The Rolf Harris trial has brought renewed focus on sexual abuse by men in powerful positions and makes this updated publication timely in terms of reminding readers about our own country's chequered history.
Accounts of New Zealanders' war experiences are now fairly common. It seems hundreds of old soldiers had a manuscript in them.
Few places are as battered by Western stereotypes as Iran. And consequently, the exposure of Teheran through City of Lies is a welcome refreshment.
I'm a little sceptical about ''I survived'' books.
If you have read much World War 1 history, you will probably have seen his face: Gavrilo Princip, that scrawny, weedy-moustached teenager who shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, at Sarajevo in June 1914, lighting the match that sent most of Europe up in flames.
As a once very shy male, I thought it looked interesting when I saw Shy on a list of books to be reviewed and read the publisher's blurb.
I have some news for modern-day philosopher Alain De Botton. The News: A User's Manual is one frustrating read.
The mass slaughter - friends against friends, neighbours against neighbours - of the Rwandan genocide depicted in this book make for grim reading.
Central Otago author Kenneth Bragan has written a thoughtful, considered and interesting book on the historical development of the concept of God. It will also be challenging to many, I suspect.
''Why don't you go where fashion sits ... putting on the Ritz.''
Ormond Burton experienced the war as a Christian and as an army officer, serving with distinction at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.
Jesuit priest and journalist Antonio Spadaro conducted three days of interviews with his fellow Jesuit, the newly elected Pope Francis, in the second half of 2013.
Shrines to sacrifice on a monumental scale, World War 1 memorials dot the landscape of New Zealand and Australia, and are particularly noticeable in small towns.
The first few chapters of Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes' new book HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton could easily be mistaken for a political thriller.
Where to start? To quote from a letter I wrote to a friend, ''I'm trying to write a review about an Australian-based, raised-in-England broadcaster, who is a professional viola player and ''out'' lesbian.
MAD*, a Cold War era acronym, aptly sums up the content of Command and Control.
This fascinating book reads like a gripping thriller and epic poetic novel as much as the considered, consummately crafted and comprehensive piece of non-fiction it also is.
You might think a large, beautifully produced book on the wartime experiences of Australians and New Zealanders would hold a lot of interest for New Zealand readers. Sadly, in this case, you would be wrong.
As the mystery and speculation surrounding the Malaysian airliner continues, the arrival of this book is a stark reminder that a theory is tested by multiplying together the probabilities of each of the links in the chain of evidence.
Rather like US wildlife photographer Ansel Adams, as a child, author Paul Rosolie failed totally in conventional education, but has gone on to do great things.
