Navigators and Naturalists – French exploration of New Zealand and the South Seas (1769 - 1824), by Michael Lee.
Married and Gone to New Zealand, edited by Alison Drummond.
Anyone interested in the truth about NZ history should read these books.
Navigators and Naturalists – French exploration of New Zealand and the South Seas (1769 - 1824) challenges many currently ‘politically correct’ assumptions about New Zealand history. In particular, Dame Anne Salmond’s very dubious theory (now officially accepted dogma) on the reasons for the assassination of Marion Dufresne and 24 of his men at the Bay of Islands in 1772, and also what conditions in the country were like at the time of the ‘Musket Wars’ in 1824.
The Herald’s Brian Rudman described the book as “fascinating”. “‘Navigators & Naturalists’ is a “rollicking good read. And more to the point, it's our history.”
Political reporter Michael Houlahan (Otago Daily Times) described the book as ‘thrilling’ and wrote “In this large and lavishly-illustrated volume, the former chairman of the Auckland Regional Council makes a compelling case…However Lee has his own insights and own voice…As a biologist Lee is outstanding in recognising the ground-breaking work of French botanists, zoologists and scientists. He also has the flair to bring these long-ago voyages to life…”
Married and Gone to New Zealand, edited by Alison Drummond
This book, published in 1960, consists of extracts from the writings of women pioneers. Recommended as a source of information on what life was like in the early 1800s. Second hand copies are available from online booksellers.
Kiwi Frontline website - a treasure trove of information, well indexed for easy reference.