Norman Kirk

Description

A Portrait

This biography could not be timely. Ever since he became leader of the Labour Party at the end of 1965, Norman Kirk has received a great deal of publicity, but so far no one has attempted to present the real man behind the public image.

This personal portrait, by a well-known New Zealand writer and historian, shows how the character of the Labout Party leader first developed in the stresses of the Depression, the war years, and the difficult post-war period. The reader follows Norman Kirk to the North Island and back to his native South Island, emerging into local body politics with the drive and the energy that took him into Parliament and, within a brief eight years, to the leadership of his party. Finally, there is a detailed examination of his impact on New Zealand’s political life and of his growing contacts with leaders abroad.

Norman Kirk: A Portrait is a penetrating appraisal of a charismatic personality at a crucial time in New Zealand’s history.

Published in 1972.