In this book, Alistair Woodward and Tony Blakely tell the extraordinary story of life and death in Aotearoa New Zealand from first Maori settlement to the 21st century.

Did Maori or Europeans live longer 1769? How did Pakeha New Zealanders become the healthiest, most long lived people on the face of the globe (and why did Maori not enjoy the same life expectancy)? What caused New Zealanders’ health and longevity to be surpassed by other nations in the late twentieth century? Through quantitative analysis, presented in accessible graphics and lively text, the authors answer these questions by analysing the impact of nutrition and disease, immigration and unemployment, alcohol and obesity, medicine and vaccination. The result is a powerful argument about why we live and why we die in this country (and what we might do about it).

The Health Country? is important reading for anyone interested in the story of New Zealanders and a decisive intervention in debates about health, disease and medicine.