Quiet Man, The: the Autobiography of Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville McNamara

The fascinating autobiography of Air Marshal Neville McNamara.

For nine years from 1975, Neville McNamara operated at the pinnacle of Australia’s defence organisation: as deputy chief of the Royal Australian Air Force, then chief, and finally as uniformed head of all three of Australia’s defence services. Told in his own words, this account traces his rise from a small Queensland country town to sergeant pilot in the wartime RAAF in 1942, and eventually four-star rank – the second Australian air force officer to achieve that level.

Over the course of his 42 1/2-year air force career, he served in three wars: flying fighters on operations in the South-West Pacific and Korea, and helicopters and transports in South Vietnam where he also held overall command of the RAAF units committed to that conflict. Although dubbed the “Quiet Man” for his unostentatious an unassuming style, he finally breaks his silence and writes about many of the events, projects and issues that were the centre of contention within the Department of Defence during the 1980s.

“All members of the RAAF of today can learn from the inspiring story of Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville McNamara. At a minimum, we now know a lot more of what was happening behind the scenes during his period in command of the Air Force and Australian Defence Force.” – Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, AO AFC
First Edition. vi, 252 p. : ill. (some col.), ports. ; 22 cm. #310122