'I doubt people of my age would have grown up with such a strong sense of New Zealandness if it hadn't been for Reed Books ... publication by Reeds was a source of great pride', historian Michael King believed. For generations of Kiwis a raupo on the spine of a book has been as much a part of living in New Zealand as quarter-acre sections, hokey-pokey ice cream or jandals. In this eclectic sampling, historian Gavin McLean blows the dust from New Zealand publishing's greatest backlist to serve up more than 80 selections from the Reed vault. The iconic writers - Herbert Guthrie-Smith, Janet Frame, Barry Crump, Denis Glover, Frank Sargeson, Peter Wells, Witi Ihimaera - rub shoulders with the forgotten - C.R. Allen, F.W.G. Miller, Peter Newton, Ruth Gilbert. There's light relief from Pat Lawlor, Mary Scott, Helen Brown, Bob Jones and Richared Hadlee, and searing, gritty writing from R.A.K. Mason, Mary Findlay, Bill Payne and David Brown. We look back at tumultuous events - wars, shipwrecks, the 1981 Springbok tour - examine social issues such as juvenile delinquency, bodgies and gangs, explore Maori culture, popular music and even sample the odd recipe. As Whare Korero shows, Reed isthe voice of New Zealand.