A significant number of books, articles, monographs and other texts dealing with the Land Wars appeared before 1900. Many of these texts were written by participants in the events described, or by close observers.
In that respect, they are important for their immediate perspective and can generally be regarded as a primary text, much the same as (say) a letter between participants or a diary entry.
Early Primary Texts
Octavius Hadfield, The Second Year of One of England’s Little Wars, London, 1861 (the North Taranaki War 1860-61).
F.E. Maning, Old New Zealand. A Tale of the Good Old Times by a Pakeha Maori, Auckland, 1863.
John Eldon Gorst, The Maori King, new edition edited by K.O. Arvidson, 2001.
Sir JE Alexander, Incidents of the Maori War, London, 1863 (the North Taranaki War).