Crossing the Line AusPolBook 2023

• Author: Nick McKenzie
  
• Title: Crossing the Line  (433 pg)  2023
• Genre: Non-fiction
• Australian TBR List
• #AusReadingMonth23 @ This Reading Life (Brona’s Books)

 Introduction:

1. This book was explosive and meticulously researched for 5 years.
2. War is brutal.
3. But there are lines that should never be crossed.
4. In mid-2017. there were whispers of executions, and cover-ups
5. within Australia’s most secretive and elite military unit.
6. This book delves into these allegations.

Conclusion:

1. Part 1 ( ch 1-11) sets up the backstory of what happened in Afghanistan.
2. McKenzie alternates chapters with  “then” and “now”.
3. To be honest I was not looking forward to reading about
4. war crimes that occured….so I needed to skim these chapters
5. Part 2  (ch 12-26) very interesting….it tells us about the initial report by
6. sociologist Dr. Samantha Crompvoets
7. who was commissioned …in 2015 by the Defense Department to report
8. on the culture within the Special Forces.
9. Also we follow the detailed investigation carried out by
10. investigative journalists  Nick McKenzie ..and Chris Masters.
11. Part 3 (ch 27-48) was the legal warfare. (court case and testimony of the witneses)

Last Thoughts:

1. I have mixed feeling about the book.
2. There is no doubt that Nick McKenzie can write a
3. thrilling narrative….but I found the court case (part 3)
4. dragged on a bit too long.
5. It was hard enough to stay engaged with a story about war crimes
6. …so by page 300+ I was hoping the book would end soon.
7. That’s not a good sign.
8. The verdict in the case has been  public knowledge since 01 June 2023
9. …so that took a lot of the tension out of the last chapters.
10. The best part was the investigation by the journalists.
11. Will this win the Australian Political Book of 2023?
12. I don’t think so…just my humble opinion.
13. So time to move on to more books on the #AusPolBookAward longlist.
14. You can find it on X formerly known as Twitter @auspolbookaward
15. The shortlist will be announced on October 12th.