'Qantas Rising', 'Qantas at War', and 'Wings to the World'
Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1965-70. Three octavo volumes, original textured blue cloth, gilt lettering on spines. Volume 1, Qantas Rising: xii, 296 pp., frontispiece, nine appendices included. Volume 2, Qantas at War: xii, 244 pp., frontispiece, nine appendices included. Volume 3, Wings to the World: xii, 236 pp., 10 appendices included. Each volume illustrated with numerous double-sided black-and-white plates. Volume 1, Qantas Rising: corners very slightly bumped; Volume 2, Qantas at War: spine ends and lower edges of covers slightly rubbed; dust jacket chipped at spine head, slight tear on dust-jacket cover; Volume 3, Wings to the World: tail-edge corners slightly bumped, very light wear on top edge of dust-jacket; overall, a near-fine set. First edition three-volume autobiographical set of (and by) Qantas founder Sir Hudson Fysh. Each volume is signed by the author.
To quote Fysh: "An increasing number of friends and well-wishers have asked me when I was going to write my story and that of Qantas for the sake of history, much of which is so often lost or distorted. They said that this should be done before time ran out on my ability to do it."
In these three engaging volumes, Fysh fulfils his mission by telling his life story, and the parallel story of the creation of one of the most well-known airlines in the world: Qantas. This set is not only an autobiography, but also a history of one of the most exciting and important series of events in modern times: the development of international transport.
Qantas Rising recounts the founding of Qantas by ex-servicemen Hudson Fysh and P. J. McGinnes, along with Fergus McMaster and Ainslie Templeton. Fysh tells the tale in thrilling detail, recounting the adventures that led to the establishment of the airline and its history up to 1934. Qantas at War follows the airline, its pilots, partners and rivals during the dramatic years of World War Two. Wings to the World is the third and concluding volume of the trilogy and tells of Fysh's and Qantas's life after the war, from 1945 to 1966. Item #3659
Price (AUD): $590.00