History
Quote of the month
History is not what you thought. "it is what you can remember"
W.C. Sellar and R.J. Yeatmen (British Writers), 1066 and all that (1930)
Focus on History
For your listening pleasure
If you are tired of Reality TV and CSI, why not give a history documentary a try!
CD's:
The American Future- By Simon Schama.
- This book "...written by an author who has spent half his life in America, takes the long view of how the United States has come to this anguished moment of truth about its own identity as a nation and its place in the world." "The American Future: A History argues that if you want to know what is truly at stake, you need to absorb these stories and understand this history - for understanding is the condition of hope". (Library Catalogue)
A history of Britain 1.- By Simon Schama.
- Presents a narrative tracing the history of Great Britain from the early tribes and invasions of the British Isles to the Norman Conquest; through the religious wars and turbulence of the Middle Ages to the sovereignties of Henry II, Richard I, and King John; through the outbreak of the Black Death; through the reign of Edward I and the growth of national identity in Wales and Scotland; to the religious and dynastic conflicts of the Tudor age, culminating with the glorious reign of Elizabeth I. (Library Catalogue) also available for download from the library website.
Digital Audio books:
- 1968
- by Mark Kurlansky
- In this highly opinionated and highly readable history, Kurlansky makes a case for why 1968 has lasting relevance in the United States and around the world. Whether through youth and music, politics and war, economics and the media, Mark Kurlansky shows how, in 1968, twelve volatile months transformed who we were as a people. But above all, he gives a new insight into the underlying causes of the unique historical phenomenon that was the year 1968 (Description, Overdrive.com)
- The Assassin's Accomplice
- by Kate Clifford Larson.
- "Set against the backdrop of the Civil War, tells the gripping, true story of the conspiracy to assassinate Abraham Lincoln through the eyes of its only female participant, the first woman ever to be executed by the federal government of the United States." (Description, Overdrive.com).
Online databases & articles
We have a great range of online history resources, including reference sources, journals, magazines and much more.
Our online history resources can be found at mygateway.info. Check out our History portal page for databases such as History Resource Center: World and the Discovering Collection.
The following are just a few of the history journals and magazines available online (in full-text) through our databases. For more listings see Masterfile Premier in mygateway.info magazines.
Magazines in print
Lending history magazines are shelved in the Art, Music & Literature Magazine collection on the first floor of the Central Library, and in the branches on the magazine stands.
Here are links into the catalogue for just a few of our most popular history magazines:
Catalogue Search
Reference Collection
The Central Library has an excellent reference collection (for in-library reference only) containing Atlases, Yearbooks and Fact books, great for statistical information and the history of countries. This collection is housed on the 2nd floor of the library.
Other publications of use include: Keesing's record of World Events, and the "Regional Surveys of the World" series, covering The Far East and Australasia, The Middle East and North Africa, Africa south of the Sahara and South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
New Zealand Reference Material:
The 2nd floor of the Central Library houses several different collections which contain a wealth of information about New Zealand's history. The NZ Reference Collection (NZCOLL) contains at least one copy of most of the books published in New Zealand over the past 100 years. It also contains a large number of unpublished reports as well as many smaller publications which were often only for sale in a specific region for a short period of time (e.g. school and parish jubilee histories).
Alongside this collection are the AJHR's (Appendices to the Journals of the House of Representatives) which give an insight into the "official" history of the State back to the 1860s as well as many other government publications such as the New Zealand Gazette (also available as a searchable database) and New Zealand Parliamentary Debates (i.e. "Hansard").
There are also two separate collections which are kept behind the reference desk on the 2nd floor - the "NZ Stack" and "Rare" collections. These contain books which because of their rarity or fragility must be kept in special conditions but most are available to view under supervision and all are listed in the library's on-line catalogue.
Searching the catalogue
Shelf help
| Subject: | Dewey Number: |
|---|---|
| Archeology and digging up the past | 913 |
| History of the Ancient World | 930 |
| History of Europe, World Wars | 940 |
| History of Asia and the Far East | 950 |
| History of Africa | 960 |
| History of North America | 970 |
| History of South America | 980 |
| History of the Pacific and other regions | 990 |
| New Zealand History | 993.1 |
| Women's history | 305.4 |
Tip:
Don't forget to look at the large books for illustrations and photographs, as well as looking in the normal Dewey sequence.
Recent items
MyLibrary:
Have a look at the libraries' history recent picks for new history books.
MyLibrary is a free service which allows you to set up your own portal page to collect lists of new books, CDs and DVDs in the library. Our librarians compile these lists on a monthly basis across the different subject areas in the library's collection, and for many subjects these monthly lists are available going back a number of years.
Websites
New Zealand History Online
- Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand
The official encyclopedia of NZ, which when complete will be a comprehensive guide to the country's peoples, natural environment, history, culture, economy, institutions and society. - 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
The first encyclopedia of New Zealand, published in three thick volumes in 1966. An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand was a critical and publishing success at the time, and has been used as a basic reference work since. - The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War
This fifty volume series is being put online as copyright expires. - New Zealand History Teachers' Association
Overseas History Online
- The Encyclopedia of World History
Ancient, Medieval, and Modern, 6th edition, with over 20,000 entries. - Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th edition - an online version of this classic edition.
- Spartacus Educational
Mini-encyclopedias on historical subjects, designed for British school-children. - Best of History Web Sites
An award-winning American portal created for history teachers, students, and general history enthusiasts. - Historical Text Archive
A small collection of historical e-books. - HyperHistory Online
An expanding scientific project presenting 3,000 years of world history with an interactive combination of synchronoptic lifelines, timelines, and maps.
Wellington's Museums
Wellington's Archives
New Zealand Theses
- Newman, Liberal Policy and the Left Wing, 1908 - 1911 : a study of middle-class radicalism in NZ
- Stenson, The origins of the Government Advances to Settler's Act, 1894
- Clark, The NZ Liberal Party and Government, 1895 - 1906
- Bassett, Sir Harry Atkinson : a political biography, 1872 - 1892
- Shannon, Decline and fall of the Liberal government : a study in an aspect of NZ political development, 1908 - 1914
- Hamar, Sir Robert Stout, 1844 - 1930
- McKimmey, The Temperance Movement in NZ, 1835 - 1894
- Grimshaw, The Women's Suffrage Movement in New Zealand, 1835 - 1894
- Rogers, The Single tax Movement in NZ
Contact us
This page is written and maintained by Kim Clayton. My aim is to keep you informed about history resources at the library and to highlight parts of the collection which may interest you. I'd be pleased to hear from you about this page - you can email me with any feedback.
