From the destructive Musket War, which culminated centuries of Maori tribal warfare, to the New Zealand wars to the world wars of the twentieth century, conflict has played a defining role in New Zealand. The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History provides a fascinating look at this history. It contains more then 650 entries, written by a wide range of contributors, and covers all of the main campaigns and wars since 1800. It provides numerous profiles of key figures, including Te Rauparaha, Gustavus von Tempsky, Charles Upham, Ettie Rout, Bernard Freyberg, and John Stark. It also describes the weapons and equipment used in New Zealand's military operations, and it features substantial essays on the impact of war on religion, science, technology, and industry, as well as it influence on New Zealand's language, literature, art, and film. Comprehensive and rich in detail, with over 150 photographs and 40 maps, the book is an invaluable reference for students of military history.