Books

WORDS: MARIANNE TREMAINE

Change is afoot

Reads reflecting our changing times

Reading A Queer Existence: The Lives of Young Gay Men in Aotearoa New Zealand, by Mark Beehre (Massey University Press, $45.00), makes you realise how much things have changed in a relatively short time – and how much we take those changes for granted, almost forgetting things were ever otherwise. Yet I remember travelling home in the car with my parents, brothers and sister when I was around 10. We had been visiting two of my parents’ male friends, who lived in a flat together. One was fussing over the other because he had a cold, in a way that made it clear they were a couple. Going home, my father said, “We’ll have to get new babysitters,” to which my mother firmly replied, “They were all right before – and they’re all right now!”

More than two decades later, Fran Wilde toiled with the homosexual law reform legislation, refusing to give up until it was finally passed into law. Mark Beehre discusses the changes it brought and provides insights into the lives of 27 gay men and their experiences growing up and coming to terms with their sexuality. Mark has studied art, and his photographs of the men are stunning. But the photographs reflect just one point in time; the interviews included in the book immerse you more deeply in their stories.

One interviewee says: “It seems to me there are intersecting circles of who one is attracted to emotionally and romantically and sexually. Then there’s that spectrum of how your sense of gender fits on the line from masculinity to femininity. And there’s another intersecting thing about fitting in, or where you’d put yourself on the spectrum of social conventions and norms... A whole set of concentric circles” (page 129). Their struggles to understand themselves and their places in a gendered society have led these men into a far deeper analysis of gender and norms than many people take the time to engage in.

A change in norms is also evident in The Forgotten Wars: Why the Musket Wars Matter Today (Oratia Press, $39.99). Ron Crosby explains the importance of understanding the musket wars to illuminate the reasons behind some of the differences that still exist between tribes today. These differences are the outcomes of specific historical events that have shaped the relationships. Competing for land affected customary relationships between iwi and hapū during the musket wars, the outcomes of which have not been forgotten. Ron argues for teaching about the wars in our schools to give students greater insights into the links and barriers they can see within tribal relationships but do not always understand. Also highlighting the changes created by war, Our First Foreign War: The Impact of the South African War 1899–1902 on New Zealand, by Nigel Robson (Massey University Press, $55), deals with the way that memories of the Boer War have languished in the shadows of the two World Wars that followed. Nigel believes the Boer War had a huge effect on New Zealand, particularly in the development of strong ties between not only Australian and New Zealand soldiers but also their two countries.

The war was seen in New Zealand as a chance to prove the country’s military capabilities and its loyalty to the empire. Nigel explains that scouting out the enemy’s location and movements was a critical factor in strategy planning during the conflict, and New Zealanders proved themselves to be exceptionally good scouts. This book does not aspire to be a war history, but rather a social and economic history of the times and an assessment of the way the conflict affected New Zealand and its future.

The changes reflected in The Takapuna Tram (Alibi Press, $39.99) relate to past ways of engaging in recreational

activities. This children’s book is based on a poem by Elizabeth Welsman Dawson, with illustrations by Elva Leaming. Terry Carson, the grandson of Elizabeth Dawson, has shaped and collated this material into a book that tells the story of a steam tram that ran in Takapuna, on Auckland’s North Shore, in the early 1900s.

This charming book describes the fun of a day out along with the thrill of the journey. The poem recounts other exciting things to do in Auckland, such as going to the zoo, riding on an elephant, and travelling over or on the harbour by seaplane or ferry. The lovely illustrations also show the fashions of the time.

A different type of recreational activity features in The Wellington Street Races: The Definitive History of New Zealand’s Iconic Motorsport Events, by Richard McGee (Bateman, $49.99). Writing in the foreword to the book, Robbie Francevic notes that racing on urban streets was the ultimate test for many drivers, and drivers on the Wellington circuit couldn’t relax for a second due to the ever-present walls and barriers and lack of genuine straights. In his book, Richard covers the character of the Wellington waterfront as a circuit and how the race came into being, gives an overview of 12 separate Wellington waterfront races, and explains why the races ended.

There is good coverage of the differences between the competing cars, the people involved and the excitement of the races. The book also features great photos; some are so effective you can almost feel the way a car has swooped around a corner. This is a splendid way to relive an important part of New Zealand’s motorsport history. There is considerable insight in the clearly written book Mana Whakatipu: Ngāi Tahu Leader Mark Solomon on Leadership and Life, by Mark Solomon with Mark Revington (Massey University Press, $35). The leadership lesson of this book is the importance of humility, which gives access to the wisdom and experience of others with no expectation that a leader should find all the answers within themselves. For example, Mark Solomon talks about the importance of getting in the queue for food, rather than expecting others to bring it to you. Being in the queue, he says, gives people a chance to interact with you when they might be too shy to do so in front of a crowd. And of course it’s also an opportunity to obtain information that expands your own understanding of the complexity of local issues.

Nowhere is leadership more important than in tramping and climbing, and in The Spirit of the Mountains: Alpine Adventures and Reflections (Mary Egan Publishing, $39.95), Ron Hay takes you into the mountains. The joy of this book is in the way it brings you close to the actual experience of being in alpine areas: the snow,

The leadership lesson of this book is the importance of humility, which gives access to the wisdom and experience of others with no expectation that a leader should find all the answers within themselves

GIVEAWAY

We have one copy of The Takapuna Tram to give away. To enter the draw, send your name and address on the back of an envelope to Book Giveaways, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, PO Box 2629, Wellington 6140, before 30 December 2021.

The winner of last issue’s book giveaway (Tableland: The History Behind Mt Arthur, Kahurangi National Park) was Mr T Fitzpatrick, Auckland.

the tussock, the waterfalls, the beautiful plants and the magnificence of the views. So for anyone unable to spend time in alpine areas, one solution is to immerse yourself in this book. You will almost smell the crisp, sharp, pure mountain air just by looking at the photos.

Books are chosen for review in Heritage New Zealand magazine at the discretion of the Books Editor. Due to the volume of books received, we cannot guarantee the timing of any reviews that appear and we are unable to return any copies submitted for review. Ngā mihi.