Whitcombe & Tombs, 1956. Some foxing to dustwrapper and page edges. Dustwrapper worn at edges.

Other people and their doings - especially if slightly unusual - provide the most constant element of all conversation. This is the appeal of Mr Cresswell's new book, for EARLY NEW ZEALAND FAMILIES (Second Series), recording the stories of well known families first celebrated here in pioneer times, has always the flavour of good talk. A few of his names taken at random - Riddiford, Fitzherbert, Ngata, Tiffen, Rutherford, Vavasour, Greenwood, Menzies, Burnett - illustrate the range of his interest. To some of these people, coming to the untamed New Zealand of one hundered years ago, and newly emerged from sung Victorian security, the new land must have seemed very strange indeed. To others, coming here after sheepfarming experiences in Australia, New Zealand was only a slightly greener land. To one, a Maori, the problems were those of adjustment to the pattern of the European manner of living. Yet all of them, in the North Island or the South, achieved considerable success.

There is nothing of the dry bones of history here. The book deals with the past, certainly, but it is about real people, and its author has a way of picking the incident or the characteristic that brings his men and women to life.

- from the inside cover.