Biography: King, Michael

The Penguin history of New Zealand

Michael King, seated at an outdoor table, holding a copy of his book.

Michael King’s final book, The Penguin history of New Zealand (2003), sold more than 60,000 copies in two years and brought his vision of New Zealand society to a wider audience than ever before.

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New Zealand Herald

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How to cite this page

Jock Phillips. 'King, Michael', Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, first published in 2022. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/47716/the-penguin-history-of-new-zealand (accessed 24 June 2026).