Peter FitzSimons Charles Kingsford Smith

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The cover of Australian Author Peter FitzSimons’ book “Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men published by HarperCollins.

Peter Finlay was the principal aviation researcher for this work and a great deal of very helpful assistance came from Dave Homewood, Megan Wishart and Allan Rudge at MOTAT, Peter Dobson at the New Plymouth Aero Club at Bell Block, Ross McWilliams, the son of Tom McWilliams (the NZ radio operator on board the Southern Cross on several flights) and Jo Beresford, the great grand niece of the late George Hood.

With over 1,000 endnotes, which will be of inestimable benefit to researchers to follow, and over 2,000 hours of research by Peter FitzSimons, Sonja Goernitz, Peter’s FitzSimons’ principal general researcher, Peter Finlay and Ron Cuskelly, the book will compliment Ian Mackersey’s definitive work on Kingsford Smith with even more revealing stories about “Smithy” and his contemporary aviators.

Thank you everyone from New Zealand who helped us so willingly.

[corsair67]

About half way through the copy I bought two weeks ago, and am really enjoying it.

At first I found it a bit difficult to get into because of the chronological structure of the book - covering Kingsford Smith's life as it coincides with so many developments in early flight - but I soon got used to that and haven't looked back since.

This book has highlighted to me so many things I didn't know about the early attempts at flight by various people around the world - and especially how influential Hargraves' experiments with kites at Stanwell Park were to many fledgling aviators around the world, and also how Hargraves was very open about his findings and was prepared to share them for the good of all mankind.

Really makes you think how brave so many of these aviation pioneers were, and how much we take long distance air travel for granted nowadays.

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Many thanks for your comments Craig. You commented that I was researching something a while ago. Well spotted, Sir. The most amazing thing was that Peter was able to weave this story around CKS and yet keep the chronology in the correct order and very relevant.

The experiments by Lawrence Hargrave had far-reaching implications in the quest for human flight and I was fascinated to read, in my research, just how much he contributed. It appears that the Wrights were loath to give credit to others for fear that their applications for various patents might be compromised if they admitted that they had used research by Hargrave, et al, in their designs.

An "after publication" treat was to meet Charles (jnr) and Mary Kingsford-Smith, John and Valda Ulm and so many of the people who helped put the book together at the launch at the Sydney Opera House by the PM.

A staggering co-incidence was that Charles Ulm, the grandson of Charles Ulm (snr), attended one of my driving courses shortly after the launch. Small world.

[stu]

I caught the last part of a very interesting interview about this book on the radio last week. I'll have to keep an eye out for it, sounds like a good read.

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Hi Stu,

If you have a chance to hear Peter talk about his book in NZ then grab it. He just bubbles with enthusiasm and anecdotes.

[Dave Homewood]

Peter, do you have any photos from the book launch of Smithy and Ulm's children and family?

I'd be interested to see them if you do (I'm sure you must have taken your camera).

[flyjoe180]

Is this book out in book stores now? As a regular airport dweller I'm always keen on a good read.

[corsair67]

Joe, Dymocks have it available in NZ -

www.dymocks.co.nz/ProductDetails/ProductDetail.aspx?R=9780732284879

I'd also check out K-Mart, as they may have it cheaper at the moment.

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The book is generally available. K-Mart seems to be selling them in Sydney at the lowest prices, well below RRP.

Craig. I didn't take a camera to the book launch. My wife took a small digital but the darkened room gave everyone red eyes.

Here are two shots:



Charles Kingsford-Smith signing books with Peter FitzSimons at the Sydney Opera House.



Mary and Charles Kingsford-Smith

NB. Charles (jnr) hyphenates his surnames because Americans (where he lives in Seattle) think “Kingsford” is just a middle name rather than part of his surname if the hyphen is not used.

In our research we discovered that the hyphen in his father’s name was, in fact, often used despite what I had been led to believe by a person who is an authority on such matters. For instance, Charles (jnr) told me that his father’s birth certificate includes a hyphen in his surname. Smithy’s application for his commercial licence, in his own handwriting, includes the hyphen and the registration certificate of Kingsford-Smith Aerial Services Ltd does likewise. However, photographs of the latter business’s hangar at Mascot show no hyphen and the word “Service” is used instead of “Services”. All totally useless information except for the anoraks amongst us.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for the photos Peter. You can certainly see a resemblance between Charles Jnr and his father.

[Dave Homewood]

Peter, these links on Papers Past have been uploaded by the National Library of NZ far too late for Peter's manuscript but there are possibly some acts within these contemporary articles that interest you. Go hear and open each link. there are six pages:

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=q&hs=1&r=1&results=1&t=2&txq=kingsford+smith&pbq=&dafdq=&dafmq=01&dafyq=1928&datdq=&datmq=12&datyq=1932&tyq=all&ssnip=&fuzziness=&e=-01-1915--12-1920--10--1-DA---0dinneen-all&x=29&y=2

note that some of these articles written before the Tasman flight confirm that Christchurch was the intended destination.

[flyjoe180]

Thanks guys. I had a browse through Whitcoulls in AKL and WGN airports but couldn't find it there. I'll keep looking. Could end up being an internet transaction.

[flyjoe180]

I'm slowly reading this book and am up to where the Pacific Flight is about to take place. I am thoroughly enjoying every bit of it. A very well written story and like Craig, I have also learned a lot about the early aviation pioneers and war pilots. There are names of famous adventurers and pioneers which I never for one moment would have thought were Australians. Harry Hawker and George Wilkins are two that spring to mind.

When I first bought the book I thought it would run in the style of Ian MacKersey's biography, and wondered how I was going to enjoy such a large book on a story I thought I had basically already read. But having the background of other events and people running parallel to the Charles Kingsford Smith story makes it extremely interesting and difficult to put down. I am loving Fitzsimon's writing style.


Higly recommended thus far, well worth every cent.

[Dave Homewood]

I'm really looking forward to finding some time to begin reading my copy, which keeps looking at me from the corner. It's great to hear others here are enjoying it.

[kevsmith]

Once had two copies of a paper back by John Stannage titled "High Adventure" Was essentially the accounts of the pioneering flights of the Southern Cross that Stannage was involved in as a crew member. Has anyone seen read this book?

[flyjoe180]

Not me but I would love to read them one day.

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Hi Kev,

Yes, Peter had a copy of John Stannage's two books, one of which was "High Adventure". Both of them were great reads and the source of a fair amount of detail on Smithy's personal conversations with him.

PF