"New Zealand was the last country in the world to be discovered and settled by humankind. It was also the first to introduce full democracy. Between those events, and in the century that followed the franchise, the movements and the conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in NZ than anywhere else on Earth. THE PENGUIN HISTORY OF NEW ZEALAND, a new book for a new century, tells that story in all its colour and drama. The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Maori and Pakeha. It shows that British motives in colonising NZ were essentially humane; and that Maori, far from being passive victims of a 'fatal impact', coped heroically with colonisation and survived by selectively accepting and adapting what Western technology and culture had to offer. This book, a triumphant fruit of careful research, wide reading and judicious assessment, is an unprecedented best-seller."

"King's history is eminently readable. He writes endearingly about how he loves his country but with a cool eye for its mistakes and stumbles. Here's a book for reading and pondering."
- NZ Listener

"For our generation this is the definitive work."
- Christchurch Press

"A work of scholarship accessible to the 'ordinary' reader, it is likely to endure and inspire for generations."
- New Zealand Herald

Paperback, 2003. 570 pages, very good condition