Soldiers, Scouts and Spies : A Military History of the New Zealand Wars 1845–1864

A Fascinating And Detailed Study Of The Major Campaigns On The New Zealand Wars. As Interest In The New Zealand Wars Grows, Soldiers, Scouts Andspies Offers A Unique Insight Into The Major Campaigns Fought Between 1845 And 1864 By British Troops, Their Militia And Maori Allies, And Maori Iwi And Coalitions. It Was A Time Of Rapid Technological Change. Maori Were Quick To Adopt Western Weaponry And Evolve Their Tactics -- And Even Political Structures -- As They Looked For Ways To Confront The Might Of The Imperial War Machine. And Britain, Despite Being A Military And Economic Super Power, Was Challenged By A Capable Enemy In A Difficult Environment. This Detailed Examination Of The Wars From A Military Perspective Focuses On The Period Of Relatively Conventional Warfare Before The Increasingly 'irregular' Fighting Of The Late 1860s. It Explains How And Where The Battles Were Fought, And Their Outcomes. Importantly, It Also Analyses The Intelligence-gathering Skills And Processes Of Both British And Maori Forces As Each Sought To Understand And Overcome Their Enemy. "Soldiers, Scouts and Spies offers a unique insight into the major campaigns fought between 1845 and 1864 by British troops, their militia and Māori allies, and Māori iwi and coalitions.It was a time of rapid technological change. Māori were quick to adopt western weaponry and evolve their tactics - and even political structures - as they looked for ways to confront the might of the Imperial war machine. And Britain, despite being a military and economic super power, was challenged by a capable enemy in a difficult environment. This detailed examination of the Wars from a military perspective focuses on the period of relatively conventional warfare before the increasingly 'irregular' fighting of the late 1860s. It explains how and where the battles were fought, and their outcomes. Importantly, it also analyses the intelligence-gathering skills and processes of both British and Māori forces as each sought to understand and overcome their enemy"--www.masseypress.ac.nz Contents 1. The New Zealand Wars 2. The Māori and British Forces 3. Colonial Warfare and Military Intelligence 4. Blurred Images 5. The Northern War 6. Chiefs and Governors 7. War at Wellington 8. The Spark Ignites in Taranaki 9. The Conflict Widens 10. War Spreads to the Waikato 11. The Invasion of the Waikato 12. The War Reaches Tauranga 13. Tragedy at Te Ranga 14. Conclusion Notes References Acknowledgments About the Author