Mondays Warriors

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. (Feb.)