The New Zealand Wars of the nineteenth century still cast a long shadow over the twenty-first. Three decades of fighting across much of the North Island ensured Pakeha rule, but also enabled Maori survival.

This guidebook, heavily illustrated with photographs, artwork and maps, takes you on a journey of discovery, both by car and foot, through the often-ignored history that surrounds us.

Each chapter presents a guided tour of the theatre of war. The battlefields are located and described; the conflicts placed in context. These descriptions bring to life the bitter struggles that occurred.

These special places are where history happened, and should be remembered in honour of all those who fought to create our New Zealand.