Line of Fire: True Stories from the New Zealand Police Armed Offenders Squads

by John Lockyer

The New Zealand Police Armed Offenders Squads are never far from the headlines. Called out to the wost-case scenarios in which lives are in danger, their exploits make them a media magnet. But despite this, little is known about the people behind the masks.

In conjunction with the TV documentary series Line of Fire, this book seeks to go behind the public facade of the AOS to get inside the heads of men and women who have served in the squads through the five decades of their existence. To find out what sort of person willingly steps into the line of fire to ensure that the country we live in is a safer place.

Genres: Nonfiction

Paperback

First published October 19, 2009

About the author

John Lockyer is a writer and a teacher. He has over 100 titles in print, many of which have been published for the educational market. He has written books for children of all ages, covering a diverse range of topics. The Kea (2001, Reed) was a finalist for the Elsie Locke Award in 2002, and A History of New Zealand received a Booksellers Gold Award. Willie Apiata VC (2009, Puffin) is a finalist in the Non-Fiction category of the 2010 NZ Post Children’s Book Awards.

Reviews

[Ingrid Self · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never thought I would enjoy this as much as I did. Full of information and enlightening for the public. Highly recommended.

[Kelly Stephens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read but not gripping by any means. Takes a while to adjust to the slightly disjointed "short story" manner of writing but once you settle in its a great book when you want/only have time to read for a few minutes at a time. Solid effort in the genre of NZ non fiction and worth having on the shelf but nothing groundbreaking here.