Kursk Down
Beneath the waves, one mission will change the course of modern warfare.
About the Book
Well-known West Australian serial entrepreneur Ross Smith makes his fiction debut with Kursk Down, a gripping submarine techno-thriller that plunges readers deep into the high-stakes world of naval warfare and espionage.
Described by Australian media as a “colourful mining and technology entrepreneur,” Smith built his reputation as a bold and visionary dealmaker. After founding the acclaimed Colonial Brewing Co. in Margaret River, he went on to list the first, second and third medical cannabis companies on the ASX – a feat that cemented his status as one of Australia’s most unconventional innovators. Now he is a part time gold explorer and producer in north Western Australia.
From booze to buds to bullion and now books, Smith has lived an extraordinary life that most only dream of. Now retired from corporate life, he divides his time between his villa on the idyllic island of Koh Samui, Thailand, his luxury apartment in Perth and the dusty red dirt of his gold mining projects in Western Australia’s Murchison.
Drawing on decades of high-pressure business, travel and adventure, Smith brings authenticity, grit and realism to his writing, infusing every story with the pulse of experience and the intrigue of global geopolitics.
Kursk Down is the first in a series of realistic, emotionally charged military thrillers that will transport readers into the shadowy depths of modern submariner conflicts.
Meet the Author
Ross Smith - entrepreneur, gold miner, and now novelist - is no stranger to bold ventures. Known as the “Wolf of Weed” for pioneering Australia’s medical cannabis industry, Ross built an empire that spanned brewing, biotech, and mining before trading business briefs for battle scenes.
His debut novel, Kursk Down, combines real-world experience with a fascination for strategy, technology, and the human side of warfare. Between Perth, the Murchison goldfields, and his villa in Koh Samui, Ross writes stories that dig deep into ambition, danger, and the choices that define us.
“In the silent depths of the ocean, power is measured not by strength - but by who survives unseen.”
Contact Ross
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This book was proudly published by Hembury Books, a Sydney-based hybrid publisher that helps authors bring their stories to life while retaining full creative control and royalties.