Kerry Packer: Tall Tales and True Stories

Kerry Packer: Tall Tales and True Stories

Born into great wealth and the younger of two sons, Kerry Packer had a childhood punctuated by a life-threatening case of polio, stints in elite boarding schools and little attention from his strict and detached parents. Inheriting his father's business in 1974, Packer went on to become one of the most powerful men in the country. He was instrumental in shaping Australia's media landscape and culture. Packer controlled television's perennial ratings leader Channel Nine and a large percentage of the nation's most influential magazines for decades.

Kerry Packer: Tall tales and true stories is a captivating account of Australia's most famous billionaire, told by those who knew and worked with him.

Funny, poignant, outrageous and never predictable, Michael Stahl brings the tales together by expertly interweaving tales of Packer's life with quotes and anecdotes from friends, colleagues and employees to make this a fascinating collection of stories to dip into.

From the early days at Packer's media headquarters in Sydney's Park Street to the beginnings of the World Series Cricket, Packer's outrageous gambling wins and losses, his philanthropic side and his later health problems, Kerry Packer: Tall tales and true stories is a collection of anecdotes, gathered from people who knew him, from those who have documented him and from the folklore that inevitably grew up around him.

Michael Stahl worked as a journalist for Wheels and The Australian Financial Review for 10 years prior to freelancing. He has won numerous writing awards, including Motoring Journalist of the Year in 1998 and the magazine industry association Publishers Australia Journalist of the Year in 2011. During 2000–2004 Michael lived in Paris, where he was a columnist and contributor to UK and US magazines. Though Michael is best-known as a motoring writer, he often writes on topics such as culture, technology and travel and has contributed to Men's Style and The Good Weekend. He is currently the Features Editor for Qantas The Australian Way.

Kerry Packer: Tall Tales and True Stories
Hardie Grant Books
Author: Michael Stahl
RRP: $26.95