After a 30-year legal career specialising in resource management and iwi claims, Ron Crosby retired in 2007 to focus on writing, often drawing from his extensive experience as a bush explorer to inform his historical research.

His work is noted for its deep focus on te ao Māori and military history, including seminal titles such as The Musket Wars (1999) and Kūpapa: The Bitter Legacy of Māori Alliances with the Crown(2015)