This is a stunning biography of a figure who looms large in New Zealand's history. I use the word 'looms' intentionally as William Colenso is one of those figures who is there, who did so much, who wrote so much, who has a secondary school named after him, who has plant species with his name attached, but who is often not acknowledged.

He was a missionary, collector, speaker of Te Reo, botanist, tramper and explorer, and historian. Wells also describes a young unmarried man in colonial New Zealand, a lover and a father, a husband and finally a man alone.

It is not usual in biographies of notable men to read of how they might have felt and re-acted to circumstances and this is where the title of the biography comes from. Colenso was hungry for approval, for connection and for love.

In the first instance he was a missionary for the Church Missionary Society and his zeal for his calling underpins his later history.

In writing this fine piece of work Peter Wells reveals a lot about himself - his way of writing, his feelings, his interest in New Zealand history and I think too his love of his country.

Wells appears to have written an exhaustive biography which is carefully footnoted and referenced. There is so much to learn here both about our country and about the art of writing a biography.

The author uses photography extensively and while that is not always easy to see in a Kindle version, it supports and accompanies the text. The photographs draw you in - especially those showing locations where Wells is looking for evidence.

If I had any quibbles about the coverage of this life. I would have liked to find out what he died from in 1899 and how his death was reacted to in public spheres at the time.

Peter Wells never pretends that he has written the definitive biograpohy of William Colenso and he acknowledges the loose ends which will always be evident when an author tries to get under the skin, into the mind and feelings of his subject. ( )