A Wild Wind from the North

A Wild Wind from the North

HONGI HIKA’S 1823 INVASION OF ROTORUA by Don Stafford

In 1823, Hongi Hika, the feared Ngapuhi warrior-chief of Northland, led a war party to avenge an insult to his people on Motutawa island and Mokoia islands. A Wild Wind from the North is the story of the attack, a tale of heroic stands, of deceptions and betrayals, of gracious mercy and great brutality.

Peeling back the veneer of previous studies and dispelling many misconceptions, the book is a modern, accessible account of Hongi Hika’s actions in Rotorua that will generate strong local interest and appeal to anyone fascinated by colourful New Zealand history and personalities.

The trials and tribulations of possibly our most famous Maori war general and tribal leader are extremely well researched and amply supported by illustrations, photographs taken by the author – including eight pages in full colour – and detailed maps. A Wild Wind from the North offers a chronological account of Hongi’s life – from his birth in Kaikohe, right through to a consideration of his legacy to Rotorua and New Zealand.

Veteran historian Don Stafford is a respected and renowned authority on the Polynesian people of New Zealand.

His handling of the subject matter is sensitive and his close affi liation with Te Arawa people of Rotorua is very evident as he shows how the actions of Hika have been distorted by the frames of traditional historical reportage whilst updating existing scholarship on the subject. An important, timely work, A Wild Wind from the North is a fascinating and absorbing account of the events leading up to the 1823 invasion, of the resulting devastation wrought, and the man behind it all, Hongi Hika. SRP: $39.99

ENDS

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