Bringing one thousand years to life, this is an illustrated history of New Zealand from the settlement by Polynesians to the present day. The book covers the period of colonization after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the wars between the Maori and the British Army of the 1860s, the beginning of party government in the 1990s, votes for women in 1993, fighting in South Africa and Europe, the Depression, the Maori drift to towns, the influx of Pacific Islanders, and the economic reforms since the fourth Labour Government. Each chapter has been written by an acknowledged expert in his or her field, and a new chapter by Dr Jack Vowles brings the book fully up to date.

The late Keith Sinclair was Emeritus Professor of History at Auckland University. He was knighted for his services to history in 1988.