Stevan Eldred-Grigg is one of the most controversial novelists and historians in New Zealand. Born on the back seat of a speeding taxi, he grew up in a tumultuous household in suburban Christchurch. His mother, a stroppy working-class woman, had the gift of the gab. His father, careful and precise, came from a conservative 'old family'. The varying opinions in the family led to a questioning of life, history and society.

DISCOVERY, 1200 to 1500 - Islands without People; Polynesians; Wealth; Power and Society -- VILLAGES, 1500 to 1750 - Maori Classic Period; Power -- EUROPEANS, 1750 to 1840 - loating Islands; Musket Wars; Foreign Illness; Colony of New Zealand -- COLONY, 1840 to 1900 - New People; War; Wealth; Power; Men and women -- DOMINION, 1900 to 1950 - A Lucky Land; Wealth and Power; People; The best little country in the world -- SUBURBS, 1950 to 2000 - Peace; Power; People; A New Century.