“…a truly inspirational story about two Kiwi battlers with very different personalities.”
Ken West is Dad to two children, Jeremy (29) and Nikki (26) – and grandfather to Heath (3 ½). He is a Branch Manager for a national hose and coupling company and a very keen sailor. He enjoys mainly spy/thriller novels but is always open to picking up new reads.
Click here to meet the rest of our Penguin Dad Panel and find the perfect book for your dad, as reviewed by ours!
Book review - The Kiwi Pair by Eric Murray & Hamish Bond
On sale 26 august 2016
I’d usually choose a great spy novel over a sports bio - however, I am extremely pleased I had the privilege of reading The Kiwi Pair. This book is not what you would think, and once I started it I couldn’t put it down.
This is a truly inspirational story about two Kiwi battlers with very different personalities (one’s a party animal and the other’s a nerd) who are both extremely professional and almost ‘over the top’ dedicated to their sport and their burning desire to win.
The book also gives an insight into the personal relationships between the rowers and coaches and their passion to win. From race to race you follow the journey of these two brilliant, dedicated athletes, and again get insight into their incredible highs and their deepest lows. The pain of training day after day; their beginnings, their history and their other interests and sports.
I loved the way the chapters alternated between the two rowers. This is not ‘just another sports book’. The book is well thought out and not too technical for the general purpose reader. I believe anyone with a passion to succeed will enjoy this rare insight into the dedication and commitment it takes to win.
Click here to see more Penguin Dad Panel reviews.
More books like this for your Dad:
Learn how to pre-order Alchemised by SenLin Yu and join the thousands of readers who will start reading it on 23 September 2025.
Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!
Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.
Don’t know which order to read the Lottie Brooks books? Find out which to read first, and learn a little bit about each book.
Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!
Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.
From tales of Ancient Greece to epics set in the Second World War, these are the historical novels at the top of our reading piles this year.
Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.
Finished The Let Them Theory and wondering what to read next? Check out this list of 20 suggested picks that will leave you feeling inspired and empowered.
For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.
For Mother's Day 2025 we're celebrating the power of books to bring us closer.
Let us know below which three of our fantastic Mother’s Day books mum would love, and we’ll send them to you in time for Mother’s Day!