The story of how the map of New Zealand emergedis a fascinating one. The first full map of the islands was published in Londonin 1773, which might seem the natural starting point, but over the preceding150 years, fragments of charts and intelligence about New Zealand ricochetedaround various parts of the world.  In ADraught of the South Land, Paul Moon provides the first comprehensiveaccount of this piecemeal process. Moon’s investigation covers several continentsover more than a century, and reveals the personalities, blunders, strategicmiscalculations, scientific brilliance, and imperial power-plays that wereinvolved. Above all, he examines the roles played by explorers and traders,Maori and European rulers, scientific societies and military groups, as well asspecialist cartographers and publishers. At a time when maps as colonial tools,enablers of trade and objects of curiosity are being studied anew, his carefulanalysis and engaging narrative will be of interest to scholars everywhere.