They strike without warning, they cannot be controlled, there is no escape. Earthquakes are perhaps the most terrifying of all natural disasters, and New Zealand has suffered more than its fair share of shakes, bringing with them death, injury, terror and sometimes cripplingly expensive damage.

In a lively and approachable text based on Geoff Conly's superbly thorough research, and through a selection of fascinating illustrations, Anna Rogers traces the history of earthquakes in New Zealand, describing vividly the havoc they can causeand reminding us of the need to be prepared.