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The Incredible Life of Hubert Wilkins: Australia's greatest explorer
The extraordinary, must-read story of the brave, bold Hubert Wilkins - Australia's most adventurous explorer, naturalist, photographer, war hero, aviator, spy and daredevil - brought to life by Australia's greatest storyteller.
Sir Hubert Wilkins is one of the most remarkable Australians who ever lived.
The son of pioneer pastoralists in South Australia, Hubert studied engineering before moving on to photography, then sailing for England and a job producing films with the Gaumont Film Co. Brave and bold, he became a polar expeditioner, a brilliant war photographer, a spy in the Soviet Union, a pioneering aviator-navigator, a death-defying submariner - all while being an explorer and chronicler of the planet and its life forms that would do Vasco da Gama and Sir David Attenborough proud. As a WW1 photographer he was twice awarded the Military Cross for bravery under fire, the only Australian photographer in any war to be decorated. He went on expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton, led a groundbreaking natural history study in Australia and was knighted in 1928 for his aviation exploits, but many more astounding achievements would follow. Wilkins' quest for knowledge and polar explorations were lifelong passions and his missions to polar regions aboard the submarine Nautilus the stuff of legend.
With masterful storytelling skill, Peter FitzSimons illuminates the life of Hubert Wilkins and his incredible achievements. Thrills and spills, derring-do, new worlds discovered - this is the most unforgettable tale of the most extraordinary life lived by any Australian.,
,
Sir Hubert Wilkins is one of the most remarkable Australians who ever lived.
The son of pioneer pastoralists in South Australia, Hubert studied engineering before moving on to photography, then sailing for England and a job producing films with the Gaumont Film Co. Brave and bold, he became a polar expeditioner, a brilliant war photographer, a spy in the Soviet Union, a pioneering aviator-navigator, a death-defying submariner - all while being an explorer and chronicler of the planet and its life forms that would do Vasco da Gama and Sir David Attenborough proud. As a WW1 photographer he was twice awarded the Military Cross for bravery under fire, the only Australian photographer in any war to be decorated. He went on expedition with Sir Ernest Shackleton, led a groundbreaking natural history study in Australia and was knighted in 1928 for his aviation exploits, but many more astounding achievements would follow. Wilkins' quest for knowledge and polar explorations were lifelong passions and his missions to polar regions aboard the submarine Nautilus the stuff of legend.
With masterful storytelling skill, Peter FitzSimons illuminates the life of Hubert Wilkins and his incredible achievements. Thrills and spills, derring-do, new worlds discovered - this is the most unforgettable tale of the most extraordinary life lived by any Australian.,
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549 pages, Hardcover
Published December 6, 2022
63 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Peter FitzSimons
85 books481 followersPeter FitzSimons is one of Australia’s most prominent and successful media and publishing identities. His busy professional life involves co-hosting the breakfast program on Sydney's Radio 2UE, writing weekly columns for the Sydney Morning Herald and Sun Herald newspapers, appearing on Foxtel's Back Page television show and, when time permits, authoring best-selling books. A correspondent for London's Daily Telegraph as well, he is also in high demand as a guest speaker and presenter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
November 17, 2021
History as collated by a committee of specialists and written in the style of a ‘boy’s own adventure’. It’s a rich adventure narrative and how much is this a biographical history? The telling of history and in this case the historical biography of the most incredible and unknown Australian adventurer, Hubert Wilkins. Photographer, soldier photographer WW1, polar explorer, pilot, daredevil and the luckiest man alive. Survives every bomb, every bullet, every plane crash and even in his 50s a survivor of a French Military plane shot down over occupied France in 1940. Stranded and without speaking an inch of French makes an incredible solo journey through German occupied France to safety. Not many recorded details of his work in WW2 in comparison to the massive detail that follows Hubert Wilkins from his naive journey from South Australia to Sydney and ends up a Captain in the Australian Army as Charles Bean’s official war photographer. Unbelievable and seat of your pants adventure double plus journey. Great read but I decided early on to take the well formed narrative and enjoy it as a factualised/fictionalised reading experience. I’m positive Hubert Wilkins achieved what has been says of him, I just needed to suspend my biographical mindset in order to fully enjoy the boy’s own adventure story written. Bought from Big W Library $24.99.
March 22, 2022
Another Peter FitzSimon's classic in his series of biographies on famous Australians.
Now, being a aviator and a photographer myself, I must admit embarrassment that I knew very little about the subject of this book - Hubert Wilkins. What a man! An incredible Australian who lived through interesting times and took on amazing feats. He's probably the ultimate Australian explorer, yet, like many Australians I imagine, I barely knew a thing of him. And funnily enough, that's just the way Wilkins would have liked it (read the book and you'll find out why!)
This book, of course, changes all that. The author's usual meticulous research and clever insights into historical life are strong. I must say though, if I'd read this as a novel, I'd probably have given up in the early chapters. Why? Because Wilkin's life is so bizarre and fanciful that I would not have believed it as a fictional story. But his story and his exploits were real, which makes this read all the more compelling.
I encourage any Australian (or anyone interested in aviation, photography, film-making, war journalism, the Arctic, the Antarctic, wilderness survival, exploration, sailing, submarines ... the list goes on ... ) to get to know this great yet little known Australian.
Now, being a aviator and a photographer myself, I must admit embarrassment that I knew very little about the subject of this book - Hubert Wilkins. What a man! An incredible Australian who lived through interesting times and took on amazing feats. He's probably the ultimate Australian explorer, yet, like many Australians I imagine, I barely knew a thing of him. And funnily enough, that's just the way Wilkins would have liked it (read the book and you'll find out why!)
This book, of course, changes all that. The author's usual meticulous research and clever insights into historical life are strong. I must say though, if I'd read this as a novel, I'd probably have given up in the early chapters. Why? Because Wilkin's life is so bizarre and fanciful that I would not have believed it as a fictional story. But his story and his exploits were real, which makes this read all the more compelling.
I encourage any Australian (or anyone interested in aviation, photography, film-making, war journalism, the Arctic, the Antarctic, wilderness survival, exploration, sailing, submarines ... the list goes on ... ) to get to know this great yet little known Australian.
October 10, 2024
Although Peter FitzSimons's writing style annoys me, I did enjoy the historical detail and many fascinating and interesting stories about Wilkins' life, the people he encountered and the historical context. I am grateful we can now learn about this exceptional person who achieved astounding feats in his lifetime including photographing battles in WW1, learning to fly and photographing events and wildlife from the air, exploring Northern Australia, befriending Indigenous people, exploring the Arctic and the Antarctic by land and air. His ingenuity, intelligence and bravery in extreme situations is amazing. We must question why Australian history is so selectively taught and this amazing person has previously been unknown in Australia.
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November 20, 2021DNF - so not rated.
I've enjoyed Peter FitzSimons previously but this lacks the gravitas of his earlier works that are set around a key historical event - Batavia, Tobruk, Gallipoli etc. Maybe I didn't go far enough but by page 60 or 70 it had come to feel like little more than a Boy's Own adventure (of an admittedly remarkable life). If that's your thing then this is for you but it wasn't for me.
I've enjoyed Peter FitzSimons previously but this lacks the gravitas of his earlier works that are set around a key historical event - Batavia, Tobruk, Gallipoli etc. Maybe I didn't go far enough but by page 60 or 70 it had come to feel like little more than a Boy's Own adventure (of an admittedly remarkable life). If that's your thing then this is for you but it wasn't for me.
March 9, 2022
I listened to this as an audio book. I vaguely knew of Wilkins as, while walking the Heysen Trail, we came across the Mt. Bryan East school near Hallett in the mid north of South Australia. Wilkins was born and grew up in the area and went to the school. The Heysen Trail is a long distance trail, 1200km, that winds it’s way through much of S.A. All South Australians should definitely know more about this remarkable man. 3 1/2 stars.
June 25, 2022
"A great Australian who made his mark in Half-a-dozen fields, saw it all" (the deep north and south, fields of war, Australia's tropical wilds), "did it all" (getting there by land air and under the sea), "met them all" (Lenin, King George, Henry Ford, etc.) "chronicled the never-before seen, pushed back the frontiers of science and made the world he was born to a much smaller place". Was he really Australia's greatest explorer? Before reading this book I'd never heard of him, and I suspect that most, Australians and otherwise, are the same. How could someone so unknown be our most accomplished adventurer?
My conclusion is that the tag of greatest is probably justified or at least a leading contender. His story reads like a 'boys own' adventure, an amalgamation of heroic stories woven into a fictional character facing ongoing danger and always narrowly escaping death, before marrying the chorus girl and living happily ever after. From an outback upbringing with excursions amongst the local indigenous tribes, joining the circus before stowing away to go abroad. Months in the Arctic living with the Inuit, photographing the battlefields of France, spying on Soviet Russia, and among the first to fly over the Arctic and Antarctic, and first to get a sub under the Arctic. So apart from the happy ending, and coupled with the number of near death events, it makes for one of the most remarkable lives I've read about.
My usual reservations about Fitzsimons et al style and approach remain. In addition, this volume is uneven in its pace, slowing at time to document pages of hour by hour detail, before picking up again to skip forward to the next part of the adventure. I suspect this is due to the commitment to his active tense and perhaps uneven documentary sources. The use of puns throughout the book felt smug, although I'd be prepared to appreciate it if it reflects an expressive habit of Wilkins. For the frequent references to scientific endeavour, little of any actual 'science' is discussed, giving the impression this elect may have been Wilkins' or fitzsimons' marketing for extreme adventures.
Sadly, Wilkins' personal life was subsumed beneath his quests for adventure and his legacy suppressed after his death as a result. Spending little time at home even after he married, much of what he wrote remained boxed up and unpublished, degrading over time such that recent interest doesn't have access to his original records or contemporary summaries of it. Hence his anonymity....until now!
My conclusion is that the tag of greatest is probably justified or at least a leading contender. His story reads like a 'boys own' adventure, an amalgamation of heroic stories woven into a fictional character facing ongoing danger and always narrowly escaping death, before marrying the chorus girl and living happily ever after. From an outback upbringing with excursions amongst the local indigenous tribes, joining the circus before stowing away to go abroad. Months in the Arctic living with the Inuit, photographing the battlefields of France, spying on Soviet Russia, and among the first to fly over the Arctic and Antarctic, and first to get a sub under the Arctic. So apart from the happy ending, and coupled with the number of near death events, it makes for one of the most remarkable lives I've read about.
My usual reservations about Fitzsimons et al style and approach remain. In addition, this volume is uneven in its pace, slowing at time to document pages of hour by hour detail, before picking up again to skip forward to the next part of the adventure. I suspect this is due to the commitment to his active tense and perhaps uneven documentary sources. The use of puns throughout the book felt smug, although I'd be prepared to appreciate it if it reflects an expressive habit of Wilkins. For the frequent references to scientific endeavour, little of any actual 'science' is discussed, giving the impression this elect may have been Wilkins' or fitzsimons' marketing for extreme adventures.
Sadly, Wilkins' personal life was subsumed beneath his quests for adventure and his legacy suppressed after his death as a result. Spending little time at home even after he married, much of what he wrote remained boxed up and unpublished, degrading over time such that recent interest doesn't have access to his original records or contemporary summaries of it. Hence his anonymity....until now!
January 28, 2023
*** Very mild spoilers ***
All I can say is - WOW!
Actually, no, I can say a lot more than that. This book is amazing! Primarily because of the true story it tells of the incredible Sir Hubert Wilkins, an Australian hero and legend whom hardly anyone has heard of! (Although I do have to give huge props to Peter Fitzsimmons for his brilliant research and ability to write history in such an engaging way - he's truly a master storyteller. It took me a few chapters to get into his unusual writing style but stick with it - you'll grow to love it.)
However the star here is really Hubert, a man who stood in No man's land so he could take better photos (he wanted to capture the faces of the Australian men charging the Germans, not their backs), who saved the lives of countless people, who literally should have died over 20 times (including the 3 times he was put in front of a firing squad and everyone else was shot but him, oh and the times he was in a test flight and the engines cut out and they crash landed - twice in two days, and the times he was stranded in the arctic and had to walk back to land ... the list goes on). This book is the story of one man's passion for discovery and absolute determination to keep going, no matter the risk to his life and safety.
It is truly inspiring and begs the question ... why, why, why has he not been honoured with a monument? A museum? Why aren't school kids taught about him in our Australian curriculum? I would love to see a movie of his life, although, actually, I think a 6 part mini series would be better - it would be impossible to cram his life into a 2 hour movie.
All I can say is - WOW!
Actually, no, I can say a lot more than that. This book is amazing! Primarily because of the true story it tells of the incredible Sir Hubert Wilkins, an Australian hero and legend whom hardly anyone has heard of! (Although I do have to give huge props to Peter Fitzsimmons for his brilliant research and ability to write history in such an engaging way - he's truly a master storyteller. It took me a few chapters to get into his unusual writing style but stick with it - you'll grow to love it.)
However the star here is really Hubert, a man who stood in No man's land so he could take better photos (he wanted to capture the faces of the Australian men charging the Germans, not their backs), who saved the lives of countless people, who literally should have died over 20 times (including the 3 times he was put in front of a firing squad and everyone else was shot but him, oh and the times he was in a test flight and the engines cut out and they crash landed - twice in two days, and the times he was stranded in the arctic and had to walk back to land ... the list goes on). This book is the story of one man's passion for discovery and absolute determination to keep going, no matter the risk to his life and safety.
It is truly inspiring and begs the question ... why, why, why has he not been honoured with a monument? A museum? Why aren't school kids taught about him in our Australian curriculum? I would love to see a movie of his life, although, actually, I think a 6 part mini series would be better - it would be impossible to cram his life into a 2 hour movie.
January 12, 2022
An intriguing volume about (to me) a little known figure in Australian history, FitzSimons has written an engaging, easily-read account of Wilkins' life. Although there are many academic or 'hard core' treatments of Wilkins out there, FitzSimons' approaches the subject with his strength, the telling of the tale rather than a blow by blow account; it feels as if he is sitting next to you, beer in hand, yarning about this bloke he knows.
The book suffers from one defect, and that is out of FitzSimon's control. Most of the personal papers and details about Sir Hubert were either destroyed, dispersed or hidden by his widow and family, making any narrative about Sir Hubert heavily weighted to his early life, and this is reflected in the book. Where FitzSimons errs is in not stating this up front, but leaving it to the epilogue; the reader is left to wonder why, in a volume of 500+ pages, nearly 400 pages are exhausted describing his life to 1927, leaving barely 100 for the remaining 30 years.
If you want detailed, tight historical treatment of Sir Hubert you may be better off looking elsewhere. If you want an easily read, engaging, broad brush view of the man, FitzSimons' work is a delight and a must read.
The book suffers from one defect, and that is out of FitzSimon's control. Most of the personal papers and details about Sir Hubert were either destroyed, dispersed or hidden by his widow and family, making any narrative about Sir Hubert heavily weighted to his early life, and this is reflected in the book. Where FitzSimons errs is in not stating this up front, but leaving it to the epilogue; the reader is left to wonder why, in a volume of 500+ pages, nearly 400 pages are exhausted describing his life to 1927, leaving barely 100 for the remaining 30 years.
If you want detailed, tight historical treatment of Sir Hubert you may be better off looking elsewhere. If you want an easily read, engaging, broad brush view of the man, FitzSimons' work is a delight and a must read.
October 13, 2022
I’d rate this five stars for teaching me aussie history I wasn’t aware of, as a story it did drag in the pre WW1 exploration. This novel is huge and jam packed with Captain George’s adventures. Where it suffers is in the long periods of exploration that are important but lack narrative drive. Yes it was awesome that he survived what he did but it just wasn’t compelling.
Once George enters the war there’s instantly greater drive as we’re introduced to other interesting characters and their amazing WW1 exploits. This continues afterwards and I think it’s the way the writer can pull out more interesting character interactions in these arctic adventures that helps make them more compelling than the pre WW1 ones. Definitely worth sticking through.
I do admit I found the epilogue more fascinating then some adventures too. The way he’d disappear for months to help the WW2 effort and the mysterious way he died leaves space for imagination. As the writers purpose is to show us true history and there’s no detail about what happened he had to gloss over it but it feels like a James Bond adventure hiding away.
Recommend reading it. Just be patient in the first couple hundred pages as it does drag a little.
Once George enters the war there’s instantly greater drive as we’re introduced to other interesting characters and their amazing WW1 exploits. This continues afterwards and I think it’s the way the writer can pull out more interesting character interactions in these arctic adventures that helps make them more compelling than the pre WW1 ones. Definitely worth sticking through.
I do admit I found the epilogue more fascinating then some adventures too. The way he’d disappear for months to help the WW2 effort and the mysterious way he died leaves space for imagination. As the writers purpose is to show us true history and there’s no detail about what happened he had to gloss over it but it feels like a James Bond adventure hiding away.
Recommend reading it. Just be patient in the first couple hundred pages as it does drag a little.
January 4, 2022
The content is glorious, what an incredible man and full life. The style is a bit pompous initially, becomes more even. Some of the sentence construction is just awkward, required parses to comprehend. Punctuation is missing on occasion. Some obvious dates are simply missing; birth and death, significant events. Maps don’t always have a scale bar or convenient location relative to the text. These are small gripes in a wonderful effort by the author and research team, the editor is not commended. For those reviewers who gave up…they missed out, the book is as comprehensive as 500 pages can capture.
Australia should honour Sir Hubert with a bank note!!!
Australia should honour Sir Hubert with a bank note!!!
January 29, 2022
What a remarkable South Australian. This is a well written retelling of a truly incredible life. Sir Hubert Wilkins achieved more in his life, in a time of much more hardship, then most people could believe possible. He was respected by all he met, regardless of their nationality. Peter FitzSimons has bought to life a forgotten pioneer. All Australians should read this book and learn about the achievements of this great man. We need to celebrate this original explorer.
July 23, 2022
As usual Fitzsimons applies his unusual style to turn what could be a dry piece of history into a riveting read. But the most memorable part of this book is the anonmyity of the subject. Hubert Wilkins led an amazing life, so thanks to the author for revealing him to us.
December 17, 2021
Horrible book just like the untalented writter
December 17, 2021
This book is trash
December 17, 2021
This is the worst book I’ve ever read…
April 3, 2022
Justice to an important and interesting Australian written in Fitzsimmons unique style
September 22, 2022
Wow what an incredible life. Never heard of sir Hubert Wilkins until I read this.
October 3, 2022
Wonderful book about a truly amazing Australian . Thank you Peter Fitz.
October 15, 2022
Quite amazing person, shame that the writing was so gushing and puerile _ will look for a better written biography of Wilkins, he does seem a fascinating character.
October 30, 2022
This was not a balanced biography. It was more interesting than I expected and the man himself was an interesting and brave man. The writing style was quite tedious.
May 11, 2023
It was incredibly interesting, Wilkins travels and his photography stories especially during the war i remarkable. Not sure exactly how he survived all the things he did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2023
It certainly was an incredible life!
September 22, 2023
Curious writing style took me some time to adjust to. Amazing personality - comprehensive coverage.
May 14, 2024
It was a truly incredible life. I am surprised that I have never heard of Hubert Wilkins before. Such amazing explorations and adventures.
September 28, 2024
I'm sure Hubert was a great man, but I cant bring myself to read 500 pages of florid descriptions of his feats. I'll find the dot point version somewhere I'm sure
April 19, 2025
Fabulous book. one of the best I have ever read. just incredible
September 13, 2025
Had a very interesting life! Book spoilt by Fitzsimmons usual bias (ie only Australians fought well at Gallopoli and all Aussies were heroes). Are bit more balance might (as ever) be better.
December 6, 2025
Anyone who enjoys adventure should read this book. It’ll turn you into a yes man
December 25, 2025
Enjoyed this thoroughly, as I have other books by this author. I recently discovered a family connection with Hubert Wilkins, so had an extra motivation to get into this, but still highly recommend.
June 9, 2025
A very readable biography about an extraordinary Australian I had never heard of before listening to a review of this book on ABC radio. A humble but very courageous and capable man who deserves to be much better known, especially in his homeland. During World War 1 he went to the front lines of battles armed only with his photographic equipment. He then explored the Arctic and Antarctic regions armed with knowledge obtained from the indigenous inhabitants of the Arctic. A pioneer aviator, he also developed a very early submarine to successfully travel underneath the Arctic icecap.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews