A Maori war canoe being paddled at full speed makes an awesome sight. Thanks to a renaissance in canoe building, more and more New Zealanders now have the chance to witness the traditional waka taua. Waka Taua gives a concise introduction to the Maori war canoe: the history and recent renaissance of waka taua types and variants of the canoe, phases of building, parts of the waka, responsibilities of the crew and paddling technique. With numerous historical and contemporary photographs and drawings, Waka Taua is an easy to read tribute to this timeless expression of tribal identity and power.