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The late Michael King is widely regarded as one of New Zealand’s leading biographers and historians. He held a doctorate in history from the University of Waikato and an honorary doctorate in literature from Victoria University of Wellington. .
From his first publication Moko: Maori Tattooing in the Twentieth Century in 1972, until his death in early 2004, King wrote or edited over 30 books, including major biographies of prominent Maori figures Princess Te Puea and Whina Cooper, and authors Frank Sargeson and Janet Frame. His 2003 publication The Penguin History of New Zealand became a major benchmark publication and continues to be a New Zealand bestseller.
As well as fellowships at several universities, King was accorded many honours and awards over the course of his career — including an OBE for services to New Zealand Literature, New Zealand Book Award for Non-Fiction, Watties Book of the Year (twice), Montana Medal for Non-Fiction and the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement.
Research towards Michael King’s award-winning biography, Wrestling with the Angel: A Life of Janet Frame helped him renew contact with the expatriate academic John Money. King for some time had considered Money as a subject for a future biography and his initial work towards this end forms the basis of the essay published in Splendours of Civilisation.