Based on fact, this tells of Kimball Bent, a Yankee who blundered into the British army in the mid-19th century, and was sent to fight in New Zealand. He deserted across battle lines to the Maori side in possibly the most ferocious colonial war ever fought. From the author of "Season of the Jew".
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
The author of the critically acclaimed Season of the Jew here turns his attention to a little-known event in New Zealand's history: a fierce battle between the island's native Maori and British colonists, "the most extraordinary of the many wars fought by the Maori in the 19th century." At the center is a real figure, Kimball Bent, a rebellious, American-born British soldier who deserts his regiment and joins the natives in their insurrection against the imperialists. Once adopted by the Maori chieftain Titokowaru, commonly known as Titoko, Bent becomes as Maori as a white man can--he accepts cannibalism, enters into a symbolic marriage with another chieftain's daughter, participates in much bloody fighting and, with Titoko and his aides, engages in countless conversations that manage to touch on nearly all aspects of the human condition. The fast-moving, vivid tale presents riveting accounts of warfare, in which Titoko both defeats and is defeated by British soldiers. The narrative is propelled mainly through dialogue, much of it hilarious, as Bent struggles to puzzle out Maori habits and the tribesmen cope with his foreign ways--and fecund profanity. Shadbolt is an accomplished raconteur, and his dramatic, atmospheric story is a winner.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
An American deserts Queen Victoria's army to cast his lot with Maoris fighting to keep their rightful share of New Zealand--in another historical novel by the author of Season of the Jew (1987), etc. Wary readers will encounter none of the bogus reverence that is the curse of most American aboriginal epics in this dry, mildly overlong story of the Maoris' hopeless fight to hold off total European settlement and dominance of their island. The only American touch is the point of view of Kimball Bent, a Maine man who flees the mindless cruelty of the British army that is policing New Zealand's young coastal settlements and runs haphazardly into the arms of rebellious tribes in the hinterlands. Bent had hoped to make it to the South Island gold fields, but the Maoris have other uses for him, and he is required to remain with them. Bent is the furthest thing from Kevin Costner's moony surfin' wolf dancer. Baffled by tribal politics and thoroughly revolted by ceremonial cannibalism, the unsentimental Yankee wants only to get out of the forest and then maybe back to Maine. Skirmish after skirmish with the British gradually wears him down until his loyalties shift to the Maoris. He never gets the hang of cannibalism (most of the Maoris are equally put off), but he does begin to hanker for a chief warrior's daughter who finds him not too unattractive as scrawny white men go. Bent is witness to a string of clever Maori victories that eventually--and very sadly--founder on the wicked rocks of family passions. Clever and unpretentious, remarkable for the subtle anti- touristic depiction of the islands and the natives. Suffers occasionally--but not fatally--from low blood pressure. -- Copyright ©1991, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book !,
By A Customer
This review is from: Monday's Warriors (Hardcover)
This is a fictional account of the real-life events of the second Taranaki conflict during the NZ Land Wars of the 1860's.Funny? i wept ! I loved this book. I recently read "The NZ Wars" by James Belich and found myself flicking backwards and forwards from Belich to Shadbolt to see what they said about the same events. The only other NZ-war based adventure stories i've read were Errol Braithwaite's but they show their 1960s vintage - this is much better. Mr Shadbolt's sequels on the Land Wars dealt with the Te Urewera and NgaPuhi wars (skipping around a bit chronologically), they're great but i think i enjoyed "Mondays Warriors" the best.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Intriguing, but strange--and hard to evaluate.,
By
This review is from: Monday's Warriors (Hardcover)
Maurice Shadbolt, a New Zealander, has written a stirring novel of the mid-19th century wars there between the indigenous Maori and the British army and colonists who were determined to deprive them of their land and heritage. In fast-paced prose and thoroughly involving scenes of both warfare and domestic life among the Maori, Shadbolt recreates the tragic and bloody battles which took the lives of thousands of British and countless numbers of outgunned and outmanned Maori.
Shadbolt is terrific in recreating scenes in which the war strategies and ensuing battles of the real Maori leader Titokowaru come horrifically to life. Through the eyes of Kimball Bent, also a real person, we see the body count rise, feel the privations and hardships of the Maori, understand the ferocity of the British officers, long for the safety of innocent wives and children, and sympathize with the Maori fight for self-preservation. Bent, an American from Maine, was dragooned by the British and defected both to help the Maori and to wreak his vengeance against sadistic British officers. What seems so strange to me (especially after just completing Potiki by the Maori writer Patricia Grace) is that, except when they are warring, the Maori here feel like caricatures. I almost gave up on the book in the first 50 pages or so because it seemed so Monty Pythonesque--Maori wearing black suits and bowler hats, carrying walking sticks, and using British slang and obscenities, all the while muttering wry and sardonic comments on history, religion, and the current state of affairs a la John Cleese. While there probably were some Maori who did become acculturated by the British, the satirical attitude with which they are depicted as a group just doesn't seem to jibe with the respect one feels for them in the face of their desperation and the years-long dedication with which they faced their foes in warfare. Mary Whipple
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
An dramatic quasi real view of New Zealand history,
By A Customer
This review is from: Monday's Warriors (Hardcover)
This is the story of an American sailor who got caught up in the Maori wars in the mid 1800's. This is based on a true story, and is appealing as a genuine insight into the Taranki wars as well as a really good exciting read.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
