{"title":"Biographies, Autobiographies and Memoirs","description":"\u003cp\u003eA carefully curated selection of biographies, autobiographies and memoirs — from adventurers and aviators to artists and everyday lives. Each book tells a real story worth reading.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"next-patient-please","title":"Next Patient Please","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Dr Jonathan Rodney\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePublished 1958\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback with dust jacket - in good condition but some foxing on edge of pages. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA medical memoir this covers different patients who came through the doctor's consulting rooms.  A lot of people seem to suffer from 'hysteria' and there's even a case of 'melancholia'. 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With plenty of black and white photographs and a lively and engaging way of writing, this is a fascinating and readable memoir of life in the high country. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51344607838508,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/thebossstory.jpg?v=1752482605"},{"product_id":"the-road-back","title":"The Road Back","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Robert Buchan\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSoft cover, published 1973. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn account of Robert Buchan's time spent as a headmaster in a variety of schools around New Zealand, along with his wife and young family. 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I had stories about the terrible Wilberforce: so many people had drowned in it.\"  A great opener to a beautiful book about the author's life at the wild and remote Mount Algidus Station, with lots of black and white photos. Anderson is a warm, engaging and never pretentious writer - she tells a great story of rural life in the 1950s. This is an NZ classic - one to read and keep. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51779698098476,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/riverrulesmylife1.jpg?v=1780537480"},{"product_id":"high-adventure","title":"High Adventure","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Edmund Hillary\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a wonderful account of Hillary's mountain adventures and the Everest expedition. He was, he says, sixteen before he ever saw a mountain - and that was on a 10 day school ski-ing trip to Mt Ruapehu. 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This is an easy and interesting read that gives a great view of Queenstown back in those days, the characters and the working life of a doctor. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLots of old black and white pictures too. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGreat stuff. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51833052234028,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/20250823_171855.jpg?v=1755931837"},{"product_id":"a-river-rules-my-life","title":"A River Rules My Life","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Mona Anderson\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehardback with dust jacket. published 1963. Small tear at top of spine on dust jacket, could be repaired,  Previous owner's name on second page. In good overall condition for a book of this age. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"The River was my Rubicon. I had heard stories about the terrible Wilberforce: so many people had drowned in it.\"  A great opener to a beautiful book about the author's life at the wild and remote Mount Algidus Station, with lots of black and white photos. Anderson is a warm, engaging and never pretentious writer - she tells a great story of rural life in the 1950s. This is an NZ classic - one to read and keep. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51849243722028,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/riverrulesmylife.jpg?v=1756262420"},{"product_id":"beasts-in-my-bed","title":"Beasts In My Bed","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Jacquie Durrell\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003epaperback published in 1967, this edition 1971.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first wife of naturalist and author, Gerald Durrell, Jacquie Durrell recounts their early days together and plenty of trips to collect animals from overseas.  She's a warm and funny writer and it's interesting to hear a different voice on the very well documented adventures of Gerald Durrell. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \"Gerry Durrell's intrusion into my life was annoying and upsetting for everyone concerned. Being by nature a rather solitary person, and also scornful of people whom I considered to be shallow, spoilt and wholly extrovert, I viewed Mr Durrell at first with grave suspicion.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51862480191788,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/jacquiedurrell.jpg?v=1756506488"},{"product_id":"the-seven-rivers","title":"The Seven Rivers","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Douglas Stewart\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHardback with dust jacket. In very good condition. Published 1966.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is a book mostly \"about trout-fishing in Australia and New Zealand, and mostly meant for fishermen. It contains very little advice, for I don't claim to be an expert, I wrote it simply for the pleasure of going fishing again in retrospect, along my favourite rivers\". These are the author's words from the introduction to this book. A lovely, thoughtful book. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51866873299244,"sku":null,"price":25.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/sevenrivers.jpg?v=1756631142"},{"product_id":"living-high","title":"Living High","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Linda Gill\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback, in good condition. Published 1983. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe true story of a family that head to the Himalayas, accompanying Sir Edmund Hillary on a visit to the Solu-Khombu region at the foot of Everest. Includes plenty of interesting old images. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51874125938988,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0921\/2677\/3548\/files\/livinghigh.jpg?v=1756804259"},{"product_id":"when-a-crocodile-eats-the-sun","title":"When A Crocodile Eats The Sun","description":"\u003cp\u003eby Peter Godwin\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback. Published 2006. In very good condition. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaul Godwin is on assignment in Africa when he is summoned by his mother to Zimbabwe, his birthplace, where his father is sick. Over the next few years Godwin spends his time travelling between the US, where he lives and works, and Zimbabwe where his parents live.  This book brings together vivid reportage and moving personal stories. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Retro Reads","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51880952987948,"sku":null,"price":10.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"menagerie-manor","title":"Menagerie Manor","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy Gerald Durrell\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ehardback, with dust jacket, in very good condition. published 1964. With pen illustrations by Ralph Thompson - well known for his sketches of animals -  who also designed the dust jacket. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA lovely recounting of how Durrell came to start his own zoo in Jersey. Told with humour and warmth - it's easy to see why his books have always been so popular. 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