   james christopher belich, onzm (born 1956), is a new zealand historian, known for his work on the new zealand wars and new zealand history more generally. one of his major works on the 19th century clash between mÄori and pÄkehÄ, the "revisionist" study the new zealand wars (1986), was also published in an american edition and adapted into a television series and dvd. he is currently beit professor of imperial and commonwealth history, and the director of the oxford centre for global history. ==background== of croat descent, he was born in wellington in 1956, the son of sir james belich, who later became mayor of wellington. he attended onslow college. he gained an m.a. in history at victoria university before being awarded a rhodes scholarship in 1978 and travelling to oxford to complete his d.phil at nuffield college. ==academic career== he lectured at victoria university of wellington for several years before moving to the university of auckland. in 2007 he was appointed professor of history at the stout research centre for new zeal
1956_births Alumni_of_Nuffield_College,_Oxford Living_people New_Zealand_Rhodes_Scholars New_Zealand_historians New_Zealand_people_of_Croatian_descent Officers_of_the_New_Zealand_Order_of_Merit People_educated_at_Onslow_College University_of_Auckland_faculty Victoria_University_of_Wellington_alumni