The most memorable test in that series was the first, played at Carisbrook on July 18 and won 18-17 by the All Blacks.
It was a test in which fullback Don Clarke kicked six penalties to trump the Lions' four tries.
But it was a great tour for more than that.
The All Blacks had Clarke, a young Colin Meads and other greats such as Wilson Whineray, Kel Tremain and Peter Jones.
The Lions countered with the incomparable Tony O'Reilly, Peter Jackson, Bev Risman and Dickie Jeeps.
The Lions scored 845 points, playing 33 games over five months - the sort of tour that seems incomprehensible to today's rugby fans fed a steady diet of one-off or repetitive tests.
Author Paul Verdon, who specialises in weighty coffee table-style books, has released Kings of Rugby - the title the great Terry McLean also used for his book on the tour.
The book, which weighs 1.5kg and comes in a "cigar box" container, includes plenty of stories from the players and all the action, on and off the field, from the tour.
It's not cheap, at $395, but it includes the signatures of 43 surviving players and only 490 have been printed.
- Kings of Rugby, available from Hill-Verdon Publishing (09-846-4991 or www.verdoncollectables.com).
Giveaway
Otago Daily Times has a copy of the Kings of Rugby book - worth $395 - to give away to a reader.
To enter the draw, email sports editor Hayden Meikle (hayden.meikle@odt.co.nz) with "Lions book" in the subject line.
Emails must be received by 5pm Friday.
