Clive: The Story of Clive Palmer

by Sean Parnell

Big-spending Queensland billionaire Clive Palmer bought a football team, helped create a political party, added robot dinosaurs to a luxury golf resort and is set to recreate the 'Titanic'. But are these just fanciful splurges or something more calculated? The reality is that Palmer uses his immense mining wealth (which some estimates put at over $6 billion) in a proactive (if sometimes eccentric) global way. His personal story is just as colourful and intriguing: Clive spent time as a child in China and writes poetry. He is well-known for attention-grabbing statements that send the media into a spin. Shortly after Clive was named a National Living Treasure, he claimed that the CIA was secretly backing green groups in a bid to kill the Australian coal-mining industry. In true Clive fashion, in May 2012 he announced that he was building a luxury cruise liner - the 'Titanic II' - and his political feuds are legendary.

Part business book, part political insider profile and all rollicking tale, journalist Sean Parnell reveals the man behind the billions.

328 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Manny]

This just in: Clive Palmer is a Fatty McFuckhead. To my shame, I had never heard of Mr Palmer, but now that he's taken the trouble to sue YouTube star Jordan Shanks I am better informed. Read all about it here.

[Sun · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting background on Clive Palmer. I get the impression the author is not as critical as he could have been of Clive and his anecdotes.

Notable Clive quotes include: "No matter how rich you are, you can only sleep in one bed." and "I would call it persistence, others would call it pig-headedness."

[Ned Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars maximum, but one point only for the content.
In Australian terms, Clive Palmer is a colorful enigma. So often there is a big announcement, but when he arrives at the moment of reckoning something happens to the deal. But to be fair, life has not been easy since 2008 for people involved in minerals.
However the fact is he has made money, and plenty of it. He can open doors.
So to understand the man better it makes sense to read a biography on the subject.
The book was enjoyable in some respects but did nothing to answer questions on what puts the food on the Palmer table. True, Palmer is a mystery and history shows dealing with him is fraught with dangers, and that includes authors, but there is information readily available to construct something of a profile on the man's business interests. Several of these interests were mentioned, but the size, place in the market, or merely if it is or ever was trading, is not mentioned.
Critics could be excused for thinking the book was written solely from newspapers and the internet.