'Brings to full and rich life the extraordinary characters, events and challenges that have made Qantas an Australian icon.

''Everyone who has ever flown will enjoy The Flying Kangaroo. These are stories of passion and dedication, of risk and resilience, of excellence and Australian larrikinism, of inventiveness and determination. They reflect my pride for an airline that connected the world and became a national icon.' - Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny, Pilot in Command QF 32

'From its earliest days, Qantas has attracted its fair share of unusual challenges and unique characters. These are the stories of a great airline and the people who made it told by a man who has Qantas blood running through his veins. They are hilarious, nostaligic, heroic, and sometimes even odd.

'They are about the brilliant risk takers who made Qantas the safest airline in the world, the special demands of flying VIPs, the hazards of overseas postings, and the ever present dangers of the skies. But above all, these are the stories of how a uniquely Australian style shaped the best airline in the English-speaking world.

'Generous and richly told, The Flying Kangaroo is a warm-hearted reminder why Qantas remains very much a part of our national psyche.' (Publication summary)

From the ridiculous to the downright dangerous, the story of Australian aviation is full of tales of adventure and nation building. It is also a story about tragedy and eccentric characters with wild larrikin spirits.

Jim Eames goes behind the closed doors of Australia's funeral industry. He takes us from the mortuary to the graveside, and explains everything in between, including the art of embalming, the mysteries of coffin design, the mechanics of being buried at sea and the luxuries of the hearse.