On 7 March 1870 the prophet and rebel Te Kooti swept out of Te Urewera to Opape, east of Opōtiki, in what would be his last major action of the New Zealand Wars.
His forces abducted 218 Whakatohea (mostly women, children, and old men) and marched them into the bush to build a pa called Waipuna. Before long the government sent troops in pursuit - almost exclusively Māori.
In this captivating book, historian Ron Crosby draws on his decades of experience in Te Urewera and recently discovered diaries to recount this overlooked yet crucial episode in the New Zealand Wars - for the first time locating precisely where the events occurred, and telling what really happened.
A foreword by Justice Joe Williams sets the scene ... Illustrated with detailed maps, sketches and photos, Te Kooti's Last Foray sets straight the historical record of Ngāti Porou and Whanganui's chase, casts new light on the character and abilities of Te Kooti, and brings to life an incredible story of hardship, endurance and conflicting loyalties in colonial New Zealand.
Ron Crosby burst onto the publishing scene in 1999 with his landmark The Musket Wars (still in print through Oratia Books), and has followed that with a wide range of books, including Gilbert Mair: Te Kooti’s Nemesis (2004), NZSAS: The First Fifty Years (2009), Kūpapa (2015) and most recently The Forgotten Wars: Why the Musket Wars matter today (Oratia Books, 2020). Formerly a barrister, Ron was appointed to the Waitangi Tribunal in 2011. His interest in te ao Māori is constantly reinforced by his whānau relationships, his wife Margy being of Te Rarawa and Te Aupoūri descent. They live in Blenheim (see www.roncrosby.co.nz).
Paperback, 288 pages
H: 240mm W: 160mm Spine: 16mm
Weight: 400 grams