Overview

Part adventure, part mystery and part tragedy, HUSTLING HINKLER is the unforgettable true story of Bert Hinkler's astonishing life. Herbert John Louis Hinkler was a working-class lad, born in Bundaberg, Queensland, in 1892. From his earliest years, Bert was captivated by stories of flight and, inspired by the Wright brothers, build his first plane while still a teenager. Determined to make a life of adventure, he became a mechanic for a barnstorming pilot before making his way to England. At the outbreak of World War I he joined up, becoming a decorated air gunner before achieving his pilot's wings in the RAF. Ambition finally aligned with skill, and he became famous for his death-defying aviation triumphs. In 1928 he thrilled the world with his first solo flight from England to Australia, and another across the South Atlantic in 1931. Yet behind this publicly feted hero was a complex man who struggled to find his place in the world when not in the sky. He desperately clung to his dreams, despite the odds against him. Tragically, Bert's pioneering attempts came to an abrupt end on 7 January 1933, while attempting another solo flight from England to Australia. D. R. Dymock's insightful biography reveals the many intriguing facets of this outstanding aviator, the circumstances that led to that final, fatal flight, and the three women he left behind. HUSTLING HINKLER is the riveting true story of a trailblazing Australian. 'HUSTLING HINKLER is mandatory reading for anyone who loves flight . . . a gripping story of an intrepid country boy who followed his dreams.' (Richard de Crespigny, author of multi-award winning QF32)

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9780733629839

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'absolutely fantastic and a really absorbing read'

'absolutely fantastic and a really absorbing read' - Dick Smith, Australian adventurer, pilot and businessman

Author Information

Darryl Dymock works part-time as a senior researcher at Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia, and has a special interest in adult learning and educational history. Already a well-published author in his field, he gave up full-time employment to spend more time on writing narrative non-fiction, and he has also written prize-winning short stories. Darryl has four grown-up children and lives in Brisbane with his wife and his laptop. So far he has had eleven different jobs, including clerk, high school teacher, taxi driver, soldier and university lecturer, and he has lived in three Australian states, England and Papua New Guinea. His biography of Bert Hinkler was developed through the Queensland Writers Centre/Hachette Australia Manuscript Development Program.

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