Statesman or rebel? Wiremu Tamihana Tarapipipi Te Waharoa's career was forged at the core of intense nineteenth century political and social pressures. Out of these pressures has come one of the most important bodies of correspondence in New Zealand's history. Tarapipipi's elegantly phrased letters, provided here with a mixture of contemporary and modern English translations, are contextualized by Evelyn Stokes' historical commentary. They provide a fascinating insight into turbulent times, and they put forth a vision still valid: that of a Maori society in control of its own destiny.