National Learning Institute

The Men Who Killed Qantas

Matthew Benns

Reviewed by admin Wed 29 Jun 11

Bob's Rating:

For anyone interested in flying or for that matter, anyone who flies regularly, this book makes riveting reading.  Tracing the origins of Qantas from its beginning in 1920 (it's the second oldest airline in the world) to today, Benns gives an insiders look at the way a major airline, in this case Qantas, works.

The book provides insights into safety in the air (quite confronting if you are a regular flyer), aviation history, management and leadership.

The early historical chapters make interesting reading as they virtually trace the history of commercial aviation - where it started; who were the leading players and plane makers.  It also shows the courage and determination of the men who started flying the planes and then became the airline managers.

At its core, the book is about how an organisation's guiding principles and core philosophy that saw it through many turbulent times, only to be challenged by today's shareholder-driven society.

It's also about leadership.  Detailed analyses of the various CEOs and Chairmen (in one case a woman) show how each has impacted the history of Qantas to bring it where today it sits at the crossroads - will it continue on to celebrate its centenary in 2020 or will it disappear into oblivion?

Students of leadership, reading Benns' appraisal of the company will be fascinated by the decisions of the various CEOs - are they in fact leaders?  Will their legacy be a long-lived company?

This is one of those books that is good reading - it has something for everyone - history, romance, drama, economics and leadership.