Smithy

Reviews / Votes

'The name Charles Kingsford Smith might mean next to nothing to most people. A few might dimly remember that Sydney's international airport bears his name and conclude that he was a famous Aussie. The odd aviation fanatic might just have him down as a pre-war famous flyer. But where he went and what he did? Forget it. If ever you wanted proof of the injustice of the publishing world where time and again hype wins out over merit, then look no further than Ian Mackersey's biography of Kingsford Smith, Smithy. Smithy is one of those rare accomplishments, a biography that transcends the achievements of its subject and would be worth reading even if Charles Kingsford Smith hadn't been the first long-distance pilot to conquer the Pacific and the Tasman in both directions and to fly the Atlantic from east to west. What makes this even more impressive is that Kingsford Smith is such a legend in his native Australia that every biography that has been written up till now has been hagiography and Mackersey has had to uncover a host of sources, including Smithy's second wife, who have hitherto maintained a discreet silence. The picture that emerges is of a troubled man, scarred by his active service in the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War, whose inability to find contentment resulted in hard drinking, a failure to maintain relationships and financial recklessness as well as hi