Michael King's Penguin History of New Zealand is not only a bestseller; the writer acted as a bridge between te ao Māori and Pākehā. History Man traces King's past, to understand the man behind biographies of Māori leaders like Princess Te Puea and Dame Whina Cooper, and author Janet Frame. This 70-minute documentary was commissioned only weeks before King and his wife Maria Jungowska died in a car accident. A detailed portrait of a beloved New Zealander, History Man was made by the same producer/director team behind documentaries on actor Ian Mune and pianist Michael Houstoun.