The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller

by Carol Baxter

The remarkable true story of a beguiling Melbourne housewife who in the 1920s seeks international fame, fortune and adventure as an aviator and finds herself as the central figure in a sensational American murder trial.

'Mrs Keith Miller, internationally known aviatrix, was taken to the county jail here today and held for investigation by State Attorney's investigators. Jail attendants said they understood she was held in connection with the shooting of an airline pilot.'

Petite, glamorous and beguiling, Jessie 'Chubbie' Miller was one remarkable woman ... flyer, thrill seeker, heartbreaker. No adventure was too wild for her, no danger too extreme. And all over the world men adored her.

When the young Jessie left suburban Melbourne and her newspaperman husband in 1927, little did she know that she'd become the first woman to complete an England to Australia flight (with a black silk gown thrown into her small flight bag, just in case), or fly the first air race for women with Amelia Earhart, or that she would disappear over the Florida Straits feared lost forever only to charm her way to a rescue. Nor could she have predicted that five years later she'd find herself at the centre of one of the most notorious and controversial murder trials in United States history. And this all began with something as ridiculously mundane as a pat of butter.

The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller is a spellbinding story of an extraordinary woman - an international celebrity during the golden age of aviation - and her passionate and spirited life.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History

432 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2017

About the author

Carol Baxter is the prize-winning author of three popular histories with a criminal bent – 'An Irresistible Temptation', 'Breaking the Bank' and 'Captain Thunderbolt and His Lady' – all of which have been published to critical acclaim in her native Australia. Previously, she was General Editor of the Biographical Database of Australia and, before that, Project Officer of the Australian Biographical and Genealogical Record, in which roles she edited many records relating to convicts transported to Australia to serve out their sentences. These helped her to discover the subjects for her tales of true crime. She is a Fellow of the Society of Australian Genealogists and an adjunct lecturer at the University of New England (NSW). A full-time writer and speaker, she lives in Sydney.

Reviews

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is, indeed, a great story. I have done bits of reading and research on aviation history and enjoyed the accounts of ‘Chubby’s’ early preparations and flight with Bill Henderson. The skills and endurance required of pioneer aviators were extraordinary. It is only through the daily account of the weather, the failed equipment, the process of navigating with paper maps, peering over the side of the open plane while taking compass bearings and reading a basic instrument panel that a modern reader can begin to get some idea of what it was like.

There is also a thread of cultural change underpinning much of the narrative. The British Empire still had representatives in much of the terrain covered but long-distance pioneering flights necessitated landings in places without mechanical services, aviation awareness or common language. There is both an acknowledgement of common humanity and a sense of relief when the ‘norms’ of British life (baths, regularised meals, supplies) are evident - even when those norms make unreasonable demand to socialise as well as the more urgent business of ensuring the plane is sky-worthy. These pioneering flights will have unintended consequences in changing our concept of remoteness and cultural isolation.

I had read enough of the outline of Chubbie Miller’s life to realise there would be a change of narrative in the second half of the book. To my surprise I did not find, as some reviewers did, a change of pace or interest. I found the court case account every bit as interesting and well-paced as the flying adventures. In both instances source material was used to full advantage. The established character of both of Chubbie and Bill Henderson held it together, without a hint of sentimentality.

The fact that the trial occurred in the USA adds another dimension of cultural contrast.

This is a great read, with lots to think about along the way. It would make a good book club choice!

As the author acknowledges, such books, and exposures of our history, are only possible because of projects to digitise newspapers - and the task is nowhere near finished.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this in a goodreads giveaway.

Honestly, before this book I do not think I have ever heard of Mrs Miller (though I did know Amelia Earhart). Anyways it was a good book about a ballsy, confident and rebellious woman.

Easy to read and a great story.

[Hermien · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating well written bit of aviation history.

[Chloe Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was given to me as a present for my birthday and like others the only female pilot I have heard of was Amelia Earhart.
Jessie "Chubbie" Miller was a remarkable woman who never was content on being a regular housekeeper, wife and a mother. To have freedom, she got married then an opportunity to travel from Melbourne to London in 1927 led her to meet the love of her life and flying mentor Bill Lancaster when she co-piloted from Croydon to Darwin then a move to the USA to for her compete in the women's flying derby races with other pilots including Amelia Earhart.
Amazing times set against the Great Depression.

[Lee Belbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A terrific book about a person I never knew existed, and a fellow Australian to boot. A great insight into the situation with women around 1920-30 and particularly those that wanted to do the same things as the boys. Seems in some ways they achieved more than women in the 40's and 50's. I've only noted some female commercial pilots in the past 10 years, but they are there. 'Chubby' Miller was a determined and talented girl, generating support for her first flights with Bill to being what appears to be a very good pilot. The court case in this novel is a doozy and would make a very neat novel by itself. Very worth reading.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh no. I have finished this book. I shed a few tears too as I turned the final page. Chubbie Miller didn't want an ordinary life as a housewife in Australia in the 1920s. So, she decided to set out into the big wide world to find a more exciting life; and she did. In a big way. I wonder did she ask herself whether or not it could be quite so remarkable the day she met Flight Captain Bill Lancaster. A story of courage, drive, determination, and a murder. Carol Baxter has written a book that is so well-researched and so hard to put down. I thoroughly recommend it.

[Kylie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sections of this book were quite interesting as I had been completely unaware of this Australian aviatrix prior. The parts about her flying feats as an early female aviator were inspiring. However half the story recapped a court case which I found quite dull in comparison and detracted from Chubbie's achievements.

[Lynn]

A really good read for myself, but my Husdand ,who doesn't read a lot couldn't put this book down, he reads for interest and knowdlege. Will recommend to our friends, this copy will be going to our local tiger moth air field museum book shelf.

[Diane Lester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I loved Mrs Miller too...gutsy, rebellious and confident. Not a hard read. Not a complicated read but quite an amazing story....if it wasn't based on a real story you would find it hard to believe. Chubbie (Mrs Miller) ...you were a woman born of the wrong time.

[June Thorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book club pick and I am so glad. Read it. I salute you Mrs Miller. To do what you did in a time that you did it in is amazing. A great read.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a biography of "Chubbie" Miller. Part of the book focuses on her flying career but there's a lot about her men, a section of the book shifts to really only focussing on that. The author insists it is "creative non-fiction" rather than a fictionalised account and she is prbably right. This seems to mean an extended journalistic account replete with adjectives and adverbs: "unprecedented", "apprehensively", "ignominous" just on the first 2 pages. Apart from a lot of that sort of thing the substance itself is just a recount of what you can get from diaries (I gather from reading the author note) and newspaper articles. While I am sure this involved much research it would be more interesting if there was some analysis or if it was in face a fictionalised account and we could bond with the characters to any degree...it's just a very long infodump about Chubbie and also her boyfriend Bill. They seem to be relatively wealthy and exceptionally selfish people...reading between the lines there are social and cultural shifts (esp capitalist ones) that perhaps position them that way but I was appalled at thir tendency to land in people's food crops all over the world and the Empire thinking behind a lot of that.

Chile Chubbie and Bill fly all over the place they only really consider England and US as home bases (and kind of have a tie to Australia). They are daredevils. In one section the writing becomes sort of feminist (liberal feminist) but this is overshadowed by various other concerns (especially affairs of the heart). I also got very sick of just how many times the "joke" about Chubbie having less luggage than any woman every was trotted out. No doubt some sexist "wit" said so at the time but Baxter seems to pick up on it and keep going back to it...she also makes excuses for other sexist comments and events as "it wasn't really sexism it was just the way people thought back then" which is incoherent. If she wanted to be nuanced about events/words that seem appalling in hindsight she could do that better I think. So the book dragged with sometimes too much detail and lingering on really boring things and other times too little. Perhaps it needed a clearer focus.

Anyway despite the fact that I didn't think it was a fantastic book it certainly seemed to be carefully researched and that's worth 3 stars I think

[Kathy Steele]

Thoroughly enjoyed the history and personalities. Carol Baxters writing style.

[Jeff Jellets · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely wonderful read.

Carol Baxter’s high-flying biography of turn-of-the-century aviatrix Jessie “Chubbie” Miller is a wonderful gem of a book – filled with adventure, romance and heartbreak – that soars off the pages with all the pulpy fun of a real-life Indiana Jones exploit. Miller, who improbably begins her adventures as little more than a modest Australian housewife on holiday, ends up darting across continents in an open-cockpit biplane, soloing to Cuba (and crashing on the way back), and competing in the first all-female ‘Powder Puff’ air derby. It’s a riveting adventure that captivates page-after-page.

Part of delight is, of course, author Carol Baxter’s airy prose and breezy pacing that is as pleasant as a spin through the clouds in one of Chubbie’s Avro Avian planes. Baxter’s style is so clean and crisp, it’s easy to get lost in it, while her portrayal of Chubbie is magic. You can feel the pluck of the young aviator as she bravely dives into the teeth of stormy weather, nurses stuttering airplane engines mid-flight, copes with hard-landings, and survives a handful of outright crashes. She's also absolutely charming. When Chubbie wins her first major air contest, my smile was just as broad as the one she flashed in 1929.

By the book’s end, things go dark as Chubbie finds herself the center of love triangle that culminates in a fatal shooting. It's tragic end to a bad situation with Chubbie boxed by the sexism and the double-standard morality of the times; she must have been terribly lonely. Baxter does a great job capturing the twists, turns and uncertainty of the trial – and pens an equally tragic epilogue – that adds a sad finale to this biography. For poor Chubbie, it is heartbreak of a grand scale.

At the afterword, Baxter admits ‘falling a little-bit-in-love’ with her subject. And who can blame her? We would all be so lucky to have as good a eulogist as Carol Baxter to paint such a poignant and captivating picture of our lives. I think I also fell a-little-bit-in-love with Chubbie Miller. Or, more specifically, I certainly fell in love with this book.

[Chazzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this through the LibraryThing Early Reader giveaway. It looked to be interesting, and I was not disappointed.

Mrs. Miller, who went by the nickname "Chubbie," was not the acceptable woman of the 1920s era. She was married, but found it boring. When she had a chance to leave her dull life, she didn't hesitate. Her life became immersed in aviation at a time when women were striving to become their own pilots (aviatrix), set records and prove that they were not the frail creatures that men felt they should be.

"Chubbie" may have been petite, bubbly and definitely female, but she had no compunction to crawling under a plane to assist with repairs and maintenance. She competed in the first Powder Puff Derby along with the likes of Amelia Earhart and some of the other women vying for recognition.

Her partner was Royal Airforce Captain Bill Lancaster. Being more of a passenger at the beginning, she soon learned about planes and what it took to maintain, fly and keep one in the air. Over time the relationship changed and after five years, she found herself at the center of a sensational murder trial in Miami, Florida.

This book is well written and packed with information of the time and the way the world was. It is not stuffy or dry as some books can be when dealing with historical periods. It moves at a steady pace with enough descriptive writing about the time, the people, the attitudes and even the clothes and locations of where the action is taking place.

In the author's notes, Carol Baxter states that this is a book of "narrative non-fiction history; history told as a story." She further tells of the extensive research she did of newspaper accounts of the events, court records, actual interviews, with Mrs. Miller, published at the time and the access she had to personal correspondence between Mrs. Miller and Mr. Lancaster. She follows it up with a comprehensive bibliography.

This is another author I won't hesitate to pick up and read.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mrs Jessie (Chubbie) Miller was certainly a remarkable woman. In 1927 Chubbie left her husband in Australia, and escaped to England. Here she met Bill Lancaster, an ex war pilot. He introduced her into the adventurous aviation world, and romance. She became a world known aviatrix, and also, unfortunately a licentious woman. Carol Baxter has thoroughly researched Chubbie's life. However, I do think there was too much detail about every flight Chubbie ventured. Of course, Chubbie's flying triumphs were important, not only for the world, but also for women to be taken seriously in the aviation world. Chubbie, was courageous and encountered many life-threatening situations such as snakes in the cockpit, fires, and forced landings and crashes. Though she excelled in navigational and piloting skills, employment in the aviation world was difficult and the depression years did not help. Money was always in short supply for Bill and Chubbie. Desperate measures were taken, and she hired Charles Haden Clarke to help her write her autobiography. All three lived together for a short time. Chubbie became disillusioned with Bill and found solace in a relationship with Charles. As a result, catastrophic consequences. This part of the book for me, was the most fascinating and satisfying. Bill is trialed for Charles' murder but is cleared. Charles' death is determined as a suicide. Chubbie and Bill are forced to leave America. Chubbie who once sat on the nation's aviation pedestal has now crashed cruelly to the ground. Bill and Chubbie go their separate ways. Bill dies in an air crash and Chubbie marries, and dies in England without fanfare.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of Advance Reading Copy

The early days of aviation, filled with adventure, danger, and bravado, did not easily accept lady fliers. This, however, did not deter the women pilots although they chaffed at appellations such as ladybirds, petticoat pilots, flying flappers, and sweethearts of the air. Their daring achievements, now part of the glory days of early aviation history, revealed their stamina, their grit, their ability to pilot planes just as well as their male counterparts.

“The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller” recounts the exploits of Australian aviation pioneer Jessie “Chubbie” Miller who, although perhaps less well-known than Amelia Earhart, was nevertheless a contemporary of the accomplished aviatrix and who was one of the most successful women competing in air-racing circles. Along with many of the women pilots of the time, Jessie was one of the founding members of The Ninety-Nines, the non-profit international organization of women pilots. Among Jessie’s many accomplishments, she was the first women to first to fly across the equator, the first woman to fly more than eight thousand miles, and the first woman to become a test pilot.
As the narrative chronicles Jessie’s storied aviation life, it moves on to cover the controversial 1932 Miami murder trial of fellow aviator Bill Lancaster in which she was embroiled.

Well-researched and richly detailed, this engaging account of Jessie’s passion for flying and her spirited life during aviation’s golden age makes for fascinating reading.

Recommended.

[kerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mrs Miller was completely unknown to me before I read this book and despite the fact that she was able to transcend her boring Melbourne suburbanite beginnings and step outside the square for a woman born on the wrong side of the world, and in an era where women had to struggle against sexism and society expectations, I never really felt I got to know her or even really like her. Her thirst for adventure and persistence in pushing herself beyond her limits was inspirational and that to my mind makes her a gutsy colourful person however I felt the writing style didn't flow and was clunky and repetitive. The court scenes seemed to be from a different book and I felt went on too long; Chubby again not seeming particularly likeable. The male characters all seemed beguiled by Mrs Keith Miller and reached a sorry although predictable end ! Abruptly and somewhat out of character Chubby got her man and settled down. The book left me feeling that I would have liked to have known her not just read a series of things she did,lots of unanswered questions for me about this adventurous Australian woman.

[Eadie Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
This is a true story of adventure, danger and romance. Jessie "Chubbie" Miller from Australia was a 1920s housewife who became an aviator, a thriller-seeker and a heartbreaker. During the golden age of aviation she became a record-breaker by winner races, even beating out Amelia Earhart. She also became the world's first female test pilot. This book was a very fascinating read for me as I have read 3 other books about early female aviators. The book was well-researched by the author and very well-written. The characters were believable and I loved reading about all the timed races and records that were broken. I will definitely be checking out some of the other books that Carol Baxter has written. I would highly suggest that you read this book if you are interested in early aviators and their passion for flying

[Samantha Battams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book on an early female aviator, especially as I had just finished my book (with Les Parsons/Malcolm Riley) on Pioneer Aviator Captain Harry Butler from South Australia (The Red Devil, forthcoming 2019 - Wakefield Press) and delved into aviation history. It was a time when so many of the early aviators were men trained in WW1 - so it was great to read about the early women aviators, their races and other female aviators of the time.
This book was really easy to read and am amazing, sometimes shocking story. The kind of book I love reading - a true story, an (Australian) pioneer, and a female (not always good) heroine.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a WONDERFUL book; one of the best I’ve read in awhile. The story is exciting and full of drama. And it’s all true!!! It is NONfiction, not historical fiction, but it reads like fiction. The author based dialogue on actual recorded dialogue from newspapers, diaries, etc. I highly recommend this book!

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved Chubby's adventurous spirit, a woman who broke the mould and was extraordinarily bold for the times. A friend and contemporary of Amelia Earhart, Mrs Miller's was a fabulous story to be told. However, I found the book rather repetitive in its telling of the facts from multiple viewpoints

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to be honest and say that, until reading reviews about The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller, I had never heard of Jessie “Chubbie” Miller. In some ways I find this surprising given her truly remarkable involvement in the aviation industry in the 1920s and 1930s.

The book gives us an insight into Chubbie’s early childhood in regional Western Australian and her young adult life as a housewife in suburban Melbourne. Her discontent with domestic life in Melbourne saw her embracing an opportunity to travel to England which is where she was introduced to the world of aviation.

Captain William “Bill” Lancaster had aspirations to make a record breaking flight to Australia. He was introduced to Chubbie at a party they both attended in London. Chubbie agreed to support Bill in his endeavours to attempt making the flight on the proviso that she travel back to Australia with him as a passenger. There began a significant business and personal relationship.

The stories of the flights undertaken by both Chubbie and Bill, individually and together, are truly breathtaking. The level of their dedication to the aviation industry is demonstrated by their commitment to continue flying in both unpredictable and dangerous conditions, often across inhospitable terrain. Between the page turning descriptions of competition and record breaking flights we are given an insight into the hard work that aviators of the period undertook behind the scenes. There was a constant battle to securing support and funding and a need to ensure their ongoing competence not only as pilots but also as mechanics so that they could carry out repairs and maintenance on their planes.

The book also chronicles the couple’s involvement in the trial into the death of one of their acquaintances. Having been captivated by the descriptions of the flights earlier in the book I had thought I might find the details of the trial dull by comparison. This wasn’t the case. I found the circumstances of the death and the ensuing trial somewhat saddening yet also quite interesting.

Overall, I found Chubbie’s story genuinely engrossing and The Fabulous Flying Mrs Miller an entertaining and easy book to read.

[Trish L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been keen to read this book ever since I heard the author being interviewed on a radio show at the time of it's release. It did not disappoint. What a fascinating account of the adventures of Melburnian 'Chubbie' Miller, the first woman to fly from England to Australia (as a passenger) in a flimsy open cockpit biplane. These were the early days of aviation and the accounts of some of Chubbie's flights, without good compasses, reliable maps and proper landing strips are almost unbelievable today. Her personal life was as exciting as her flying exploits. Unfortunately the story seems to be reconstructed from news articles, stories and official records, not personal diaries and correspondence, and so we the readers do not get to know our heroine more than superficially. The story ended just a few years before WWII when Chubbie got married and gave up flying although remained connected to the aviation industry. I would have liked to have followed her through the war years in England.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing story of an Australian woman who became a flying ace, one who broke records and competed in Powder Puff Derbys.

Jessie (Chubbie) Miller is a woman that I am sure many readers have never heard of. But, by using Chubbie’s own journals, the author has brought her to life. And A fascinating life she did have.

Even though Chubbie had never flown, she became a co pilot on a trip from England to Australia in 1927. The pilot, Bill Lancaster, would become her best friend and lover , the man who introduced her into the world of aviation. Chubbie came to love that world and then to excel in flights to set records and promote female aviators.

This non fiction account reads like a novel . The author has added an extensive bibliography to the book.

I was enamored of this very feisty woman, her details of flights, the dangers, the mishaps, she faced.

Concluding with a sensational murder trial in Miami, this book will be a book club favorite.
Read as an ARC from LibraryThing.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this book up in the local Post Office - it was $10, cheap for Melbourne prices. Read it on the plane to Vietnam. Despite it being a good sized book - it was a quick read. very interesting, flowed well, lot's of facts and historic Women's aviation is always a great topic. They were dogged from day one and never gave up - unless of course you are thinking it's 2018 and women pilots are still a huge minority...
Wasn't sure what to expect, but this woman's life was very interesting, many twists and turns. Adventure, divorce, mysterious deaths, exploration, devastation, world politics - it's all there. Worth a read to gain some knowledge into female flight history. Anne Morrow was missing from any tales, but I'm sure she was present somewhere along the way.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting biography that continued some of what I read previously about the women aviators of the early 20th century. Honestly it's hard to imagine going up in the air in those contraptions. Known to history as Mrs. Keith Miller, she actually went by the nickname Chubbie. And her birth name was Jessie Maude Beveridge. I could never get over the fact that the man she divorced was the most commonly used name in the papers for this intrepid adventurer.

Chubbie loved the wild life for a time but it definitely caught up with her. I was completely prepared to find her lover and fellow pilot, Bill Lancaster, guilty of murder. But the evidence was more equivocal than I expected. The trial was well covered by the author.

I love biographies and this one was a fun read.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for book club and wow what an eventful life, the Australian pilot, Mrs. 'Chubbie' Miller had. This is non-fiction but her life is so interesting and so much happens that you could be forgiven for thinking it is a work of fiction. Except it is written in quite a straight forward manner and this is on purpose, the author didn't add anything to embellish the story - not even conversations. It is a true to life account - and it is not boring.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of two halves - (i) Chubbie's (Jessie) introduction to flying and the gender imbalances she faced and (ii) Bill's trial and final flight. Well researched but I only finished it because it was a book club choice.
PS: After the author's strong feminist views in the first half, I was surprised to see Chubbie described as Mrs Keith Miller on the book's cover. Some inconsistency?

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted so much to enjoy this, being an intersection of numerous topics I find fascinating (true crime, pioneering women, and early aviation). But it felt tedious at times, and despite acknowledging that Chubbie Miller kept diaries and left numerous letters behind, it was sorely lacking in communicating her thoughts and feelings or a sense of her as a woman.

[Adam Windsor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thoroughly interesting read about one of the pioneers of women in aviation. It's something of a bittersweet tale overall, and it ends a bit abruptly, but it is fascinating to see the various (mis)adventures that "Chubbie" went through.