The New Oxford History of New Zealand

The New Oxford History of New Zealand is a new, multi-authored revisionist history of Aotearoa New Zealand. The book tests the idea that New Zealand history can be explained as a quest for "national identity" and considers whether narratives that rely on the "colony-to-nation" storyline are still relevant in the early twenty-first century. The book proposes instead that history and identity have been shaped by culture, community, class, region and gender, and that these have been more important than ideas of evolving nationhood. Above all, this new book responds to the need for a general re-interpretation of the "big picture" of New Zealand history.

All the chapters in this book feature new and previously unpublished research, informed by international as well as interdisciplinary scholarship and in keeping with the aim of the book to set the agenda for future historical research imperatives. Chapters showcase research that explores trans-national, comparative and regional contexts.

The New Oxford History of New Zealand adopts a thematic approach to re-reading history. It takes a number of discrete topics as case studies and highlights particular incidents and stories to illustrate points of interest. A chronological structure within each chapter complements the overall thematic approach of the volume to enhance the book's utility as a teaching resource. The book also takes a slightly broader geographical definition of what constitutes "New Zealand," locating Aotearoa New Zealand in wider international and regional contexts.

Giselle Byrnes is Professor and Chairperson in the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at The University of Waikato