Charlotte Macdonald’s remarkable new history sets the New Zealand Wars within the context of an imperial ‘garrison world’. Historians, fellow researchers, friends and family gathered to celebrate Professor Macdonald’s work on Tuesday 2 December at Te Wharewaka o Pōneke on Wellington’s waterfront.
Honiana Love, Chief Executive at Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, welcomed us all. Her Excellency The Right Honourable Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand, then spoke to launch the book:
'Garrison World does exactly what a new entry into the historical canon should do – it challenges us... By delving into the lives of the redcoat soldier, Charlotte allows the voices of the colonial antagonist to be heard more clearly and fully as part of our nation's complex and difficult history.'
As always with Charlotte's work I found myself entranced with your unerring ability to weave historical fact into enthralling narrative.
Her thoughtful and generous words were followed by speeches from historian Dr Lucy Mackintosh and BWB’s director Bridget Williams:
'It is a book that is all the more important right now because we need to understand these histories to understand our present moment, and we need historians like Charlotte – with her deep historical thinking, her dedication to her field and her powers of description to help us get there.' Lucy Mackintosh
'Celebrating Garrison World allows a brief glimpse of Charlotte’s extraordinary contributions to the writing of this country’s history through the years. Charlotte, I speak for so many in thanking you for all of this.' Bridget Williams
Ngā mihi nui to our speakers and all who joined us in celebrating Charlotte and the kaupapa of her book.
Garrison World: Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire is available now through our website and in all good bookshops.
Honiana Love welcomes Dame Cindy Kiro (Govenor General)
Dame Cindy Kiro and Charlotte Macdonald arrive
Charlotte signing Garrison World
Lucy Mackintosh
Bridget Williams