My Father Bryce

by Adam Courtenay

Dynamic, complex, Bryce Courtenay was all of these as well as one of Australia's most beloved authors. To his son Adam, he was larger than life, mercurial, and impossible to know completely. In this moving, unforgettable memoir, Adam searches for the real Bryce.

Bryce Courtenay was one of Australia's highest-selling and most-loved authors as well as a larger-than-life character. From his first book, The Power of One, he captivated readers. With his third, the non-fiction title April Fool's Day, he captured their hearts. Many of his fans would have thought they knew him, and they did - they knew the version of him that he wanted to present to the world.

Bryce's son Adam also knew that version. And he knew the Bryce the rest of the world only glimpsed, or never saw at all. His father was a natural born storyteller and occasional fabulist whose tales never quite felt true. He was a man who forever publicly grieved the loss of his son Damon, the subject of April Fool's Day, but who seemed reluctant to connect with his remaining two sons.

Several years after his death, Bryce still looms large in Adam's life. In seeking to understand his father, who made so many people happy with his books, Adam recounts his own 1960s and 1970s childhood, Bryce's career in advertising and his metamorphosis into bestselling novelist. In the years after The Power of One, Bryce became a household name even as his personal life was plagued by tragedy and heartbreak - some of his own making. All the while Adam did his best to love his father and hang on through the wild ride of his life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir

342 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2025

About the author

Adam Courtenay is a Sydney-based writer and journalist. He has had a long career in the UK and Australia, writing for papers such as the Financial Times, the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian Financial Review and the UK Sunday Times. He is the son of Australia's best-loved storyteller Bryce Courtenay and the author of several Australian histories, including The Ship that Never Was, Three Sheets to the Wind and Mr Todd's Marvel.

Reviews

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why did I love foraging for information? It had something to do with having knowledge other people didn't have or expect you to have.
Meeting the author at a book launch, I automatically launched into assumed familiarity. ‘I feel like I know your family after reading April Fool’s Day’ I said, ‘It was the first book of your dad’s that I read’. No doubt a familiar scene for the son of Bryce Courtenay – a man who captured hearts globally.

This sixth book by Adam taught me more about the Courtenay family than April Fool’s Day ever could - an honest, nuanced deep dive into the complexities of their lives.
He was far better - and far more comfortable - working with make-believe worlds than he was at explaining real ones... His middle son would need another forty years to work that out.
This is Adam’s story—piecing together memories and truths at the right pace, seeking to understand his father with a wisdom that only time allows.

Did Bryce think his son had what it takes to be a writer? I sent him four sample chapters. I think he read two of them and gave up. While this anecdote was portrayed without fanfare, the heaviness of this theme as a whole gently simmered. This memoir shows us Adam’s nonfiction storytelling ability—proof that Bryce’s old opinion didn’t stick.

Conversely, Adam captures his father with a refreshing frankness I enjoyed throughout. Bryce was all about his commitment to never letting the truth get in the way of a good story or pitch.
He outlines Bryce’s natural talent for forming ideas, for the art of “show, don’t tell,” and for painting vivid scenes in the reader’s mind. These qualities, in my view, live on strongly in Adam—both here and in his books on Australia’s colonial history. He truly aces nonfiction.

Treasured childhood tales from the ’60s and ’70s rewarded my curiosity (who knew Bondi surfing culture was so layered?). From Bryce’s theatrical gifting of the first banana Paddle Pop (truly a god among children) to being constantly on display with adoring fans—his ever-patient family watching from the sidelines—this sense of the man shone through.

He needed constant adoration and it didn't matter where and from whom it came. There was a role to fulfill which would last Byrce’s lifetime, allowing the work to be done, his family directly contributing.
It was not only our job to read, it was also our job to console and calm him, and affirm the story's quality. Adam reflects on how The Power of One came together—woven from fragments of stories rehearsed on his live, at-home audience. They were the beta readers before the rest of the world met Peekay.

I especially loved learning more about bibliophile Bee—sharp, tenacious, flawed, and deeply devoted. Can I have a favourite character? And Damon’s quieter, more reflective take on the family dynamic struck a notable counterbalance of the family dynamic, devoid of idealisation.

Just like Peekay, Bryce could pull stories from thin air. And that appealing protagonist became the formula for global success. Adam was the perfect Courtenay son to tell this story—not a word wasted.

There’s so much to learn here—about writing, legacy, family and the quiet power of reflection. This one crept under my skin and stayed. Bee in particular left a lasting impression—brilliant, bold, and full of heart. Thank you, Adam, for the digital review copy. It’s a story that deserves to soar.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superbly written memoir about a deeply complex man and an equally intricate father–son relationship. Courtenay masterfully navigates both with humour, poignancy, and emotional depth over the span of decades. The result is a book that is as entertaining as it is moving. I found myself laughing out loud and, more than once, brought to tears.

What sets this memoir apart is the balanced portrayal of the author’s father: Courtenay acknowledges both strengths and flaws with grace, humility, and without bitterness. His account is dignified and nuanced, offering insight without judgement. Equally commendable is the author’s unflinching honesty about himself: his limitations, missteps, and the shadow of his upbringing. Yet, he never slips into self-pity; instead, he writes with refreshing self-awareness and compassion.

This level of candour and emotional intelligence is rare in memoir. It’s a story that stays with you, and one that deserves multiple readings to fully absorb its richness.

I highly recommend this extraordinary book.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An honest and well written memoir that will stay with you long after you’ve finished it. Recommended.

[David 'Fred' · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adam Courtenay's work latest book 'My Father Bryce' turns the pages by themselves. This is a big statement for me as initially; I was quite hesitant to read a biography about Bryce Courtenay for a couple of reasons. For starters I had not read any of Bryce's works and generally don’t like reading biographies. I find biography writers tend to either excessively lionize or totally demonize the individuals they choose to write about. I found Adam Courtenay's 'My Father Bryce' remarkably refreshing in that he finds a balance between the two. I particularly enjoyed the author's philosophical standpoint that we are all flawed. I like works that demonstrate the fine brush strokes in people's characters - and Adam Courtenay does this with panache.
At a deeply personal level I found his book quite compelling because of corollaries that can be drawn between his family and mine and immensely jealous of how he used his pen as a tardis to wizard-like transport the reader to another time and place in Australia.
This is an exceptional read.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could not put this book down. I have never read a Bryce Courtenay book, and now I don’t think I could. Even though Bryce wrote a book about Adam’s brother Damon, I wouldn’t be able to read it knowing that it would probably be littered with Dad facts and half-truths. Adam, you did your brother’s story justice. And your own.

[Greg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book immensely on so many levels.

For a son to tell the true story of an, at times, quite turbulent and difficult relationship with his father, who rose like cream to the top in both of his chosen careers, would not have been an easy undertaking.

It has been acknowledged that Bryce Courtenay was a flawed person, yet his strong work ethic over thirty years in advertising set the scene for a second career, where he rose to stratospheric heights as one of Australia's best-selling authors, selling in excess of twenty million books in his lifetime.
Bryce was charming and charismatic; the ultimate perfectionist and a master of self-promotion, who would settle for nothing less.

The middle son of three totally different boys, Adam writes of the relationship with his father with great sadness at times.... but with truth. Without vengeance or malice, when others may well have gone down that path.

This is a book for every son and daughter. It can't be denied that relationships cause so many different dynamics within a family. They can either allow personal feelings and expectations to blossom, or they can extinguish the bright flame of youth.

I doubt that this story could have been told with any greater sensitivity.
Thank you, Adam Courtenay.... it was a great read.

[Joanne O'Dwyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Father Bryce is a beautiful recount of a flawed yet fabulist father by his ever curious and supportive son. Adam Courtenay’s memoir of one of Australia’s most celebrated writers, his father Bryce Courtenay, is not overly sentimental nor full of condemnation. It reflects so exquisitely the complexities of family relationships and how loss, illusion and betrayal can coexist with love. So eloquently written, the book also demonstrates that when it comes to writing, the fruit has not fallen far from the tree!

[Steve Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A calm but powerful unmasking of the truth of the author's famous father, whose fame was built on a prodigious talent for story-telling, not least about himself, even within his own family.
It's a courageous book about a father-son relationship, with searingly honest observations and reflections, and the sometimes painful journey to discover and live with the truth behind an oft false personna.
This very personal story also has some universal resonance about the pursuit of a particular identity, and consequences at the intersection of public persona and truth.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written, engaging memoir about growing up as the son of one of Australia's most prominent writers. Adam talks about dad-facts, his father as the adman and as a force in his own. An insight into Bryce relationships, motivation and history.

[Robbie Jeffs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more than a ‘tell all’ memoir about Bryce Courtenay. It is a window into life in the 60’s and 70’s; it is an insight into the complicated persona of an author I enjoyed reading as a young adult; and it is a story we can all relate to: a child’s relationship with his father. There is pathos and levity throughout. And, above all , it is well written and easy to read.

[Jeremy A · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good and poignant story about a son's relationship with his father, who was a significant public figure in Australia. The author evokes the periods of the 60s, 70s and 80s with a feeling of truth and dissects the complexities of his father's personality with a raw honesty that doesn't try to judge, but more understand his father and their relationship through his life. I guess this book will be of most interest to fans of the work of famed author Bryce Courtenay but for those fans, I would say that it is not a character attack, but rather a rounded revelation of his whole personality. According to his son Adam, there is a lot of good in Bryce and this is expressed throughout the book. Also, there is a lot of background to how Bryce's books were written and where his inspirations lay, so there is plenty of behind-the-scenes details that fans would enjoy. Be prepared to shed a few tears though, since there is more than one powerfully written scene of family members passing from this mortal coil. The kinds of scenes which initiate reflection on our own family and everyone's mortality and the pain this can evoke. More than a mere page-turner, this book is well-written and a good read.

[Louise Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Father Bryce is a haunting, beautifully written memoir with a concise elegance and deep sense of observation. I found it melancholy and wistful in parts and analytical in some of the deconstructions. I was especially moved by the chapter about Damon's death and the final Zulu send off chant. The peaks and troughs of Adam’s relationship with his father are a bit like a surfer riding a gigantic wave. Pride and elation countered by devastation. I love the way he create a great sense of place throughout and capture the mood and feeling of Team Courtenay. While I understand the media clinging to the sensational aspects as promotional fodder, the book offers so much more nuanced and complex material. We are with Adam all the way: a loyal, impressionable son getting to know his father and finding that emotions are pulled in all directions - from admiration to disappointment and disillusionment and finally the sense of betrayal by his mentor and idol. It's a sincere, heartfelt tribute to a man and father whose faults and flaws make him human even though the hurts linger. Time allows perspective - and better defines the light and shade.

[Susan Werry · Rating 5 out of 5]

In My Father Bryce, journalist and author Adam Courtenay offers a beautifully written and often unsettling portrait of his father—Bryce Courtenay, one of Australia’s most beloved and best-selling novelists. Adam traces Bryce’s extraordinary journey from a troubled childhood in South Africa to his rise in advertising and his meteoric literary success, beginning with The Power of One.

He paints a nuanced picture of a man who was brilliant, charismatic, and deeply flawed, with a lifelong tendency to embellish—or even fabricate—parts of his personal story. Adam confronts his father’s many contradictions: his creative genius and charm, as well as his emotional distance and personal struggles.

Despite the pain and dysfunction, My Father Bryce is ultimately a compassionate and honest memoir about family, truth, and the cost of fame.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I too raved about April Fool's Day and thought it was the best of Bryce's books, but also cringed a bit about Damon's sad life being so publicly exposed. Later when I discovered that some of the 'facts' were dubious I was angry, however I hadn't realised until I read this book how incapable Bryce was of telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Reading this has made me come closer to understanding that Bryce was a master storyteller, but also a prevaricator, fabricator, fibber, exaggerator, all nicer words than straight out liar, though he was that too. Can I hate him for it? No, I haven't walked in his shoes, so the book has made me more sympathetic to him than I previously was. A superb job by Adam of writing the truth, painful as it may be.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you were to light up every household in Australia that had a copy of a Bryce Courtenay title, you'd see hundreds of thousands of lights all over the continent... such was his immense popularity, and well deserved. Adam has produced a book that takes a peak behind the curtain, that shows us who the magician really was, warts an all. And only he could have written it.

It's a fascinating read, as the reader slowly discovers how the hero's 'greatness' was not all it seemed. I suspect it was a tough one to put down on paper, but I am so glad Adam persisted, as now we have a reliable framework with which to truly understand Bryce.

Adam's books are always deeply researched, but for this one, he had the inside scoop.
Highly recommended, you won't be disappointed.

[Babs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. In sharing memories from childhood, some writers colour their recollections with either bitterness or perfection. This memoir is beautifully balanced. It is written with fairness and understanding while also sharing the facts that led to insights, disappointments and acceptance.

The author generously plays it straight - acknowledging the things about his Dad that were endearing, but also sharing the insights that he gained in researching the facts. It does not embellish or dramatise.

I will be giving this book as my 2025 Christmas gift to friends. It is compelling and incredibly readable.

[Natalie Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Courtenay writes with clarity, warmth, and an easy flow that keeps you hooked! In My Father Bryce, he paints an intimate, honest picture of his dad, capturing family dynamics with heart and nuance. Just like in his history books The Ship That Never Was and Three Sheets to the Wind, he brings stories to life with vivid detail and a natural storyteller’s touch. It’s a moving and engaging read, full of candour and humanity, that feels both deeply personal and instantly relatable. I would highly recommend, it’s a book you’ll remember long after you’ve turned the last page.

[Denise O'Shaughnessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely captivating memoir of a complex, “self-made” man, a product of a traumatic childhood and his own fantastical inventions to make the past more palatable and the future, a platform for success and fame, and especially love and approval.

It is written with sensitivity, insight, love, honesty and humour. The trajectory of Bryce’s life and the collateral impacts on his wife and children and everyone he encountered, are at once, extraordinary, happy and sad, sometimes inspiring and often disappointing.

This is great exposition of a remarkable and frequently questionable modus operandi for life. I couldn’t put it down.

[Aria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book (as is always the case with Adam Courtenay’s books) in one sitting. Couldn’t put it down. But of all his books, this was the best, I think because it was so raw and personal. At the end I felt mixed emotions - sad for the author that his upbringing was spoilt by a father corrupted by fame and fortune, but happy that he was able to reconcile these flaws with Bryce’s scarred childhood. For all of Bryce Courtenay’s outstanding literary and creative achievements, the real hero of this true story is his son Adam.

[Lyn Quilty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book I couldn’t put down. Easy reading and so interesting. The author puts the reader into the scenes described. I felt as if I was on the beach with the paddle pop man in the opening chapter, it was so well described.
A complex man was presented with many flaws, but his son Adam maintains love and respect so that he never comes across as bitter or trying to get back at his dad. Frustrated, disillusioned, sad but never bitter. I think that is why I kept reading, I was on Adam’s side all the way as his was a credible voice. I trusted his version of events .
A great book.

[Lou Pollard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adam Courtenay captures the complex psychology of his highly successful father and the effect that his father’s works had on their family so well. Adam’s writing about the painful death of his dear brother Damon is heartbreaking and filled with love.

A fascinating memoir about a man whose version of events was carefully curated to present a certain face in public. But what was fact and what was fiction in Bryce Courtenay’s stories? As Gabriel García Marquez said,”Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life and a secret life.'

[Mitchell Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...just a brilliant read. One of my favourite authors, yet his son Adam explores the full and complex life that Bryce lived with such compassion and love on what an incredible person he was yet also had many challenges and struggles with his background that has been brilliantly researched. It really is an inside view of how Bryce and his family lived in Africa, Australia and also managed to thrive ...yet also overcome many challenges...I simply couldn't put down this incredible read.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking book which covers the remarkable narrative of Bryces life to become Australias top selling Australian author through the perspective of his son Adam. Adam does a great job of weaving together threads that cover history, family, emotions, places and events over eight decades to bring Bryces life, motivation, impact and relationships into clear view. A view that had only been known to a select few to date. An outstanding tapastry of emotions, ideas and facts from Adam Courtenay.

[Lucia Arrigucci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear sign that I’ve read a truly great book is when, even before finishing it, I already look forward to the next ones because of how much I’ve learned and felt.

My Father Bryce by Adam Courtenay is one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. Through its pages I learned much about Australia, SouthAfrica, and—most importantly—i reflected on the redeeming power of friendship and the impact of parenthood.

[Gill Halliday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy book to write – Adam has done a remarkable job.

With sufficient distance to be “even handed and considered” he has worked through the different phases of Bryce’s life honestly and thoughtfully, giving us the picture of a father’s insatiable need to be loved and recognised.

We grew up in the same neighbourhood as the Courtney family and knew many of the people in this splendid book. Bravo Adam from Gill H.

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

My father Bryce is s beautifully written complex book about Adam’s relationship with his father. This is a must read for those who have experienced ambivalence towards a parent. There is so much love and anger towards this person who was larger than life. It is a kind of settling scores but with a real desire to understand his famous father. I could not put it down.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished the book in 2 days and was convinced that Adam’s account of the Bryce story was incisive and an accurate insight into how his behaviour shaped the success he enjoyed. Indeed, a fascinating snapshot of what made him tick.

[Pete Heininger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read by a great writer … I don’t read memoirs, and I can honestly say I’ve never read anything by Bryce Courtenay … which makes this book all the more interesting! It’s a lovingly written history by a loving and considerate son ….

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tender and unflinching portrait of a complicated man. Adam writes with the compassion of a son and the discipline of a craftsman. The result is a story both raw and redemptive — a testament to love, legacy, and the painful art of understanding one’s father. Well done Adam.

[Alexander · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. I didn’t know much about Bryce before reading it but it is far from a pre-requisite to enjoy the book. Would highly recommend to anyone who likes reading about people’s lives and the impact they have on those around them.