This nearly 600-page book deals with the first 24 holders of the office of Prime Minister, from “King Dick” Seddon who first used the title of Prime Minister, through to John Key who surprised New Zealanders by stepping down from the office in December 2016 after eight strenuous years. This is the first substantial collective biography of New Zealand’s Prime Ministers. Based on archival research, interviews with recent Prime Ministers, their colleagues and opponents, the book is the result of many years of appreciative and insightful observation by Michael Bassett who has been on a first name basis with every holder of the office since 1957. It looks at the different personalities and assesses what worked for them, and for the country. The book is more than a collection of biographies: it is also a political history of New Zealand since before the turn of the Twentieth Century.