Forthcoming Titles

Here's our list of current titles, with bios and reviews.

For the past five years, Julie, Marc and James at Wellington's Floriditas Café, Restaurant and Bakery have been serving up a winning combination of tasty food, beautifully crafted wines and slick service.

Menus change, in tune with the seasons and the ingredients available, and this is reflected in the book's theme and structure. The dishes on the Floriditas menu are simple and stylish, with clean vibrant flavours that let the ingredients shine through. Recipes, just like food, should be shared - that's why Julie, Marc and James opened Floriditas, and that's why they wrote this book.

270mm x 210mm • 128 pages •
Hardback - Red and Green options • Indexed •
June 2010 • $49.95 RRP

ISBN 978 9780986457 1 0

Voted one of the top five places to visit in the world by Lonely Planet, the geographical diversity and startling beauty of New Zealand lures photographers and film makers as well as tourists. "If locations were awarded Oscars, New Zealand would scoop the lot," as a movie reviewer remarked.

Includes Music CD, eight tracks, 40 minutes duration, written especially for the book by New Zealand composer Rhian Sheehan.

240 x 310 mm • 128 pages, matt art paper •
Hardback with dustcover & french fold • 112 photographs •
November 2008 • $49.95 RRP

ISBN 978 9582838 3 0

A sun kissed Greek Island, an old wooden bach on the East coast of New Zealand's North Island and a vibrant family kitchen are the inspirations behind The Black Dog Cottage Cook Book.

The book is a celebration of family, food, holidays and the iconic kiwi Bach.

210 x 240mm • 160 pages •
Full colour • Soft cover with flaps, with high quality matt art paper • $39.95 RRP

ISBN 978-0-9582838-5-4

An e-book edition is also available on Zinio for $39.95

Preview it here:

Black Dog Cottage Cookbook e-book

Probably the most popular bird on the planet, and the only one that walks upright, the penguin cannot fly but is a champion swimmer.

210 x 160 mm • Approx 70 pages • Hardback with dustcover •
60 pages of photographs •
November 2008 • $29.95 RRP

ISBN 978-9582838-4-7

An e-book edition is also available on Zinio for $15.00

Preview it here:

Planet Penguin e-book

We are pleased to announce our new motorsport book, On Track - A History of Motor Racing at Pukekohe - the latest in the series that, in the past has included Bourne to Rally, the Possum Bourne Biography and Murph's Law, The Greg Murphy Biography, both top selling titles.

The book will be out in time for Father's Day 2008; 2nd September.

220 x 150 mm • Approx 200 pages •
24 pages of photographs • $39.95 RRP

ISBN 978-0-9582838-2-3

'A partnership well worth celebrating' is how Sir Edmund Hillary sums up the way New Zealand and the United States have worked together in Antarctica over the 50 years since their stations were established on Ross Island in the Ross Sea Region south of New Zealand.

Sir Edmund, the leading New Zealand figure at the outset of the partnership in the 1956-57 summer, describes the partnership as 'unique' among the 28 nations active today in the world's coldest, windiest, highest, driest, loneliest and last-discovered continent.

This book is a richly illustrated and at times dramatic account of the dynamics of New Zealand-United States cooperation in Antarctica - the way people get to and from Antarctica by air and sea, the day-to-day reality of living and conducting science in a frozen desert, diplomatic links through the Antarctic Treaty System, the need for search-and rescue capability, and the extraordinary collaboration between Antarctic scientists from the two nations.

The history of the partnership is traced from that first summer - when United States Rear Admiral George Dufek and Sir Edmund cemented a productive friendship - to the present day. New Zealand's Scott Base, a compact cluster of buildings, was erected just three kilometres from McMurdo Station, America's main base in Antarctica and the continent's only 'town'. They are genial and accommodating neighbours in the least hospitable place on Earth.

A succinct and fascinating text by Neville Peat is coupled with stunning photography from Andris Apse and others.

$49.95 RRP
ISBN 978 0 9582838 0 9

This new travel book is perfect for plotting your next escape; words and pictures describing places and where to stay that will transport you to 23 different locations around the globe.

The book shows the hotels in their settings and some of the sights in many photographs, accompanied by text describing both hotel and place. It will appeal to both the active traveler, as well as the armchair one, and will make an excellent gift for that hard-to-buy-for someone who has everything.

250 x 230 mm • 166 pages • Softcover paperback •
colour photographs • $49.95 RRP • March 2007

ISBN 0-9582388-9-8

Published and distributed by Phantom House in New Zealand
distributed in Australia by Tower Books
Conran-Octopus in Europe
Firefly in USA

Wharekauhau Country Estate and Lodge is a high quality book that provides a stunning portrait of Wharekauhau the Lodge, the farm (with its rich history as one of the areas oldest sheep farms), the food (with recipes of international chef Robert Cullen) and the dramatic landscape of Palliser bay and the Wairarapa.

Welcome to Wharekauhau and the Wairarapa.

230 x 210mm • Hardback with French Fold Jacket and gold book marker • RRP $59.95

ISBN 978-0-9582838-1-6

"When I picked it up though, I - literally - couldn't put it down. And if that's not recommendation enough I immediately started re-reading it the minute I finished it for the first time." - Kiwi Rider, December 2006

Author Paul Owen is one of the most experienced and best-known road testers of motorcycles in New Zealand. His reports appear in NZ Autocar magazine, and are syndicated across national newspapers.

200 x 140• 110 pages • Softcover paperback •
colour photographs • $29.95 RRP

ISBN 00-9582388-6-3

An e-book edition is also available on Zinio for $15.00

Preview it here:

LANDMARKS is a celebration of our unique and diverse architectural history - from the extravagant to the modest, the venerable to the sleekly moderne, even the eccentric.

Familiar landmarks like the Waitangi Treaty House and Christchurch Cathedral sit alongside equally remarkable but less well-known buildings such as the glorious Greek Orthodox church in a Wairarapa paddock or the beautiful Tapeka marae on the shores of Lake Taupo. Groupings such as Napier's art deco buildings, Kerikeri's historic basin or Oamaru's whitestone centre are treated as whole precincts.

240 x 210 • 260 pages • Softcover trade paperback •
240 colour photographs • $49.95 RRP

ISBN 00-9582388-5-5

Published and distributed by Phantom House
July 2005

Test Pilot is the autobiography of Paul Owen, an award-winning motoring journalist and motorsport author who is truly living the petrol-head's dream. In his role as chief editor for New Zealand Autocar Magazine, Paul regularly jets to some distant and exotic location to report on the launch of - or to road test - yet another new motorcar or motorcycle, be it driving a Lamborghini Gallardo in the Italian countryside or road testing the latest Suzuki GSXR 1000 around Philip Island in Australia. Closer to home, Paul expresses some strong opinions on New Zealand drivers, speed cameras and speed limits, the roads, the authorities that control them and the rules they make.

He tells of the place the motor vehicle has in his heart and what he has learned in the school of hard knocks of an impetuous motoring youth. This is an insider's report on the glitz and glam of the international motorshows; a look at the global automotive industry and the sophisticated PR machine that surrounds it.

230 x 150 • 212 pages - includes 20 colour pages • Softcover with flaps, high quality matt art paper • 240 colour photographs • $39.95 RRP

ISBN 0-9582388-7-1

Published and distributed by Phantom House

Slice of Heaven is the fascinating story of the Thomas family - Martin, Jenifer and their four young children - who, after the sudden death of Martin's father and brother, decide to leave New Zealand and create a new life for themselves. With little local knowledge, but believing simply that anything is possible, they buy an old schoolhouse in the heart of the Italian countryside and set about transforming it into an enchanting villa.

Not content with enjoying the fruits of their efforts, and determined to provide their family with inspiring and positive surroundings, Martin and Jenifer buy a small island in the Caribbean Sea, off the coast of Nicaragua. The island seems idyllic, home only to a rare species of turtle. But as their new dream takes shape they find themselves facing unexpected opponents, and there are times when the task seems too difficult even for them. As the story ends Nature has taken a hand in events.

230 x 150 • 228 pages • paperback • colour photographs • $35.95 RRP

ISBN 0-9582388-4-7

Distributed in New Zealand by Phantom House,
and in Australia by Hardie Grant

Murph's Law is the third in our series of motorsport books, the autobiography of another great driver, Greg Murphy - a.k.a "Murph". Approachable and quotable outside a racecar, aggressive and determined when at the wheel, Murph has become an iconic driver in the popular V8 Supercar series in Australasia. From the moment he first started racing a V8 Commodore in 1995, he quickly staked a reputation as one of the fiercest competitors in the series. He has amassed an enviable record in the climactic race of the V8 season at Bathurst, with victories in 1996, 1999, and 2003, and has virtually made the Pukekohe round of the series his own.

Whether you are planning to visit New Zealand or you live here and want to see more of the country, this is the book to help you decide where to go, and where to stay.

It's a photographic celebration of 21 of New Zealand's most interesting 'homes away from home', and a record of the diverse and often impressive landscapes that surrounds them. Reviewing director Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings, a movie critic wrote, 'If locations were awarded Oscars, New Zealand would scoop the lot'.

The many different places to stay shown and described in detail are some of the country's most interesting and unusual. Grand or simple, large or small, contemporary or traditional, the only things they have in common are that each one is original, and character-full.

240 x 210 mm • 208 pages • paperback • 201 full colour photographs

ISBN 0-9582388-2-0

Possum Bourne: rally driver, sporting icon, family man, team-builder and 'great bloke'. Three-time winner of the Asia- Pacific Rally Championship, winner seven times in a row of the Australian Rally Championship, and eight times the best placed New Zealand driver in the Rally of New Zealand. In 2003, he finally achieves his long cherished dream of competing in the World Rally Championship, but is fatally injured in a freak car crash. This is the story of how his positive attitude, his determination to succeed, and his ability to inspire others to help him brought him motorsport fame.

'"Very few New Zealanders pass the first name test - instantly recognisable when just their first name is used. Ed Hillary, Zinzan Brooke, Jonah Lomu, Stacey Jones and Onny Parun are or have been examples of this rudimentary litmus test of fame. Possum Bourne was another." Joseph Romanos

New Zealand - available in all book shops. NZ trade enquiries to Phantom House Books; in Austraila, available in Angus & Robertson bookshops and selected others. Trade enquiries to Tower Books, Sydney.

A Moving Experience is a photographic record and travel journal of places to stay that move, from one location to another. 'Moving hotels', on wheels, on water, and on wings, from the classic to the unexpected and even the yet to come are shown in Grant Sheehan's photographs, and the experience of the trip, the sights and the travellers encountered along the way are described by writer Shelley-Maree Cassidy.

In the book you will discover a wide range of choices for a hotel room with a constantly changing view, both in this world and out of it. Whether overland by train and caravan, over water by steamboat and barge, underwater by submarine, or high above the world in a jet liner and soon on a space station, there is a tempting journey for everyone.

240 x 210 mm • 184 pages • paperback • 173 full colour photographs

ISBN 0-473-07674-8

A ride on a motorcycle has an element of adventure about it that's missing when driving most cars. It's one of the best ways to see the countryside, unhindered by a tin cocoon, and with all your senses taking in the experience. You feel part of the environment you are travelling through; see its forms, colours and light effects, feel its temperatures and winds and smell its scents.

Yet, like many great fun experiences, motorcycle road riding is potentially hazardous. Whether you are new to motorcycle riding, or returning to it, this book is intended to help you not only to have more fun, but also to recognise the hazards and to improve your skills in managing them.

Author Graham Allardice condenses decades of riding experience into simple advice that covers just about every detail of motorcycle safety. Choosing a motorcycle and the clothing you need, increasing your conspicuity - the art of being as visible as possible - selecting accessories for your bike and turning your hand to some motorcycle maintenance are just some of the many topics dealt with in The Bikers' Bible©. Read it and increase your chances of accident-free riding on the road.

" Once you have ridden a road bike you are hooked for life. " Aaron Slight

The autobiography of motorcycle ace Aaron Slight; a best seller that takes the reader from a small town in New Zealand to the high-stakes world of international motorsport.

Aaron is the world's most experienced World Superbike racer. He has competed in 229 World Superbike races; stood on the WSB podium 87 times, and won the gruelling Suzuka 8-Hour Endurance race three times in a row. He gained the respect of thousands of fans for two miraculous comebacks; first from a debilitating and deforming hand injury, then a stroke that led to complex brain surgery.

Aaron became the highest paid sportsman of his native New Zealand, and nearly won the World Superbike championship six times. His journey to the top of the motorcycle-racing world is an improbable one, made possible by his sheer determination to overcome all the obstacles in his path. This is his gripping story.

'The title of Slight's readable and entertaining book is particularly appropriate; most of us have little idea about the world of motorcycling. The story of his battles with injury and illness is a revelation.'

Joseph Romanos, New Zealand Listener

The Wairarapa region has been a well-guarded secret, one that is now being 'discovered' by those who enjoy weekend visits from nearby Wellington or come to live here from other parts of New Zealand. Its remarkably varied rural landscape is home to an award-winning boutique wine industry, one that has acquired an impressive international reputation; particularly for its pinot noir and sauvignon blanc wines. Farmers of products as diverse as olives, cheese, and prize bulls, vintners, artists and craftspeople live here, making this one of the country's most interesting areas.

This book looks at the landscape and the people of Wairarapa through the lens of photographer Grant Sheehan. Writer Ian F.Grant adds his impressions of the region that has been his home for over a quarter of a century.

Deciding where to stay is one of the most important parts of planning a trip.

Featuring thirty special hotels in a variety of exotic locations, this book is a photographic celebration of some of the world's most desirable homes away from home. All tastes are catered for, in destinations from Swedish Lapland to Las Vegas, Miami to Melbourne and more.

Writer Shelley-Maree Cassidy's text is a blend of anecdotes, history and fact, lavishly illustrated by Grant Sheehan's photographs.

'A delicious book... the farflung picks have just one thing in common: we want to stay in all of them'

Food & Wine, USA

This unique book takes the reader on a unique journey, visiting 42 cafes around the world, from Sydney to San Francisco, Paris to Prague, Vienna to Venice, and many other locations.

Lively text by David Burton and great photographs by Grant Sheehan.

A virtual and real panorama book of New Zealand’s most unique cafes, introducing the people, the interior architecture and the atmosphere of our vibrant and ever-growing café industry. Food critic and author David Burton travelled with photographer Grant Sheehan to search them out.

The most complete and authoritative history of Wellington's St James Theatre. Released to coincide with the reopening of the St James, this delightful book will appeal to theatre and architecture lovers everywhere.

Featuring original photographs and playbills from the theatre's archives, contemporary shots, and a spirited text written by David McGill.

With over 100 dramatic full colour photographs of New Zealand’s lighthouses, Leading Lights is the culmination of seven years work by photographer Grant Sheehan. Historian Anna Gibbons has written a fascinating text from both historical and anecdotal sources, and recorded what it was like to be, or marry, a lighthouse keeper!