Maori and Settler: A Story of The New Zealand War

The narrative follows Wilfrid Renshaw and his family as settlers in New Zealand, tracing their voyage, establishment on the frontier, and escalating involvement in local conflicts. It presents two linked phases of warfare: conventional actions against fortified pā and the later rise of the Pai Mārire (Hau-Hau) movement, whose campaign of massacres and fanaticism provokes vigilante and military responses. Episodes include raids, defences, a notorious massacre at Poverty Bay, and the pursuit of Te Kooti, blending personal adventure, patrols, and sieges to depict courage, cultural collision, and the hardships of colonists and indigenous communities during a prolonged, violent struggle.