Notes

The New Zealand Wars of the mid-nineteenth century profoundly shaped the course and direction of our nation's history. This book takes us to the heart of these conflicts with a series of first-hand accounts from Maori and Pakeha who either fought in or witnessed the wars that ravaged New Zealand between 1845 and 1872. From Heni Te Kiri Karamu's narrative of her remarkable exploits as a wahine toa, through to Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky's writing of his time in the Forest Rangers and beyond, we learn about the wars at a human level. The often fragmentary, sometimes hastily written accounts that make up Voices from the New Zealand Wars vividly evoke the extreme emotions - fear, horror, pity and courage - experience during the most turbulent time in our country's history. Each account is introduced and contextualised. (Distributor)