Patricia Bernard's My Story Fords and Flying Machines - The Diary of Jack McLaren is an epic tale of adventure and hardship through the outback during the early twentieth century written in as a diary. Despite what the title suggests, it also mentions the social issues hampering that era.

Jack McLaren, at only age 14, decides to leave his family behind in Sydney as he heads towards Longreach, Queensland, to become an apprentice mechanic with his uncle, George. The story starts off with Jack's first diary entry and the book continues from there.

On August 9th 1919, Jack finally reaches Longreach and meets George. Jack records his thoughts about George and expresses that he was not lazy and a troublemaker; he wanted success.

Halfway through the book, Jack is feeling pleased in which the way his life is heading. Jack and George soon take the Model T Ford, that they...