Logan Campbell’s Auckland: Tales from the Early Years

In this charming book, Russell Stone, the doyen of Auckland historians and author of the awardwinning From Tamaki-makau-rau to Auckland, recounts 15 tales from his encyclopaedic knowledge of 19th-century Auckland. They include the stories of the tree on One Tree Hill, of a newspaper printed on a mangle, of two aborted duels, the mystery of a suicide, of the voyage of an early immigrant ship, of the wreck of the Orpheus, of how Ngati Whatua became the tangata whenua of the area, and more. Logan Campbell’s Auckland not only entertains but also gives a real sense of how Auckland changed during those crucial early years. Stone strikes the right balance between story telling and historical insight and provides easy navigation for the modern day general reader by relating present day incidents to the past - eg, Mike Smith’s attack on the One Tree - or past incidents to their present day locations - topically, How Rugby came ashore and found its way to Eden Park. In his characteristically elegant style Stone brings personalities, feuds and dramas brilliantly to life. This handsome book is vividly illustrated in black and white and colour.