The New Zealand Wars and the Victorian Interpretation of Racial Conflict

Author(s): James Belich

Maori | New Zealand | New Zealand

Revealing the enormous tactical and military skill of Maori, and the inability of 'Victorian interpretation' to acknowledge those qualities, Belich's account of the New Zealand Wars offered a very different picture from the one previously given in historical works. Maori, in Belich's view, won the Northern War and stalemated the British in the Taranaki War of 1860-61 only to be defeated by 18, 000 British troops in the Waikato War of 1863-64. The secret of effective Maori resistance was an innovative military system, the modern pa: a trench-and-bunker fortification of a sophistication not achieved in Europe until 1915. According to the author, 'The degree of Maori success in all four major wars is still underestimated - even to the point where, in the case of one war, the wrong side is said to have won.' First published in 1986, James Belich's groundbreaking book reshaped our understanding of the 'bitter and bloody struggles' between Maori and Pakeha in the New Zealand Wars. This bestselling classic of New Zealand history is a must-read - and Belich's larger argument about the impact of historical interpretation resonates today.

Foxing to page edges, quite heavy at front, toning to title page, light glue residue to edges of enpapers, note on front endpaper, dustjacket upper spine creased


Product Information

General Fields

  • : 9781869400026
  • : Auckland University Press
  • : Auckland University Press
  • : January 1986
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : James Belich
  • : hardback with dustjacket
  • : first edition
  • : good-very good
  • : 396