About the Book
Walrus
The Last
One Flying
A Novel Based on a True Story
A 21-year-old who barely finished high school. No pilot's licence. No business being in a cockpit. A 1936 Walrus seaplane that had no business still flying. And a race from London to Sydney that neither of them would finish.
When a broke young Sydney ad man talks a larger-than-life Aussie land developer into entering his antique Walrus in the 1969 BP Air Race, what follows is 45 days of pure chaos: engine failures over the outback, going missing with the pilot and two English models in East Timor, and a crash landing just north of Sydney, in the small town of Taree, that leaves everyone alive and no one talking.
Walrus: The Last One Flying is based on a true story, told by the only living survivor of both the race and the crash. Set against the perilous, booze-soaked world of 1960s advertising, it follows a young man fleeing an abusive past straight into the adventure that will define the rest of his life, one that later launches an international advertising career spanning five decades.
The true cause of the crash stayed buried for 52 years, until the Walrus's owner, Hockey Treloar, died at the age of 100 years and 3 weeks. Only then could the last man left who knew the full story finally tell it.
“Now, over fifty-two years later, I discovered that, as an unlicensed co-pilot on board the Walrus, I am the only living survivor of both the air race and the crash.”
Chapter 1, How It All BeganWatch
The trailer
Press
What readers said
Good read!
Crikey, what a ripper of a story! Walrus: The Last One Flying is one of those books that grabs you from the first few pages and doesn’t let go. John Williams tells the tale with real heart, humour, and the sort of wild “how did they survive that?” energy that makes Aussie adventure stories so good. The 1969 London-to-Sydney Air Race backdrop is brilliant, and the old Walrus aircraft almost feels like a character itself. Even if you’re not an aviation buff, the mix of danger, mateship, bad luck, and determination makes this a cracking read. Felt genuine all the way through — like hearing an unbelievable yarn down at the pub from someone who actually lived it!
George R. — United States
What a story!
They don't make em like John Williams any more! Walrus: the last one flying is a true story of the young John Williams adventure across Australia with an unexpected landing in East Timor. John is a master storyteller. His wit, humor and mischievous ways are in full flow in this no hold barred tale of a lifetime. Highly recommended. I enjoyed the short chapters filled with fun. Keeps you wondering what the hell is going to happen next!
Fiona Parks — United States
Thoroughly enjoyed it!
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this testimony of a true story involving a "London to Sydney Race" in an WW2 airplane, tons of publicity for a developer, lots of beers and mates, and great dialogues. My favorite was the unexpected time spent in East Timor, a Portuguese colony at the time of the event.
Carsten — United States
Inside the book
The
Journey
Real chapter titles from the book, selected to trace the journey shown on the cover's map — not the full 56-chapter list.
- How It All Began — A chance encounter in Sydney sets everything in motion.
- Hockey — Meeting the Australian land developer with a seaplane and a taste for risk.
- Bankstown Departure — Wheels up from Sydney in a 33-year-old biplane, bound for the start of the race in London.
- Crossing the Arafura Sea — The race turns into something else entirely.
- Welcome to Dili — Missing, with the pilot and two English models, in East Timor.
- Taree Arrival — Forty-five days later, it comes down to one field.
- What Caused the Crash? — The question that stayed unanswered for 52 years.
- Epilogue — What the wreckage became, and what the truth finally cost.
Sample chapters
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Chapter three is where the Walrus leaves Bankstown. The rest is in the book.
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A rollicking true tale of resilience, dreams, and the tenacity of the human spirit, and a reminder that sometimes history's most extraordinary adventures start with a hangover.