THE
BIG SMOKE: NEW ZEALAND CITIES, 1840-1920
Bridget Williams Books - RRP $59.99
The pursuit of city life is one of the most important untold stories of New Zealand. The Big Smoke is the first comprehensive history to tell this story, presenting a dynamic and vibrantly illustrated account of city life from 1840 to 1920.
In
The Big Smoke, Ben Schrader asks many new questions of early urban life.
What did cities look like and how did they change? Why were women especially
drawn to live in cities? In what ways did Māori experience and shape cities?
How far was the street a living room and stage for city life? And why did New
Zealand so quickly become a nation of townspeople?
At
a time of national debate over housing and the growth of our cities, this
superb history reveals how our urban origins have shaped the people we are
today.
About the author
Ben Schrader is a Wellington historian specialising in urban history and historic preservation. He was Senior Researcher of the award-winning New Zealand Historical Atlas (1997) and has written extensively for Te Ara: The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, for which he co-edited the City and Economy theme. His previous book We Call it Home: A History of State Housing in New Zealand (2005) was a finalist in the 2006 Montana Book Awards. 
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