew a line in New Zealand’s criminal history and heralded a more sinister era. Set against a backdrop of six o’clock closings, a Chicago-style underworld, bent cops, prostitution and the lure of a quick buck or two, the book helpfully provides
■ REVIEW: The Bassett Road Machine-Gun Murders
Gangland killings a shock Read Post »
The premise for The Secret Life of James Cook sounds a bit naff. A fictionalised account of the famous navigator’s early life up to his first circumnavigation, based on letters to his patient wife . . . who actually destroyed the letters so no one ever knew the contents. Graeme Lay has recreated Cook’s life,
■ REVIEW: The Secret Life of James Cook
Imagination fills gaps in story of James Cook Read Post »
He is revered around the world for his love of food and those who produce it, for his passion for seafood and, of course, his late dog Chalkie. But Rick Stein was not always such a much-loved celebrity chef. As he admits, he is a bit bolshie and even a bit of a ratbag who
■ REVIEW: Under a Mackerel Sky
Stein’s life story worth a read Read Post »
I’m done some travelling over the years but it’s fair to say that Mongolia wasn’t high on the list of destinations. Not for any particular reason, it’s more that it’s hard to imagine there being too much to see and do outside the cities. It seems as though it’s a country of epic landscapes. In
■ REVIEW: On the Trail of Genghis Khan
Author follows path laid out by Khan Read Post »
You have probably looked at the covers of dozens of cookbooks and thought “I could never make that”. Looking at the cover of Bluebells Cakery, at a six-tier pastel-coloured cake, decorated with delicate ribbon-ruffle icing I thought the same thing Only, I had a crack at it . . . for my daughter’s first birthday
■ REVIEW: Bluebells Cakery
‘Bluebells’ takes the cake Read Post »
Winning the Victoria Cross requires actions beyond what most normal men or women would ever consider undertaking. There was nothing in the young Mark Donaldson’s life to suggest he would become anything other than an Aussie larrikin. There was the drinking, surfing, snowboarding and a bit of trouble-making, along with a significant attitude, but nothing
■ REVIEW: The Crossroad
Fascinating tale of underdog making good Read Post »
Much has been written about New Zealand’s attempts to find its place in the world as a fledgling nation and the role of rugby and war in creating a sense of nationalism in and around World War I. But a more important portion of our nation’s history has occurred post-World War II, and it’s this
■ REVIEW: Changing Times
Ordinary Kiwis tell our country’s story Read Post »
It’s hard to know exactly how much of The Kill List is based on fact. The worrying part is that it could all be based on actual events, because of the way Forsyth has written it. It’s a standard sort of spy thriller, the baddy does bad things, the hero gets sent after the baddy
■ REVIEW: The Kill List
Perfect blend of classic and modern Read Post »
