The Forgotten Wars: Why the Musket Wars matter today

Distinguished author and lawyer Ron Crosby brilliantly rewrites his seminal The Musket Wars on a thematic basis, simplifying it to a concise work full of maps and illustrations for the general reader. Years of presentations to schools and groups is reflected in this dynamic new approach.

Muskets, potatoes and other introductions fundamentally altered the balance of power in 19th-century Aotearoa, leading to inter-iwi conflicts over almost 40 years that claimed tens of thousands of lives (killing, wounding or displacing up to half of the Māori population).

This important work will further understanding of how the boom of muskets continues to echo in New Zealand today. And it needs to — the wars are still neglected by government and glossed over by other histories. The Forgotten Wars ensures these epic conflicts will be remembered.