"The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd, or BHP, is part of Australia's DNA, yet it remains an enigma. Here for the first time is the full, compelling story of how BHP rose from the humblest beginnings in the Australian outback to become, in conjunction with its partner Billiton, the biggest miner in the world today. Based on a treasure trove of exclusive interviews, The Big Fella strips away the gloss to expose the political and industrial forces that really drive big business in the twenty-first century.
In an investigative tour de force, the authors Peter Thompson and Robert Macklin reveal the visions, the schemes, the scandals and the corporate life and death struggles that have characterised BHP's evolution from the first lucky strike by the mysterious Charles Rasp at Broken Hill in 1883, to its 2001 merger with Billiton, to its daring $150 billion bid for Rio Tinto six years later.
The result is a gripping story of foresight and blunder, of nation-building and rampant ego, of greed and of grace, written by two master storytellers with unprecedented access to the key players themselves."
"The Broken Hill Proprietary Company Ltd, or BHP, is part of Australia's DNA, yet it remains an enigma. Here for the first time is the full, compelling story of how BHP rose from the humblest beginnings in the Australian outback to become, in conjunction with its partner Billiton, the biggest miner in the world today. Based on a treasure trove of exclusive interviews, The Big Fella strips away the gloss to expose the political and industrial forces that really drive big business in the twenty-first century.
In an investigative tour de force, the authors Peter Thompson and Robert Macklin reveal the visions, the schemes, the scandals and the corporate life and death struggles that have characterised BHP's evolution from the first lucky strike by the mysterious Charles Rasp at Broken Hill in 1883, to its 2001 merger with Billiton, to its daring $150 billion bid for Rio Tinto six years later.
The result is a gripping story of foresight and blunder, of nation-building and rampant ego, of greed and of grace, written by two master storytellers with unprecedented access to the key players themselves."
Publisher: Random House Australia
ISBN: 9781741667103