Old New Zealand: A Tale of the Good Old Times by a Pakeha Maori (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781108039819)

First published anonymously in 1863, this classic book recounts the experiences of Frederick Edward Maning (c.1811-83), an Anglo-Irish trader who emigrated to Tasmania with his family as a boy and later relocated to New Zealand. A self-styled 'Pakeha-Maori' ('Pakeha' is the Maori word for a white New Zealander), Maning acquired land and settled down with a Maori woman, occupying a tenuous position between the two cultures. Observing that the old Maori way of life was rapidly disappearing due to the increased European presence in New Zealand, Maning endeavoured to record Maori customs and material culture before all knowledge of them disappeared. Old New Zealand is a mixture of history, autobiography and anecdote, and the author insists all the incidents and people described are real. The language is informal, and the narrative vigorous and rapid, with lively dialogues and occasional Maori phrases. A glossary explains Maori words and concepts.

Author: Frederick Edward Maning
ISBN-10: 1108039812
ISBN-13: 9781108039819
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 12/22/2011
Pages: 254
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.72lbs
Size: 8.50h x 5.50w x 0.58d