A hilarious love story about a teenager and a fish. Royce Rowland is a 17-year-old sexual and social reprobate who has been sent to sea with a tough skipper in an effort to straighten him out. But, as with everything, Royce goes on board with his own interests at heart: he wants to trawl for the fabled giant squid. He does catch something unexpected, but it isn't a squid, and in its wake comes a conning prostitute who is determined to make off with the haul. And so Royce embarks on a Odyssean journey pursuing his catch through New Zealand waters and on to Japan. En route, he is to discover true love - for a fish . . .

From fifteen of New Zealand's finest short-fiction practitioners come stories to delight, amuse and move. These stories have been gathered from a range of titles, published in recent years by Vintage New Zealand and commended by readers and reviewers alike. Owen Marshall is regularly described as New Zealand's finest living short-story writer and his subtle story included here is testament to his skill. Peter Hawes presents a wickedly funny story alongside an amusing and intriguing tale from Craig Cliff's Commonwealth Prize winning collection A Man Melting. There are two very different stories playing with the genre of crime writing, from Julian Novitz and Fiona Farrell, about whom one reviewer wrote: 'she has the rare ability of turning the mundane events of domestic life into profound human experiences'. The stories range from New Zealand settings, such as Shonagh Koea's 'Rain', to stories set in America, Australia, Russia, Morocco and the Galapagos Islands, among other places. Montana Award winner Charlotte Grimshaw is represented by a vivid story of a childhood experience in France, her short story collections having been twice placed in the prestigious Frank O'Connor shortlist. Among the many other prize-winning authors, Fiona Kidman has also had a collection, The Trouble with Fire, shortlisted for this award, and the story included here is from that fine book. Sue Orr's story 'Recreation' comes from From Under the Overcoat, which won the 2012 People's Choice Award at the NZ Post Book Awards. While Sue Orr's story is a contemporary riff on a Maori myth, there are several stories touching on the war, of recent travel, of colonial appropriation, of love and friendship. Other stories are by Witi Ihimaera, Stephanie Johnson, Sarah Laing, Carl Nixon, Sarah Quigley and Peter Wells. A fabulous smorgasbord to satisfy every taste.

“If you only have room in your collection for one book on WWII-era warbird wreck histories and recoveries, then it should be this one. . . . Fascinating.” —Alan Griffith, author of Consolidated Mess Aviation historian Nicholas A. Veronico has been investigating and writing about aircraft wrecks for many years. His website, wreckchasing.com, is the go-to source for enthusiasts who want to know more about how to locate vintage airplane wrecks and then tell their stories. In this engaging new book, Veronico explores the romantic era of World War II Warbirds and the stories of some of its most famous wrecks, including the “Swamp Ghost” (a B-17E which crashed in New Guinea in the early days of World War II and which was only recently recovered), and “Glacier Girl” (a P-38, part of “The Lost Squadron,” which crashed in a large ice sheet in Greenland in 1942). Throughout, Veronico provides a history of the aircraft, as well as the unique story behind each discovery and recovery with ample illustrations. Hidden Warbirds is aviation history at its best.

A hilarious short story about a woman who decides to buy New Zealand Stuck in the dry desert of Single Tree Gully, Australia, in 1840, Mrs C Wentworth dreams of a place deluged with rain. An island to own, and rain. The pigeon post brings word from her husband that he has negotiated with some Maori chiefs to purchase the isle on which she has set her heart. However, politics intervene . . .

This book, written by a distinguished selection of academics and commentators, provides the most detailed comparison yet of old and new Labour in power.

Contracting out public sector services and divesting public enterprises are reforms that have enjoyed widespread global popularity in recent years. Better services, lower prices and greater accountability are the promises made by politicians, senior executives, and investment companies when functions are moved from the public sector to private enterprise. But in Privatization, Graeme A. Hodge challenges these assumptions. Through an examination of hundreds of international studies on the performance of privatization activities, Hodge demonstrates that privatizing public services is often not the guaranteed panacea portrayed by its political supporters. Importantly, privatization activities can lead to modest gains, but there are also winners and losers in this reform. It therefore deserves far more care and balanced debate than it usually attracts.