The Penguin History of New Zealand Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Michael King (Author), Rosemary Ronald (Narrator), Penguin Random House New Zealand Audio (Publisher)

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This best-selling book, the triumphant fruit of careful research, wide reading and judicious assessment, is the unchallenged contemporary reference on the history of New Zealand.

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 movements and conflicts of human history have been played out more intensively and more rapidly in New Zealand than anywhere else on Earth.

The Penguin History of New Zealand tells that story in all its drama. The narrative that emerges is an inclusive one about men and women, Maori and Pakeha. It shows that British motives in colonising New Zealand 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.

Platinum Premier New Zealand Best Seller Readers' Choice Award

2004 Montana New Zealand Book Awards

Nielsen Bookdata New Zealand Book Sellers' Choice Award - Best of the Best, 2011

Listening Length

17 hours and 21 minutes
Author

Michael King
Narrator

Rosemary Ronald
Audible release date

23 April 2021
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Random House New Zealand Audio
ASIN

B092JTJSYS
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	17 hours and 21 minutes
Author	Michael King
Narrator	Rosemary Ronald
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com.au Release Date	23 April 2021
Publisher	Penguin Random House New Zealand Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B092JTJSYS
Best Sellers Rank	9,864 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) 45 in Australian, New Zealand & Oceanic History 108 in History of Australia & New Zealand 108 in Social History

Customer reviews

5 star		52%
4 star		27%
3 star		10%
2 star		6%
1 star		4%

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Top reviews from Australia

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Amazon Customer

Very boring history of New Zealand

Reviewed in Australia on 29 May 2021

Verified Purchase

This book was a struggle to read. As a New Zealander I was interested to learn about its history but this book was incredibly boring. The author is left leaning presents history which is factually dubious.
Give this book a miss and read "The Great Divide: the story of New Zealand & its Treaty" instead.

One person found this helpful

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B. Dunstan

Excellent history with a few shortcomings

Reviewed in Australia on 23 February 2020

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This is an excellent overview of New Zealand's rich and varied history. However, it would have been significantly improved by the following:-
i) Larger and better maps. The ones provided are extremely difficult to decipher
ii) The inclusion of regional maps. Many places and sites are referred to which are not on the already inadequate maps, and if you have no, or little, knowledge of the country, you cannot possibly place them in context
iii) A glossary of Maori terms. Unless you are a dyed in the wool Kiwi, it is impossible to remember all the terms and names, and very difficult to refer back to the original explanation.
iv) More illustrations. Photos or drawings of the main characters and/or events would have been both helpful and make the whole book easier to read.

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Pen C

Five Stars

Reviewed in Australia on 11 May 2015

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An essential read for all New Zealanders and visitors to the country

2 people found this helpful

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Ross Chapman

Book pf facts

Reviewed in Australia on 14 January 2017

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A technical history rather than a history story. Not what I was hoping for.

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Top reviews from other countries

Jacdaw

Information and readability in one - brilliant!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2015

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Having arrived in New Zealand from a conference and tourist visit to Australia, as I arrived in Rotorua I realised how little I knew about NZ history- even less than the Australia I had studied at school some +40 years before. The Maori history had not even been mentioned in Auckland, where I arrived and spent a couple of days before moving on to one of the places I really wanted to see - with its hot springs etc ... (did geography at "A" level). So it was a great pleasure to stop at the Rotorua Museum bookshop and see this book displayed. Aha, I thought, just what I want, but no way was I going to carry 500+ pages of book around with for the rest of my holiday. So I took the details and bought it on Kindle when I got back home (cheaper than the hard copy!).

It's taken me a year to get around to reading it - but once started, I read it in a week (and it's a big book, covering a huge subject). Fascinating, endlessly readable, and I was absolutely shocked by the fact that the author, erudite and knowledgeable as he obviously was, and able to put the story into layman's terms and still make it all interesting ... had died in a car accident only about a year after this book's publication.

For anyone wanting more than an overview, but not so dry an historical tome as such a history might present, I can only recommend highly. A more knowledgeable person might well be able to pick holes in it, but it gave me what I was looking for.

I must say, I found all the kiwis I met delightful - friendly and helpful, and this book goes a long way to showing me why they are like this. I don't usually write reviews, or indeed, buy anything but free kindle books these days as I have so many to read already, but I made an exception for this, and it is was well worth the purchase.

6 people found this helpful

Muirian

Very interesting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 22 March 2018

Verified Purchase

Great depth of history. It would suit students.

I’ve just emigrated to NZ so wanted to know more about the history and culture. Certainly the book helps you understand and appreciate the importance of the different cultures and how they have imperfectly integrated.

Personally I need to find additional background on the evolution of the culture, politics and economy since the millennium.

The book itself refers to many historical names of people and places. This will be useful for students but is superfluous if you are looking for a quick overview. The inclusion. of in each chapter would have been more informative.

If you don’t need a detailed history and instead need a quick overview then maybe another book would suit you better.

One person found this helpful

David Noble

Excellent Overview

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 October 2014

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As a frequent visitor to New Zealand, I found that this book gave an insight into the factors that make this country so different, particularly in respect to the interfaces between Maori and Pakeha. Inevitably, a history will reflect subjective interests, and I would have liked more material on the gold rushes, and their impact on he economy and sociology of the country, and the relationship between NZ and Australia. Overall, this is an excellent grounding on the subject and will inspire further reading.

2 people found this helpful

Tnwilk72

Great read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 20 July 2016

Verified Purchase

A fascinating study that includes some analysis that is wonderfully different from what you normally get in books on early modern and modern history. The DNA study of rats, for example, was something I was not expecting, while the description of the arrival of the first Europeans was entertaining.

paul mcmillan

Waste of money. Borderline misrepresentation.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2020

Verified Purchase

This is not a Penguin book as published. No photographs and no proper layout. Clearly, this item was never intended for publication or resale.

One person found this helpful

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The Penguin History of New Zealand Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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