Book excerpt: Although there have been recent works on the origins and consequences of the 19th-century New Zealand Wars, this is the first thorough reexamination of their course in over sixty years. According to the author, "The degree of Maori success in all four major wars is still underestimated--even to the point where, in the case of one war, the wrong side is said to have won." Here, Belich sets out to show how historical distortions have arisen over time revises our understanding of New Zealand history.