The first shots were fired on Wiremu Kingi's Te Kohia pa on 17 March 1860, marking the start of twenty-one years of direct conflict between Maori and Pakeha in the Taranaki region interspersed with periods of uneasy peace, culminating in the invasion of the Parihaka settlement on 5 November 1881. In Contested Ground: Te Whenua i Tohea, Kelvin Day brings together eleven distinguished academics and historians who provide fresh and engaging insights into this turbulent period, much sourced from previously overlooked material, and a remarkable collection of photographs and illustrations. 2010 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the Taranaki Wars, and this thoughtful and informative volume helps shed new light on the people and political landscape of 19th century Taranaki and the legacy of the wars on the history of Aotearoa New Zealand.