Crossing the Line: The Explosive Inside Story Behind the Headlines

by Nick McKenzie

War is brutal—but some lines should never be crossed. In mid-2017 whispers of executions and cover-ups within Australia's most secretive and elite military unit, the SAS, reached Walkley Award-winning journalist Nick McKenzie. He and Chris Masters began an investigation that would not only reveal shocking truths about Ben Roberts-Smith VC but also plunge the reporters into the defamation trial of the century.

For five years McKenzie led the investigation, waging an epic battle for the truth to be acknowledged. His fight to reveal the real face of Australia's most famous and revered SAS soldier and examine evidence of bullying, intimidation, war crimes, and murder would take him across Australia and to Afghanistan. As he unearthed the secrets Ben Roberts-Smith had thought he'd long ago buried, McKenzie had to deal with death threats, powerful forces intent on destroying his career, and attempts to silence brave SAS soldiers, who had witnessed their famous comrade commit unspeakable acts.

McKenzie would break the stories that proved the man idolised by the public, politicians, media, and leading business leaders was a myth. His efforts would help deliver justice to Roberts-Smith's victims and their families.

Genres: Nonfiction, Journalism, Australia, War, Politics, History, True Crime

470 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 28, 2023

Reviews

[Mark Porton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the Line by Investigative Journalist Nick McKenzie is a masterful piece of work.

Let’s just start by talking about the subject of this book – Ben Roberts-Smith, an elite Australian SAS soldier who served numerous tours of Afghanistan. Roberts-Smith was awarded the highest award for an Australian soldier, that is, the Victoria Cross. This for bravery and valour in 2011, taking out two Taliban machine gun posts in 2010. As an act of bravery and worthy of this award.

There is no doubt Roberts-Smith was an elite soldier, his physique is commanding – he is massive, he is brave and a leader. However, there were serious allegations of war-crimes directed against this Australian hero. Allegations brought to light by a couple of brave journalists using the corroborating evidence of often unwilling SAS soldiers. Soldiers who were very uncomfortable with certain actions committed (alleged at the time) by Roberts-Smith.

Nick Mckenzie was one of the Australian journalists (Chris Masters being the other) to bring allegations of war crimes to light. Allegations of murder of people under army control. People who were not Taliban. I don’t like to use this term, but they were referred to as ‘dirt farmers’.

Ben Roberts-Smith lodged a defamation claim in the Federal Court against McKenzie and Masters. This hero or massive proportions, well spoken, looked the part and blessed with the backing of a media magnate in Australian media. This defamation trial was big. For Robert-Smith to win he would receive a massive payout – as there were allegations involving several murders. For him to lose – this would implicate him as a war criminal, the stakes couldn’t be higher.



This book takes us inside the case and the trial, the difficulties of securing witnesses in a tight knit groups such as special forces, the intimidation of witnesses and much more. This account was absolutely riveting. Important.

On a personal level I have traversed a journey from believing ‘the fog of war,’ can result in atrocious things happening. I still believe that can happen. But there are some accounts, that don’t happen I the fog of war – they happen when a detainee is under control, and they are subject to atrocious behaviour.

Keep in mind, as this was a civil case (defamation), which is interpreted by the Judge (no jury) on the balance of probabilities, the burden of proof in a criminal trial (beyond reasonable doubt) is much higher. But this judge – deemed Roberts-Smith to have committed these acts.

Well worth reading.

5 Stars

[Matty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was unputdownable... a fantastic example of the power of investigative journalism and holding the powerful to account. Something I'm always in awe of because it takes such guts and incredible risk, especially to out someone as revered as Ben Roberts-Smith. This book takes you on the very stressful ride with the journalists, and through clever writing also takes you into Afghanistan to witness the unbelievable war crimes that were ultimately judged as being true. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, even staying up way too late to finish it!

[Mark Paterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crossing the Line is a difficult tale well told. Ultimately the book is about the pursuit of truth where lies await every turn and where powerful forces try to hinder, harass and harangue. McKenzie is both a protagonist and a witness to one of the country’s most important defamation cases and to the war crimes that triggered it. This book adds to the genre of books and films where journalists show us how the sausage is made; it isn’t pretty but it is fascinating. Having read all the newspaper articles and the TV coverage on BRS, I was surprised that there was so much more to the story and Crossing the Line captures that intrigue in detail but in a very readable form. It reminds me of the story told in Spotlight, the 2015 movie about the Boston Globe and its reporters pursuing an ugly story of child molestation in the Catholic Church. Like his investigative reporting, this book is a welcome addition to enable us to better understand the truths that we don’t wish to know but need to. As former US Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis said over a century ago: “Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”

[diana taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down. Courageous book riveting. So important for our democracy and press freedom that it has been written and then defended in a long defamation court case. Thanks due to the author Nick McKenzie. Thanks also to Chris Masters. Thanks to the brave SAS soldiers who told the truth and. Legal team that didn’t give up. A must read for all Australians. We must never turn a blind eye to war crime and never give in to bully’s.

[Keen Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

REVIEW OF PAPERBACK EDITION WOULD NEVER READ A KINDLE!

“A serial war criminal, a compulsive liar and a vicious bully.”

Justice Besanko

“You know I’m going to be famous. Or if I’m not famous, I’m going to be infamous.”

Ben Roberts-Smith

So rarely do those abusing their powers with assumed impunity face anything close to the real scrutiny or punishment that their behaviour deserves, which obviously makes this story all the more compelling. A demise which is delightfully satisfying to witness, especially as it’s still going on and really only just beginning and it appears that it’s only going to get worse for the arrogant, bullying killer responsible.

This reminds you that institutions have long and established reputations for harbouring bullies, creating perfect environments for them to flourish with impunity, whether that be the police, politics or the armed forces, bullies are not only blameless but get rewarded repeatedly, and if anyone tries to challenge or question them they are invariably met with red tape, lawyers and other bureaucracy.

To be fair the so called “everyday Aussie bloke” cliché foisted upon BRS by various idiots, could never wield any weight or conviction, not least when he grew up deep in privilege and various elite Australian schools, in a background closer to an English Tory politician than a typical Aussie bloke. A man so privileged that even when he tried to money bully the people trying to expose the truth about him and his various crimes, he wasn’t even using his own money to do so, but relying on the sugar daddy of a billionaire media conglomerate to fight his battles for him.

How appalling it is that just like in England it’s widely known and accepted throughout Australia that your version of justice in the libel courts is largely based on how wealthy you are. Which is really just another way of saying that as long as you are rich enough you are effectively above the law, because everyone else is too poor to challenge you to get justice. Try and “fair dinkum mate!” your way out of that Australia?...

Kudos to Fairfax media for standing by their journalist and the establishment who not only tried to lie and cover up, but punish them for merely pointing it out. Of course the real shame and humiliation isn’t really about him and his family, but the wider and real implications which shame the very mechanics of the state which helped glorify and celebrate him, whether that was being named Australian Father of The Year by a charity, or championed and exploited for propaganda and political points by the desperate Australian government.

Then there was the media and all those other corporates who happily shelled out tens of thousands to hear him talk. The glory even extended all the way to the other side of the world in England where old Lizzy chose to honour him too, but he’s hardly the first war criminal to be thanked and rewarded by the British royal family.

The ironic thing is that the only reason the extent of these horrendous crimes have been exposed is due to the phenomenal arrogance and entitlement of Brand BRS. If he had settled out of court, he would almost certainly have gotten a pay-out for his lying and gotten away with his war crimes and other crimes, but as a result of his own twisted hubris and wee man syndrome trapped in a big, bad man body, he is now embroiled in a whole world of hell.

And yet ultimately this story boils down to some age old clichés, like truth being the first casualty of war and absolute power corrupting absolutely and of praise coming before a fall, it really is of Greek proportions. This is good, quality journalism and this story has been told really well, creating intrigue and building suspense right to the end. And it’s lovely to see justice being delivered against such overwhelming odds too.

[Cleve Devine · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute masterclass in investigative journalism, bravely uncovering the dispicable acts commited by a celebrated Australian Anzac legend war hero to revealing what he really is, a disgraced war criminal, who bullied & intimidated his co-workers, peers and lovers/mistresses. 


No longer should something we wouldn't accept from our enemies be done by our own under the guise of "fog of war" 


One of the all time great own goals from Ben Roberts Smith and his delusional financial and moral backers in Kerry Stokes and victories for truth telling and brave fellow soldiers for sticking up for what is right in terrible circumstances. Could border on comedy writing it's so satisfying.

[The Queen Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with a huge bias.
I wouldn’t call myself a BRS supporter - but he was portrayed as a war hero and I respect soldiers so thought of him as one.

I also dislike journalists, and I know there is a difference between investigative journalists and “media personality” or tabloid journalists - but they have been lumped into the same basket as far as I’m concerned.

I saw this on a book shelf next to Chris Masters - Flawed Hero and picked up both (I’m onto Chris’s next)

It was well written, it made me cry in places, it made me mad more than anything.

No matter where you fall in your belief, there is too much evidence to ignore that lines were crossed.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Longlisted Australian Political Book of 2023
Mixed feelings....

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed, well presented and engaging account of the journalism story behind one of the countries biggest defamation trials in history. Also an important commentary on the culture of the military and defamation law.

[Maria Haggett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought it Saturday and finished it after midnight Monday. Compelling, horrifying and simply unputdownable.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing, great reading about the fall of a bully!

[Benjamin Farr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible account of the investigative work that Australian journalists Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters undertook to expose the war crimes of a former SAS soldier.

[K S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a slow burn for me slow at the start, gained momentum in the middle and then I couldn’t put this bloody book down at the end.

[Jillwilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the other day that the Taliban has shifted its focus from production of heroin to the production of methamphetamine. “If experts and anecdotal evidence are to be believed, meth is set to make the Taliban unassailably wealthy and will help entrench its power while also funding the dozens of terrorist and jihadist organisations that now enjoy its protection in Afghanistan.” (https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/n...) I was reading this book at the time and thinking about the impact of Australian soldiers in Afghanistan and what a mess we had made of intervening in that country’s politics.

And of the 101 recipients of the Victoria Cross celebrated in the Australian War Museum’s Hall of Valour, he is one of only two to have his own dedicated display case, complete with a mannequin wearing his uniform. (Note that this is now a different kind of display: https://www.theguardian.com/australia...)

I hadn’t intended reading this book but some women in my book group recommended it and I thought it was quite riveting. We’ve all read bits and pieces of this story in the papers for years but its quite a different experience having one of the protagonists pull it together from his perspective and relate how it was for him over the years that the story evolved – through media accounts and then through the courts (and COVID).

When Nick McKenzie became aware of some stories circulating about Roberts-Smith’s conduct in Afghanistan, partly through leaks about a secret 2016 inquiry into possible criminal actions by SAS soldiers headed up by NSW Supreme Court Judge Paul Brereton, he started asking questions. In 2017, he interviewed SAS soldiers who had been on the ground with him, Roberts-Smith’s ex-wife, and senior officers, and by travelling to Afghanistan to talk to villagers and family members of his victims. He worked with fellow journalist Chris Masters to tell a side of the Afghanistan story that hadn’t been in the press before – one that contrasted mightily with the valorisation of Roberts-Smith by many powerful people in society.

He had to convince at least one eyewitness to stand up in court and testify that in April 2009, at a compound near Kakarak, they saw Roberts-Smith shoot a prisoner with a prosthetic leg before he ordered another member of his troop to shoot a second, manacled detainee; and that in September 2012, at Darwan, they saw him kick a handcuffed Afghan farmer, Ali Jan, off a cliff before ordering other soldiers to drag him a few yards away and execute him. Many soldiers did not want tyo testify – for a variety of reasons (loyalty, fear, the culture etc) “‘Roberts-Smith is the Lance Armstrong of the Australian military’, one of the SAS soldiers who’d become a confidential source told me,” McKenzie writes. “This source suggested that by 2012, Roberts-Smith was so confident he’d never get caught he’d begun to do things without checking who might be watching.” (https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...)

Following the stories like these ones in the newspapers, “…in what would turn out to be a spectacular example of own-goal hubris, the soldier [Roberts-Smith] decided to sue the journalists for defamation.” (https://captainfez.com/2023/08/27/boo...) He was backed in his court case by the wealth of Kerry Stokes.

It is very difficult to defend against defamation in Australia because of how the defamations laws work. Essentially the defence team had to prove the “truth “ element of the story - and this account of pulling the defence together is compelling. In June 2023 there was “a finding by Justice Anthony Besanko in the NSW Supreme Court that Ben Roberts-Smith was a liar, a serial bully and a war criminal. Besanko found it was “substantially true” that the VC winner had been involved in the murder of four unarmed Afghan prisoners and civilians, had intimidated and threatened court witnesses to hide the truth, and had lied repeatedly in his sworn evidence.” (https://insidestory.org.au/unfriendly...)

Some things I liked - as follows...

This reviewer says a bit disparagingly that: “McKenzie’s depiction of the court proceedings and its protagonists is the stuff of pure melodrama as the audience is invited to cheer, boo, and hiss as the opposing legal teams take to the stage... In the opposite corner, Roberts-Smith’s legal team are presented as a pair of Victorian villains. Lead counsel, the bombastic Bruce McClintock SC, carries himself ‘like an ageing heavyweight fighter’, full of swagger and aggression. Scoffing at hapless witnesses, jeering at the juniors across the aisle, he also does a strong line in sucking up to the judge.” (https://www.australianbookreview.com....) I must admit that I quite liked these bits – they helped balance some of the horror of the scenes described in the book.

The description of Roberts-Smith’s activities and behaviour as head of Channel 7 in Brisbane were funny and illuminating.

McKenzie never loses sight of the real victims of Australia’s war in Afghanistan. He describes the impact on the families of the loss of their relatives. They have a voice in the book!

That not all media outlets behaved well. “As much as the Roberts-Smith saga showed the best of Australian journalism through the determined work of our finest investigative reporters, it also showed the worst of Australian journalism in the outrageously partisan conduct of rival media organisations. “The Australian’s reporting on the war crimes now under scrutiny, and especially on Ben Roberts-Smith, was flimsy and partisan. Probably because they had not done the work, because they were incapable of catching up and had an ingrained oppositional stance to Fairfax, and because they could not resist the spoils of a drip-feeding by Roberts-Smith’s lawyers.”” (https://insidestory.org.au/unfriendly...)

That people like Andrew Hastie stood up and tried to assist the emergence of truth in terms of SAS activities.

And, as this reviewer says: “What I really liked was that the author managed to capture what it was that makes this kind of travail worthwhile – the thrill of the journalistic chase, and the ability to tell stories that demand to be told…. It reminds me that no matter how shitty the state of the media here – and it’s pretty shitty, let’s face it – there’s still moments of grace, and still positive actions by even the most execrable of companies.” (https://captainfez.com/2023/08/27/boo...)

Apparently Chris Masters has also written a book about the case – it would be interesting to compare the books. Meanwhile, the Afghani families must come to terms with what has happened to the fathers and husbands, the Taliban are more entrenched than ever and Ben Roberts-Smith has appealed the court decision!

[Sylvia So · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I love books from investigative journalists, I had never heard of the Ben Roberts-Smith case because...I live under a rock with my books and hate TVs, basically. And I'll be honest, I would have never picked this book up if it hadn't been for my awesome housemate, who raved about it enough to get me curious.

Ben Roberts-Smith was an Australian war hero. Victoria Cross recipient, dad of the year, multiple special forces deployments in Afghanistan...he was the model soldier, the embodiment of the Anzac spirit. But was he really? Nick McKenzie and Chris Masters have good reasons to be skeptical of this portrayal, but with Australia's tough defamation laws, their journalism is dragged into a defamation court case lasting years, that will take them through the highest highs and lowest lows of both the justice system and the Australian military.

This book was riveting, written in a way that just makes you want more. Forget military history books, this is a very Australian tale about seeking justice and defending the truth for those who can't. And at the end, I had the utmost respect for both the journalists involved, but also the soldiers who rose against a bully despite threats, raids, and the knowledge their military careers might be over.

5/5 ⭐️

@sylvias_reads

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

McKenzie and Masters have done Australia a great service in exposing the war crimes committed by BRS and his hypocrisy and abuse at home.

The behind the scenes look at the BRS trial is a thorough and well paced read, not playing on emotions but including them when necessary whilst sticking to the facts as they came.

[Simon Mee · Rating 5 out of 5]

When she'd put on weight during IVF treatment, Roberts-Smith would tell her she was fat. ‘Lucky you've got a nice face,' he'd say.

As there were two book published about the defamation proceedings started by Ben Roberts-Smith, both of which were readily available at my library, I thought I would give this one a crack as well.

Yes, the subject matter is still key

‘Is that what he said, “I kicked the individual off the cliff?”’ Moses asked.
‘No, he didn’t say that.’
“What did he say?’
‘I kicked the cunt off the cliff.'

There is not much to add to the main point I made about Flawed Hero in terms of why you should read these books. However, there are some interesting additions here. Samantha Crompvoets’ work gets the more airing and probably a fairer share of the credit. Because there were more incidents than just those involving Roberts-Smith, a reader should consider carefully how Australian special forces were portrayed generally.

The year 2012 was singled out by an Afghanistan veteran as the period in which he had seen conduct he rated as ‘by far the worst’ of that he’d witnessed in all his many deployments. ‘He mentioned that the Afghan interpreter they worked with kept reporting that Australian SF [special forces] were executing farmers, but no one ever followed anything up.’

Other additional tidbits are the difficulties McKenzie faced in traveling to Afghanistan and the unfairness of how their testimony is treated. The “redemption” of the SAS medic was also useful background information, albeit it is hard to contextualize it – yes he received forgiveness for something that was not his fault, but it did not really change the death of the Afghani, no matter any statement made over video link.

Read them both, but this one if you have to

Levitan’s initial gut instinct was that the prospect of building a winning truth defence was negligible. Roberts-Smith’s decision to sue suggested he thought the same.

In terms of actual writing, McKenzie is the more ambitious author, because he tries harder to place the reader in the mind of various characters and makes judgement calls of the performance of Roberts-Smith’s solicitors. This is risky as the direct sourcing is understandably limited, and McKenzie is not a judicial expert. However, McKenzie’s narrative is at least plausible and backed by at least some circumstantial evidence (quotes by Roberts-Smith; comments from his ex-wife; Kerry Stokes' massive funding support), as well as the minor point that McKenzie’s side did win what was an uphill defamation case.

Finally, the military had worked out what he had always known.
Ben Roberts-Smith was special.

McKenzie’s book is better overall, but ironically his style supports reading Masters’ as well. McKenzie’s narrative also picks key points and emphasises them as critical to how things unfolded, with elements of tension, whereas Masters places one event after the other. Crossing the Line is a tighter book, so pick it if you are limited as to time, but either one is fine for understanding what happened.

[Avril · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story behind Australia’s ‘defamation trial of the century,’ the defamation action brought by Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, against the author, Nick McKenzie, Chris Masters, and the Nine media company. It describes the allegedly-defamatory imputations made against Roberts-Smith, that he was a violent bully who committed war crimes, and the ways in which McKenzie, Masters, and their legal team proved that those imputations were not defamatory, because they were true.

McKenzie is a journalist, so this is a very easy read, with many short chapters switching quickly from one location to another, one character to another. And McKenzie does like his cliches! It was when a female lawyer was described as ‘whip-smart’ that the cliches became a little much for me.

Roberts-Smith is portrayed as an appalling bully, a big man with short man syndrome, which raises questions about the judgment of supporters like Kerry Stokes and Brendan Nelson. The effect of the VC must have been blinding. Arthur Moses SC, Gladys Berejiklian’s current beau, doesn’t come out of this well, either, although in an adversarial system like Australia’s the bad behaviour McKenzie describes him as displaying in court may have been purely for show.

This book was obviously released quickly after the judgment, and there are a few editing mistakes. Then Prime Minister Scott Morrison is described as putting the horse before the cart, which as far as I am aware is where the horse is meant to be. And if Roberts-Smith did say that he had three descendants at Gallipoli, I would have expected a (sic) to indicate that someone knew the difference between descendants and ancestors.

McKenzie seems to believe that there is a ‘good SAS’ epitomised by Andrew Hastie and the war crimes whistleblowers. I’m not so sure. It seems obvious that a lot of the problems in Afghanistan were caused by it being a long, useless war which could never have succeeded - years of deployment by the USA and its allies and now the Taliban are back in power. But the idea that Australian soldiers are not only ferocious fighters, but fair ones seems to me to have been disproven by most of Australia’s history. I would argue that Australian soldiers, from invasion onwards, have been just as likely to commit war crimes as any other military. And yet the ANZAC myth means that truth is never told. See, for example, the generally appalling response to the Brereton Report by politicians and the public. Ben Roberts-Smith is not Australia’s only war criminal, and most of those who have lauded him over the years have apparently not had their minds changed by the verdict in this case.

[Tim G · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
"Crossing the Line" by Nick McKenzie is a book that raises important questions about the conduct of journalists and their role in storytelling. One of the book's significant criticisms is that journalists are not authors, and the narrative style chosen by McKenzie is laden with egotism and narcissism.
Throughout the book, the author's descriptions of himself and others were repulsive, as they often seem to present journalists as giants and saints. This tendency can make it challenging to connect with the story, due to the authors and his team's self importance.

While McKenzie attempts to provide a fair and just account of the events surrounding BRS, there is a sense of a witch hunt that permeates the narrative, particularly in the way BRS is portrayed with a dark and ominous voice in the Audible version of the book. The author's relentless pursuit of truth sometimes leads to a one-sided perspective, ignoring the multiple facets of stories and accounts. Particularly, with the constant attempt to humanise the victims.
One of the book's concerning aspects is the portrayal of men who were trained for war and the suggestion that they were somehow surprised when acts of killing occurred. The undertones and implications throughout the book are irritating, such as linking infidelity to war crimes.
Another criticism is the lack of fresh content in the book, with many stories and accounts feeling recycled. The addition of courtroom drama elements doesn't compensate for the overall lack of substance. The content could have been better suited for a shorter format, such as a 4-6 podcast series.

The book does touch on the importance of considering the context in which alleged moral and ethical lines were crossed in Afghanistan, but the accusations and assessments are not thoroughly summarised, context is key and this was not sufficiently presented.

While BRS may have had flaws in his character, the author's portrayal of the saga might not do justice to the complexity of the situation. In the end, "Crossing the Line" serves as a reminder to approach books written by authors with a critical eye, as personal biases and storytelling choices can significantly influence the narrative.

[Franca Arena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an avid reader. I want to bring to your attention one of the best books I read in the last few years. I read it last week when it came out: Crossing the line by Nick McKenzie.

Nick and Chris Masters are the two investigative journalists who battled and suffered for five years having being sued by that war criminal Ben Roberts Smith.

I can imagine what the two outstanding journalists suffered, as I myself, suffered with them whilst reading the book. They were sued for telling the truth and fighting for justice for Afghani farmers who had nothing to do with the war but were executed with the complicity of Roberts-Smith.

We in Australia often do not recognize our heroes, but I can assure you that after years and years in public life, in involvement in public affairs, I recognise straight away the value of people
of the calibre of Chris and Nick, who made me feel proud to be an Australian.

During the book Nick made sure he upheld the honour of SAS soldiers, the majority of whom, are decent and dedicated soldiers. But even the SAS has despicable members. Reading about an Afghani farmer who was disabled and had a plastic leg, and whose plastic leg was was taken from him, filled it up with beer and used as a drinking vessel by people like Roberts Smith.

It is important that these events are written in details and this is what Nick McKenzie’s did
We own him a great debt of gratitude.

I have never met him, but with this short review I want to tell him of my esteem, and admiration for his work and his battle on our behalf.

Do not miss reading the book.

FRANCA ARENA A.M.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nonfiction book, Crossing The Line (2023) by Nick McKenzie details allegations of Australian SAS soldiers' war crimes in Afghanistan and its aftermath in a defamation trial. A decorated Afghanistan veteran and Victoria Cross recipient, Ben Roberts-Smith was lauded as the epitome of the modern-day Anzac warrior. A giant of a man, with his body armour on display in the National War Memorial, and yet there was a dark side to his illustrious reputation. Award-winning special investigators, Chris Masters and Nick McKenzie had a five-year battle to get the truth to the public and then defend it in court. Each chapter of the book has an endnote clarifying the sources used by Nick to produce his media stories and this book. The media was fixated on the ‘defamation trial of the century’ which saw two major media organisations pitted against each other, as well as the reputation of the elite SAS force and the credibility of public interest journalism on trial. The comprehensive ruling by the judge was categoric in its findings of committed war crimes, criminal bullying and lying. The book is a testament to the strength of characters and morality of the SAS soldiers who attested to the truth and to Ali Jan’s family who wanted that truth acknowledged. A powerful tale, written in a clear and readable narrative with a five stars read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

[Ali · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a grippingly told story, which focuses on a hunt - for truth in this case, and then for vindication. Mckenzie builds a damning case against Roberts-Smith, and the book is worth the read just for the exposure of how badly key political and media need to believe in the myth. However, the relentless focus on both Roberts-Smith and the chase comes at the expense of a broader understanding of just what went wrong with Australia's SAS, of which Roberts-Smith - or his elevation - is more a symptom than a cause. Roberts-Smith is larger than life as a villain, just as he was when cast as a hero. RS is an early focus for the media not only because he is clearly involved, personally and as a leader, with a culture of war crimes, but also because he is news.
Similarly, we see the frustrating way that a host of recounted incidents, people and events is slowly winnowed down to what is provable, reducing what is likely to have been much broader patterns down to what seems like a small number of distinct events.
Mckenzie references broader investigations, that BRS was never a sole target, just one of many, but the book never slows to explore this. But as so many of the soldiers repeat to various investigators, "It happened all the time."

[Sam Proietto · Rating 5 out of 5]

(8.5/10) Realistically, I was always going to like this book, because I was already obsessed with the BRS story, but McKenzie's done a good job of it. McKenzie makes the story more personal than I expected, characterising the way investigating this story deeply overtook his own life and intersected with the lives of BRS' various intimidated witnesses.

Some of the phrasing does veer into the sensational, especially in characterising BRS himself, but I think that's fine - BRS' unhinged behaviour undoubtedly earns it, and I think McKenzie also earned the right to some strong wording after what he went through. As a lawyer, you do pick up one or two times that McKenzie talks a little bit of nonsense to enrich the story. ('their QC spoke for four hours, while our guy's reply took only FIFTEEN MINUTES' yeah because a reply is a completely different step. Your lawyer definitely explained that to you, Nick.)

However, mostly, this story needs no embellishment to come across exactly as wild as it is, and I gained from this book a better understanding of exactly how important a cultural role BRS has played in Australia, both before and after his downfall.

[Will Greenland · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible tome that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you through the tortuous ordeal endured by the author, investigative journalist Nick McKenzie, his accomplice, Chris Masters, and the countless others who dedicated themselves to exposing the war time atrocities committed by the SAS during Australia's involvement in Afghanistan. The book does delve into painstaking detail, however in doing so it effectively immerses the reader in perhaps the most famous defamation trial of this century. At times, this means the book wanders away from the arguably deeper and more fundamental question: what motivates individuals to commit such atrocious acts. Pressure? Psychopathic tendencies? BRS most likely sits in the latter camp, but there is an unanswered question about the universality of his demise. Nonetheless, this would probably be asking too much of a book which is primarily a 'lift-the-lid' narrative on an already well-known Australian drama. On this account, it is flawless, and thus, well-worth the effort.

[Cynthia Grahame · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick McKenzie's account of his exhaustive search for truth, in formidable circumstances, is brilliant.

Extremely vital and compelling. And, in fact, I devoured it in under 24 hours. With this book, Nick McKenzie restored my faith in journalism, pro bono publico, in its original sense, in the public good.

Congratulations and admiration to you, Nick McKenzie. You must have paid a very high personal price for pursuing this story to its outstanding end.

I urge all readers to buy and read it: You will not be disappointed.

[Jim KABLE · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lines Crossed

The wife of the writer of Line in the Sand recommended that I next read Nick McKenzie’s Crossing the Line. I reported back that I had already begun reading Nick’s book but had lain it aside to read her husband Dean Yates’s book. Both in their own way are gripping stories of Australians dealing with the fallout of rogues - whether into PTSD and Moral Injury or into court cases mounted from positions of skulduggery and criminality - corralling in people definitely suffering Moral Injury of the most heinous kind - forced to murder and lie on behalf of a psychopath who was himself supported by people whom one might have expected to be the most morally unblemished members of our society - Kerry Stokes and Brendan Nelson. If they themselves were innocent victims - it certainly casts them as gullible and prepared to submerge any qualms they must have felt as the case proceeded. This is outstanding investigative reporting…

[Anne Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a gripping account of the investigation and defamation trial of Ben Roberts-Smith. Every Australian should read this book to inform them of the outrageous unlawful behaviour of a number of SAS soldiers in Afghanistan. It will restore your faith in those men who served alongside these criminals and helped bring them to justice for the unlawful killings they conducted. Ben Roberts-Smith’s character is on trial here and is found very wanting. He seems to be a brittle narcissist, treating his own wife with absolute contempt, and his fellow soldiers as unwilling pawns in the killings he seems to have enjoyed. It is a shocking book, but so well written and tense I read it in a couple of days. Don’t miss this amazing book.

[Sunnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Account of the defamation suit launched by Australia’s most decorated living soldier, former SAS member, Ben Roberts-Smith after publication of reports of war crimes he committed during his service in Afghanistan.

Nick McKenzie and veteran reporter, Chris Masters have both written books about the trial.

This is McKenzie’s story. It’s not just about the trial but also the impact on the lives of McKenzie and the people who bravely testified to the truth of events, often at great personal expense.

The picture painted by McKenzie of Roberts-Smith is not a pretty one: a ruthless, relentless, vindictive, entitled bully. I look forward to reading Chris Masters’ book to learn how he saw events.

[Vickju Kindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who trusted the men who fought for freedom I believed Ben Roberts-Smith and didn’t trust the newspapers, even as it went to trial. I believed he was set up.

Until I read what Nick and fellow reporter Chris Masters had on him and what fellow SAS soldiers and team mates had said. What they saw, heard and witnessed were so brutal that there was nothing but truth to it, with evidence backing up what Nick and Chris had uncovered with interviews.
This book was such an awakening to the world that Ben Roberts-Smith had tried to cover up. The many innocent people killed because that’s what he was trained to do, is an excuse. He is just a war criminal in disguise and he’s taking people who trusted him, down with him.

[Karen Miller-Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing honesty, courage and integrity

When the stories which sparked the deformation action by BRS I was doubtful. I had believed the hype. Surely this man was innocent. I read the articles and watched the programs and the doubt began. I think as a civilian I am like most Aussies we watch, wait and are sceptical. I have a deep respect for our soldiers and my sons having worn their grandfathers medals proudly at every ANZAC march. Thank you to Nick and Chris, and all the brave men and women who stood up against fierce and powerful forces to tell the truth and expose BRS for who he really is.