New Zealand's top 100 history-makers / Joseph Romanos.

A spin-off from the television programme of the same name.

Ernest Rutherford : Lord of the atom -- Kate Sheppard : Nothing less than equal -- Edmund Hillary : The man who took New Zealand to the top of the world -- George Grey : The governor who shaped New Zealand -- Michael Joseph Savage : The Prime Minister who set up the welfare state -- Apirana Ngata : Maori leader in a Pakeha world -- Hone Heke : Formidable warrior, man of intellect -- Truby King : Plunket Society visionary -- William Hobson : Treaty of Waitangi author -- Jean Batten : The Garbo of the skies -- Brian Barratt-Boyes -- Peter Snell : Like a Sherman tank in full flight -- William Pickering : The rocket man -- Peter Jackson : Giant of the big screen -- Janet Frame : The author whose writing literally saved her -- Te Rauparaha : The Napoleon of the Southern Hemisphere -- Colin Meads : The famous five -- Whina Cooper : Tireless campaigner for Maori rights -- Katherine Mansfield : The shooting star who has continued to shine -- Thomas Brydone and William Davidson : The men whose big chill ideas launched the meat export industry -- Richard Pearse : A world first for a flying Kiwi? -- Te Whiti : The Gandhi of the South Pacific -- Richard John Seddon : The political giant -- Peter Buck : Master of many trades -- Julius Vogel : The expansionist whose policies shaped a fledgling country -- Maurice Wilkins : The scientist who helped unravel the mystery of DNA -- Helen Clark : Labour's first lady -- Mabel Howard : The woman who shocked Parliament -- Bernard Freyberg : The soldier who became Governor-General -- Harold Gillies : The father of plastic surgery -- Kiri Te Kanawa : The diva who sang for royalty -- Keith Park : Fearless in mind and duty -- Alan McDiarmid : The boy chemist who won a Nobel Prize -- Peter Blake : The Hillary of the seas -- Clarence Beeby : The visionary behind New Zealand's education system -- Jack Lovelock : An enigma who was our first great runner -- John Bedbrook : The biotech pioneer -- James K Baxter : The gifted poet who challenged society -- Fred Hollows : The wild colonial boy of eye surgery -- Murray Halberg : Champion sportsman, generous human being -- Neil Finn : The dream's not over -- Edward Gibbon Wakefield : Self-serving, but a man who got things done -- David Lange : Right man, right time -- Rob Muldoon : The feisty Nat who changed the face of politics -- Thomas Edmonds : The businessman who rose to the top -- Colin McCahon : The modernist who enhanced cultural nationalism -- Colin Murdoch : The lateral thinker who saved millions of lives -- Archie McIndoe : The maestro who worked miracles with the Guinea Pig Club -- Samuel Marsden : The driving forces behind Christianity in New Zealand -- Peter Fraser : The great war time leader -- John Clarke : The comic genius who showed New Zealand how to laugh at itself -- Ettie Rout : The free spirit who was born too soon -- Arthur Lydiard : The coach who revolutionised athletics training -- Kupe : The voyager who discovered Aotearoa -- Te Puea Herangi : The greatest Maori woman of her time -- John Walker : The third of New Zealand's great middle-distance champions -- Tim Finn : The creator of Split Enz -- John A Lee : From Labour Party pin-up boy to exile -- James Wattie : The man who gave us baked beans and frozen veges -- William Hamilton : Jet-boat inventor -- Norman Kirk : Big Norm, champion of ordinary New Zealanders -- Bill Gallagher : His electric fence took farming into a new era -- Michael King : The writer who explained New Zealand to New Zealanders -- Frances Hodgkins : The Dunedin painter who became world-renowned -- George Nepia : The prince of All Black fullbacks -- James Fletcher : The engaging immigrant who built an empire -- Suzanne Aubert : New Zealand's Mother Teresa -- Charles Heaphy : The adventurer with many strings to his bow -- Alfred Reed : Pioneering publisher and inspirational wanderer -- Frank Sargeson : The writer who captured New Zealand working-class vernacular -- Roger Douglas : The man who shaped New Zealand's modern economy -- Matt During : The neuroscientist who is making a difference -- Te Kooti : Tribal leader and prophet -- Hongi Hika : The Nga Puhi leader who encouraged European settlement -- David Low : The free-spirited cartoonist who would not be cowered -- Kate Edger : Pioneer of women's education -- Marie Clay : The Michael Jordan of reading -- Rewi Alley : New Zealand'a gift to China -- Tom Ellison : Rugby legend and astute Maori leader -- Rua Kenana : The Maori prophet who established his own community -- Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana : The faith-healer who spawned religious and political movements -- Maud Basham (Aunt Daisy) : The diminutive giant of radio broadcasting -- Charles Upham : The ultimate soldier -- Ralph Hotere : The "black artist" -- Richard Hadlee : New Zealand cricket's one-man distruction unit -- Billy T James : The irreverent entertainer who was loved by a nation -- Keith Sinclair : The historian's historian -- Charles Goldie : The man who turned portrait painting into an art form -- John Minto : The activist with an acute social conscience -- Rudall Hayward : Early master of the silver screen -- Witi Ihimaera : Maori storyteller, New Zealand novelist -- John Rangihau : Bridging the Maori-Pakeha divide -- Dave Dobbyn : The beloved entertainer -- Russell Coutts : The yachtie who made the America's Cup his cup -- Jonah Lomu : The softly-spoken giant who took the rugby world by storm -- Peter Mahon : The judge whose Erebus crash report made him a household name -- Georgina Beyer : From drag queen to Member of Parliament -- A J Hackett : The man who took bungy-jumping to the world -- Denny Hulme : The quiet achiever who snared the greatest prize in motor sport -- Russell Crowe : Rough diamond, brilliant actor.

New Zealand's top 100 history makers contains profiles of the people who have shaped New Zealand, and is staggering in it's scope. Those profiled range from politicians and inventors to musicians and sports stars.