Kerry Packer: Tall Tales and True Stories

Has any individual been more influential in shaping Australia’s culture than Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer AC? Kerry Packer: Tall Tales and True Stories is a collection of stories, gathered from people who knew the man, from those who have documented him, and from the folklore that inevitably surrounded him. In this fun, irrepressible collection, author Michael Stahl has delved into the world of the man who was instrumental in shaping Australia's media landscape.

For 30 years, Kerry Packer controlled television’s perennial ratings leader Channel Nine and up to half of the nation’s magazines. So much of what Australians watched, read and believed came through the prism of this gigantic man.

Beneath all the billionaire clutter, though, Packer had plenty in common with the man in the street: a cheeky humour, a competitive drive, a deep love for his kids and a passion for sports and television.

In business, Packer would fight to the last dollar in a deal. Yet the same man would take his private jet to Las Vegas and lose $20 million in a week – then leave a $1 million tip. He could verbally dissect a hapless executive in front of his peers, yet no less often, would step in silently and invisibly when hardship or tragedy befell a loyal staff member or their family.

This book is a collection of stories on the Big Fella, gathered from people who knew him, from those who documented him, and from the folklore that inevitably grew up around him.

Michael Stahl is a journalist who during the 1980s worked at Packer’s ACP headquarters in Park Street, Sydney, where his career highlights included riding in the lift with the chairman. Stahl was named Journalist of the Year in 2011 by Publishers Australia and is currently features editor of Qantas The Australian Way and contributing editor to Wheels magazine.