John Dunmore

John Dunmore (6 August 1923 – 1 May 2023) was a French-born New Zealand academic, historian, author, playwright, and publisher.

Biography Dunmore was born in Trouville-sur-Mer, France, on 6 August 1923.

Dunmore's main field of history was the exploration of the Pacific, particularly by French navigators. He wrote two major biographies of La Pérouse, and translated and edited his journals (which he rediscovered after they had been misfiled in the French National Archives). In addition, he wrote biographies and edited the journals of both de Surville and of Bougainville. His biography of de Surville, The fateful voyage of the St. Jean Baptiste, won the Wattie Book of the Year award in 1970.

His work was highly regarded by scholars as well as by the public: "John Dunmore has done more than anyone to bring our attention to the achievements of eighteenth and nineteenth century French explorers of the Pacific" "cette étonnante biographie, élégamment écrite (this stunning and elegantly written biography (of Bougainville))" "The succinct and perceptive evaluation of the voyages and the Anglo-French rivalry is of great use"

Dunmore wrote a variety of other books, including a series of thrillers under the pseudonym "Jason Calder". He produced a book of 18th-century recipes, Mrs Cook's book of recipes for mariners in distant seas. Some of the recipes were derived from the logs of explorers of the day. He also wrote plays, held office in the Playwrights Association of New Zealand, and wrote a history of the association.

In his capacity as professor of French, Dunmore was president of the New Zealand Federation des Alliances Francaises, a post he held for twenty years.

Dunmore established two separate publishing firms, the Dunmore Press (1969–1984) and Heritage Press (1985–2004). The Dunmore Press, a substantial New Zealand publisher of academic books, eventually became part of the Thomson publishing group, in 2004.

Dunmore died on 1 May 2023, at the age of 99.

Honours and awards In 1990, Dunmore was awarded the New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours, he was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to literature and historical research.

The French Government appointed Dunmore as a Chevalier dans la Légion d'honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honor) in 1976, and an Officier dans l'Ordre des Palmes académiques (Officer of the Academic Palms) in 1986. He was promoted to Officier de la Légion d'honneur (Officer of the Legion of Honor) in 2007, becoming only the tenth New Zealander to hold this level of the order and the third New Zealander to be promoted to the superior rank of Officer after Lieutenant Colonel James Waddell and Nancy Wake.

Massey University awarded Dunmore an honorary DLitt degree in 2006.

Books This list of books by Dunmore is representative but by no means complete. He also wrote many articles, book chapters, reviews, plays and other items. A list of his scholarly writings to 2005 is included in Pacific Journeys at pp. 15–19.

Biographies

Published also by ABC Books, Sydney, Australia. Published also by ABC Books, Sydney, Australia & University of Alaska Press, 2007,

Translation of Pacific Explorer.

Translated and edited journals of explorers

Other historical works

Fiction "Jason Calder" is a pseudonym for John Dunmore.

Other Also published by the Australian National Maritime Museum.