Turning Points

Description

What constitutes a turning point? In his new book, Turning Points, leading historian Paul Moon has chosen 20 pivotal events that have shaped the course of New Zealand history over the years.

Each event is described as a discrete story and illustrated with photographs drawn from the archives, and Moon outlines how New Zealand history has changed as a result. Written for the popular mid-market, the episodes run from first discovery of the land of the long white cloud to the emergence of a new electoral system with MMP.

Turning Points is arranged in chronological fashion.

Events in the book include:

• Hongi Hika’s visit to England
• the impact of the New Zealand Company settlements
• when women get the vote, the First World War
• Māori migration to the cities
• Britain joining the EEC
• the Springbok Tour
• the Homosexual Law Reform Act
• the politics of Rogernomics.

All of these turning points reveal the huge diversity of ideas, beliefs, and courses of action that go to make up the history of this nation.