At 570 pages, this book is not for the faint of heart, but it is well written and easy to read. A good general history of New Zealand - and very useful to anyone who doesn't know much about the country. I was hoping for a little more about the more recent political and economic conditions (1980- 2000) but I realize that it is probably more difficult to write about current stuff than the older stuff. 5 stars and highly recommended.