First published in 1995, this New Zealand and Maori history is a bilingual collection, in 67 chapters, of the histories, genealogies, songs and chants of the Tainui people. It represents the culmination of a life's work by the scholar and historian Dr Pei Te Hurinui Jones.

Blending academic history and cultural insight, this bilingual compilation charts the genealogies, songs, and stories of the Polynesian/Maori Tainui people. More than 60 stories and 50 genealogical tables convey the astounding depth and color of the native people of New Zealand in this compelling cultural study.