Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men

by Peter FitzSimons

Known to millions simply as 'Smithy', Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was one of Australia's true twentieth-century legends. In an era in which aviators were superstars, Smithy was among the greatest and, throughout his amazing career, his fame in Australia was matched only by that of Don Bradman. Among other achievements, Kingsford Smith was the first person to fly across the Pacific, he broke the record for the fastest flight from England to Australia, and at one point he held more long-distance flying records than anyone else on the planet. If that wasn't enough, Smithy was also a war hero, receiving the Military Cross for gallantry in action after being shot - and losing three toes during one of many flying missions during World War I. Smithy was not the lone adventurer of the skies. Early aviation drew to it a company of daredevils who all challenged gravity and fear. This comprehensive biography, written with typical flair by Peter FitzSimons, covers the triumphs and tragedies of not only Kingsford Smith's daring and controversial life but also those of his companion aviators.

Genres: History, Biography, Aviation, Nonfiction, Australia, Audiobook, World War I

704 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2009

About the author

Peter 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

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Peter FitzSimons is without doubt a popular author who has done a lot to retell Australian stories for an Australian audience. For that he is to be recognised, and there is a lot to be said in favour f his body of work and his bio of 'Smithy' in general. However...

For all the work he and his researcher and editorial teams have put into this book, I still found it to be a slightly underwhelming read. This reaction was rooted in some mistakes he made in the first few chapters of the book, and then this was taken over by my mild aversion to his prose. To be blunt, FitzSimons writes in such an affected "Wow cobbers, isn't this fascinating" style he could be mistaken for Steve Irwin. Of course this has made FitzSimons immensely popular and there is a certain vivacity in his work. However his novelist's approach to writing was often more irritating than enjoyable.

Where the author does do a good job is charting Kingsford-Smith's life, and to some extent the now distant phenomena of pioneering aviators breaking records left, right and centre in what would now be considered flimsy aircraft. If one was to look for a generalist and popular review of the first thirty-forty years of "those magnificent men in their flying machines" then FitzSimon's bio of Smithy would be a reasonable get. It is positive to see in this book some emphasis has been placed on re-establishng the role of Lawrence Hargreaves, Harry Hawker and George Wilkins as key figures in the early development of aeronautic science and flying. On the other hand, it may be argued that by spending so much attention on pilots and other figures not specifically related to or influential upon Kingsford-Smith's life and career has made the bio a little bloated.

One rather discordant note that struck me at the end of the book was the semi-whitewashing of Charles Lindbergh. Whilst FitzSimons does note the American pilot's isolationist statements as well as some rather scurrilous aspects of his personal life, it is rather disappointing that the author makes no comment on the links between Lindbergh and Nazis, both in Germany at at home.

I would be churlish to end my review on such a negative note; there were some seriously good parts in this monumental bio, and FitzSimons does an excellent job of bringing episodes such as the Southern Cross with Smithy & Charles Ulm at the controls making the first successful Trans-Pacific flight to life. If one is willing to ignore the artifice of the author's prose style and look for some insights into our greatest aviator's life and career, well I would recommend this biography with few reservations.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as interesting at the start as many of FitzSimons books. Got more interesting at the end.
Can understand how the man was the daredevil celebrity of the time. So sad his was such a tragic end, that hopefully we find the remains of at some point.

[Dona · Rating 5 out of 5]

After 610 pages I finally finished this book. It was a fantastic read and I highly recommend it if you like biographies, aviation history or just a good adventure. Although it took me awhile to finish because life kept getting in the way when I was reading it was hard to put down.

[Ruth Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very informative look at not only Charles Kingsford Smith's life, but also the people and time when flying became possible, and then through the development of flying from being able to get off the ground for a short time to flying around the world. Many of the early aviators served in WW1, and we learn about Charles Kingsford Smith's war years and his learning to fly. After WW1 seems to have been an exciting time for aviation with the returned flying aces pushing the early planes to the limits and continually achieving new records, however a rather brutal aspect is just how many died doing this, it seems many of the early flyers crashed and died but were found, or simply disappeared during a flight, these people with their adventurous spirit and passion for flying really did change the world.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heady mixture of a colourful life lived to the fullest extent, history and Australian jingoism, this is an extraordinarily vivid biography.

FitzSimons takes us though the development of flying and peppers it with anecdotes and trivia, naturally emphasising the antipodean contribution.

An intriguing character is Sir Charles - dare-devil, barnstormer, hapless businessman, hero, and, that ultimate Australian accolade, a good bloke.

This is a good read which maintains the momentum despite its length, although his use of Australian colloquialisms takes a bit of getting used to. His enthusiasm and adoration for the subject matter shine through and infectiously carry the reader on to the fateful conclusion of this life lived at full throttle.

[Ishmael Soledad · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging, easy to read account of Kingsford-Smith, what makes this account better is the narrative around the times, from the Wrights and all the early aviation pioneers through to the McRobertson-Miller air race, and the fate of the other key personalities in the story.

Thankfully, Kingsford-Smith comes across as a flawed and perhaps even slightly detestable character (his statement quoted on page 461 would be enough for me to throttle him) which, for an Australian "icon" written about by an Australian author, is a pleasant and welcome change. Interwoven with this, the effects of the Great War on returned servicemen comes across clearly and tragically.

For a work of just over 600 pages, and building on some deep research, it is a great read.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible account of Smithy's life and the world of planes that evolved around his record breaking flights. I couldn't put this captivating story down and even though I knew what the ending was going to be, I felt like I knew Sir Kingsford Smith enough to actually be a little sad at the result, after all his woes and financial troubles.

I saw this book in the shops and always wanted to read. I finally took the plunge and wish I'd read it sooner. This book and author did a fantastic job of heaping the facts together into an almost poetic account of Australia's best pilot. Fantastic, I wish I could give this 6 stars.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the early and dangerous days of flying. Part history lesson and part biography, well written and engaging. The daring feats that paved the way of modern flight are a testament to the spirit of the pilots who forged the way.

[Daniel Rudge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read, looking at the history of aviation in Australia spliced with a personal story of one of our most famous flyers. Big book, takes a while to read. Have to pace yourself.

[Peter Riddell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read!!

[Jozef Flis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Serviceable biography without reaching great heights.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most informtive...

[Mark Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot I didn't know. Seems he was always going to end up dying on a an adventure.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of not only Smithy, but early aviation.

[Doughlas Ivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real but sad so true about Australian history

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superb and comprehensive account of the history of aviation focussing on Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

[Ralphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This captured me as enchanted me.
Fascinating that this brave pioneer was treated with relative disdain by his own governments.
😎👍📚✅

[Kateandthegirlz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't say that I am a massive fan of Fitzsimon's writing style (his 'Crickey' and 'Boy oh Boy' type interjections get just a little annoying), and sadly I don't think he has relied a huge amount on archival research (lots of newspapers and secondary sources) but his output is prodigious and the stories in this book are amazing. Sadly I knew so little about the incredible Charles Kingsford-Smith and this book was a very accessible introduction.

[Grant Bourne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sydney airport named after Smithy and most people don't know enough about him. This book celebrates Smithy perfectly and shares a brief history of aviation along the way as well. Very inspiring, written in Fitzys typical style (which not all people like), a perfect snap shot, not comprehensive but that's not what it is trying to achieve.

[Nerrelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Important figure in the world's aviation history

So interesting to read about such a famous Australian! A warts and all story about an Aussie icon. The added bonus of learning about some of his fellow contemporaries. A good read from Peter as usual, you expect a big book from Peter, it goes with his personality.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another big read by Peter FitzSimons, but worth the time spent. Very interesting coverage of so many early aviators. At the end you even find out why QANTAS uses the name W H Fysh on their Frequent Flyers card advertisements.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the talking book version and it was great. Well presented and informative despite the ozzie bias

[GregL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long, but really interesting. Listened to the Audible version while I commuted. Great insight into the history of aviation

[Nigel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting and quite comprehensive. Well researched. A little long for me though.