Review

A Short History of the NZ Wars

The  key word in the title is ‘Short’. While there are is already a number of  books on the New Zealand Wars, of which some are excellent – those by James Belich, James Cowan, Keith Sinclair and Claudia Orange for instance,

this  history by Gordon McLauchlan is by comparison quite short at 180 pages. However this highly regarded author’s story telling skills come to the fore, leaving nothing out he provides the story of our history through the 1800s in chronological order without becoming over descriptive.  

The book’s nice easy to read style makes it perfect for the generations who’s education was lamentably lacking in information on these formative years of today’s New Zealand. Gordon McLauchlin follows the colony’s history from 1809 carefully noting all the details of who did what , where, when and why. He is not judgemental but  gives all the relevant facts leaving the reader to come to a conclusion. It must be said that some of the early shapers of our history do not come out of analysis very well. 

His narration is enhanced by the inclusion of items secondary to the main story. For instance the seeming undue haste in the producing the Waitangi Treaty document was, as well as the concern of French intentions, in part driven by the worry of an increasing American interest in the country. Kororareka had become a base for dozens of American whaling and sealing ships and American warships also visited regularly. With a subsequent large number shore based Americans the dollar had become accepted as a local currency. The American government had even set up an official United States Consul in Kororareka. 

Highly recommended; an evening or two’s enjoyable reading will give you an excellent understanding of our nation’s early history.

Mike Beckett 

This book is available at your library