Hudson Fysh

By: Grantlee Kieza

Narrated by: Tamblyn Lord

Hudson Fysh was a decorated World War I hero who not only founded Australia's national airline Qantas but steered it for almost half a century from its humble beginnings with two rickety biplanes to the age of the jumbo jets.

One of Australia's celebrated Light Horsemen at Gallipoli, Fysh went on to fly death-defying missions for Lawrence of Arabia with the Australian Flying Corps and battle Germans in deadly dogfights in the skies over Palestine. On his return from the Great War, Fysh launched his bush airline, the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (Qantas), with the help of a wartime pilot friend and some western Queensland graziers. After flying the first scheduled Qantas passenger flight in 1922, he ushered in the Flying Doctor Service that still assists remote communities.

Fysh went on to guide Qantas through the dark days of the Great Depression, the perilous years of World War II and into the great boom in international tourism that followed with the jet age, giving millions of Australians their first experience of international travel.

©2022 Grantlee Kieza. Grantlee Kieza asserts his moral right to be identified as the author of this Work. First published in English by HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited in. (P)2022 Bolinda Publishing. This audio version produced by arrangement with HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty Limited.

Five stars plus a flying kangaroo!

What a great book about a fascinating man. I was intrigued by the story as a result of reading the works of Nevil Shute on the early days of aviation. The story of the launch of QANTAS (I didn't know it was an acronym) was wonderful. As an entrepreneur I can relate to the endless series of battles no matter how big the company becomes. Well done!

Spectacular listening about an aviation pioneer

Fysh and his evolution into flying pioneer and explorer is a fascinating look into the guts, determination and grit it took to make it in the 1920s-50s, specifically in Australia but beyond too. Very good book, well written and presented and an enjoyable audible production. I was lucky enough to see the A380 Hudson Fysh landing in Dallas a couple of years back and wondered about the name of the aircraft - now, of course, I know. They don't make them like Fysh much, any more.