An Uncommon Land

From an ancestral past of enclosure towards a regenerative future

Author: Catherine Knight

Paperback

Through the lens of her ancestors' stories, the author throws light on the genesis and evolution of the commons, its erosion through enclosure and the ascendency of private property. An Uncommon Land is a story of enclosure, dispossession, colonisation and - ultimately - hope for a better future.

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Summary

Critic Reviews

‘A highly original, intriguing and excellent work of scholarship, An Uncommon Land looks to the past to provide a pathway to a sustainable and fairer future. Weaving family histories of migration brilliantly into broader themes of colonisation, the commodification of land and climate change, Knight suggests we look to the concept of the commons as a way of managing finite environmental resources for the benefit of all. A timely, topical and essential read.’ - Vincent O’Malley, author of The Great War for New Zealand 1800–2000.

‘Knight’s research is wide ranging and impressive and the text flows seamlessly as she builds a complex and multi-faceted argument’ – Tom Brooking, Emeritus Professor of History, Otago University

About the Author

Dr Catherine Knight is an award-winning writer and environmental historian, and a policy practitioner. She is an Honorary Research Associate at the School of People, Environment and Planning, Massey University, and the author of five previous books, including Nature and Wellbeing in Aotearoa New Zealand (Totara Press, 2020), Beyond Manapouri: 50 years of environmental politics in New Zealand (Canterbury University Press, 2018), New Zealand’s Rivers: An environmental history (Canterbury University Press, 2016) and Ravaged Beauty: An environmental history of the Manawatu (Dunmore/Totara Press, 2014).