Co-written by Jon Stephenson, Hit and Run alleges a New Zealand-led raid in 2010 on two Afghanistan villages killed and injured civilians and was covered up.
The official story is that the raid killed nine Taliban insurgents.
Hager and Stephenson's book says while insurgents were the original target, they had disappeared, and the six deaths and 15 injured were all civilian.
''It's the first genuine public record of this event.
''It's got very strong implications and very important things we need to think about as a country.
''This is meticulously researched. It's prima facie evidence for opening an investigation into whether there was a war crime.
''At the very least, what they've done is a service for historians and for the history of New Zealand,'' Prof Jackson said.
''Key people in the SAS as well as people in the defence forces at a senior level gave approval to it, and therefore ought to be held responsible,'' Prof Jackson said.
The raid involved American attack helicopters and Afghan commandos, but was initiated and directed by New Zealand.
Prof Jackson said it was time to have a public debate about disbanding the SAS.
''The SAS is a force that primarily is used to contribute to other people's war.
''In New Zealand we really venerate the military and in particular the SAS, and we think of them as being so superior and morally above all the other forces in the world.''
Prof Jackson said the alleged war crime had implications for national security, because terrorists used such events as excuses for violence.
Otago University public law specialist Prof Andrew Geddis told RNZ the investigation carried out by Afghan and the International Security Assistance Force officials was not good enough.
He said there should be an independent inquiry in New Zealand, as the Defence Force statement that it was satisfied with the initial investigation was no longer sufficient.
