 A Southern Gentry New Zealanders Who Inherited the Earth AH & AW Reed, Wellington 1980 ISBN 0 589 01318 1 Nineteenth century society in the South Island – land of opportunity, or province of a rich and powerful elite coining money from a system of startling social inequality? A colourful, often satirical, portrait of the way the fabulous profits from huge flocks of sheep were used to found dynasties of snobbish landowners, this book has provoked some of the stormiest debates in recent years not only about the society of colonial times but also about the fundamental truths of the meaning of history in New Zealand. Tony Simpson: ‘an extraordinarily interesting book.’ Trevor Burnard: ‘racy, well-written.’
The social history of a New Zealand province from its colonial beginnings to the late twentieth century. Canterbury has been a lively and changeable society. At first defined by many as ‘a very aristocratic province,’ it evolved into a focus for radicalism, socialism and religious millenarianism while at the same time maintaining the traditions of a conservative landed gentry. This book looks at life and death, work and play, home and wilderness, law and leisure – growth, change, and constant themes through several generations of history. John Kennedy: ‘It is an absorbing work, and is obviously the fruit of remarkably thorough research … There is such a gusto about the whole thing that the reader is caught up and swept along.’ Gordon McLauchlan: ‘flashes of phraseology that catch the eye, succinct and expressive passages.’
Colonial society was easygoing, fond of sex and drugs, according to many travellers and other observers of nineteenth century New Zealand. Yet later generations have looked back at their forebears as dour folk who denied their bodies and crippled their souls with a stern puritanism. What were the real habits and beliefs of the colonists when they partook of ‘pleasures of the flesh’? This book is the most thorough exploration yet published of the way people made love or made money from their sexuality, made themselves happy or sick with alcohol and other drugs, in colonial New Zealand. Lloyd Jones: ‘From Eldred-Grigg’s commendable research … Puritanism is seen to be a rather impotent force as alcohol, drugs and prostitution were virtually allowed a free reign.’
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 New Zealand Working People 1890-1990 Dunmore Press, Palmerston North 1990 ISBN 0 86469 124 6 ‘Do working people have a history? Do they have a culture of their own? Or are they just a “bastard” class?’ These are some of the questions asked by this book, which is the most wide ranging history ever written about the working class of New Zealand. ‘Working people inherit a strong and distinctive culture of their own,’ the author concludes. ‘The world of working people is supple and informal, growing out of personal links. At its centre is the working class kitchen, a world dominated by women.’ Melanie Nolan: ‘Eldred-Grigg writes well and he can invoke atmosphere and give you a feeling for history, a rare talent. … People will react strongly to this book.’ Kerry Taylor: ‘this book moves beyond the focus of “traditional” labour history about organizations which claim to represent working people. Instead the working people themselves are at the centre of the picture.’
A sequel to the author’s earlier work on the colonial gentry, this book widens the scope still further to become the first full portrait of all the wealthy throughout the whole history of New Zealand from the late eighteenth century to the late twentieth century. Wool lords, brewers, bankers, shipowners, manufacturers, shysters, sharks, crowd the pages. Meditative millionaires who doubt the worth of their wealth are shown alongside the gleefully greedy. Showy society ladies elbow shallow corporate hucksters. The book is perhaps the most stylishly written of all the author’s works of history. Graeme Hunt: ‘The Rich is a joy to read. It brings together a lovely mix of gossip and detail in New Zealand’s first families.’ Graeme Lay: ‘the author writes with flair and authority, bringing history to life.’ Helen Hill: ‘distasteful and opinionated.’ Michael Morrissey: ‘wonderful, pithy.’ Iain Sharp: ‘engagingly witty.’
The history of New Zealand and its writers from the beginnings of the written word up to the present day. A book aimed at the Chinese reader, it takes the form of a series of essays drawing on the words of poets, short story writers, novelists and other essayists who have observed, thought, felt and written about New Zealand. 'An Island Story' is a series of six chapters looking at the years from 1790 to 1900. 'Dead Wood Shall Bud' in six further chapters follows the history of the country and its writers through the years from 1900 to 1950. 'The Story of Something' interweaves the memories of Stevan ELdred-Grigg with the writers and writing of the years since 1950, and at the same time continues to reflect upon the wider history of New Zealand. Translation into Mandarin by Annie Shih. Han Chao: ‘Pungent and quickwitted, moving and amusing, the book has no equal as an introduction not only to the literature but the history of a green dreamland in the South Pacific.’
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