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Crossing the Line: Losing Your Mind as an Undercover Cop
As he rose through the ranks of various departments of the Metropolitan Police, Christian Plowman dreamt of being an undercover cop. When he finally achieved his ambition, becoming one of only a dozen full-time undercover officers, the reality of covert work turned his life into a nightmare.
To catch criminals, Christian bought and sold drugs with taxpayers' money, was beaten up, arrested at gunpoint and barricaded in a pub by a gang of marauding travellers - all in a day's work. At one stage, he was running almost a dozen mobile phones to keep track of his different identities and had so many aliases that he nearly forgot who he was. He put his life on the line for the job but was to find that being the 'best of the best' wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The pressure became so intense that he even contemplated suicide.
Crossing the Line is a visceral, gripping account of what it really takes to be an undercover cop, going behind the scenes to reveal the harsh realities of modern covert police work.
To catch criminals, Christian bought and sold drugs with taxpayers' money, was beaten up, arrested at gunpoint and barricaded in a pub by a gang of marauding travellers - all in a day's work. At one stage, he was running almost a dozen mobile phones to keep track of his different identities and had so many aliases that he nearly forgot who he was. He put his life on the line for the job but was to find that being the 'best of the best' wasn't all it was cracked up to be. The pressure became so intense that he even contemplated suicide.
Crossing the Line is a visceral, gripping account of what it really takes to be an undercover cop, going behind the scenes to reveal the harsh realities of modern covert police work.
- GenresNonfiction
183 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
September 15, 2024
Ciekawie opowiedziana historia, ale główny bohater już w połowie książki zaczął się robić irytujący.
March 12, 2014
Crossing the Line by Christian Plowman is far removed from anything I ever thought I'd read. I picked it up when I was browsing in completely the wrong section for a book on my husband's Christmas list and felt compelled to buy it when I realised I'd read the entire first chapter in the shop.
What drew me to this non-fiction account was that it read like fiction. Superbly written, answering all my questions and with just enough detail to get me right into the nub of the scene, my heart was racing every time author, and undercover officer, Christian Plowman was launched into a covert Metropolitan Police operation. His scholarship-funded private education, aptitude for foreign languages and supposed lover-not-a-fighter mentality all intrigued me. He didn't seem the type. But then, what is the type of an undercover officer? This book is the closest I've come to finding out.
Plowman rose through the ranks from 'bobby on the beat' - a job he ironically appears to have enjoyed the most and yet his aspirations always lay higher - through various covert roles, usually tacked onto the end of the day job. Finally he reached his dream: to be employed full-time as an undercover officer. This position demanded a new persona, another new passport and mobile phone, as well as a rented flat and all the bills, relationships and correspondence associated with becoming the fictitious character Plowman had chosen to create. In reality, the position was often dull with very little work to do.
Plowman was commended for his bravery on occasions and survived life-threatening situations on many more. The story of him standing centre stage with a group of shot-gun owning criminals surrounding him, a group whom Plowman felt had suspicions about his true 'cop' identity, particularly made my heart jump. Plowman calmly describes the moment when he felt the cord come away from his Sony Walkman only to hang below the edge of his coat. Remarkably, the bulky Walkman taped inside his clothes was the sole piece of equipment used to record the crucial evidence which would incriminate this gang of drug dealers. In the murky world in which Plowman was operating every time he 'crossed the line,' these criminals would be under no illusions about where that particular power cord was leading and what it was intended to do. Sometimes it reads like Plowman had nine lives but the pressure of the adrenalin kick in this type of situation took its toll on him in the end.
Juggling multiple fake personalities, working regular 70 hour weeks, barely socialising outside of work and engaging in intensely stressful, life-threatening and often disturbing operations, took its toll on Plowman's health and home life. Somewhat inevitably, Plowman got divorced, lost motivation and desire for his work and experienced a colossal loss of drive and confidence. He plunged to rock bottom and ultimately to a train journey which was to lead him to the river in which he'd chosen to drown himself.
The title cleverly led me to believe that this book was going to be about an undercover police officer who went 'bad'. In fact, it's more original than that. It's about how a life crossing the line between the real and the invented would test anybody's sanity and how the people who do this job for a living shouldn't necessarily be idolised but should at least be respected. The world Plowman describes isn't cool or glamorous but dirty and smelly, depressing and terrifying; and, in the absence of a better system, absolutely essential. Plowman says he's glad he did the job because he was instrumental in removing some of the worst criminals from our neighbourhoods. But his real world was a lonely place where he grew to see himself simply as a cog in the wheel of Scotland Yard's fight against serious crime. Showing blatant signs to colleagues that he needed help, his pleas went ignored by all but one. Poignantly, Plowman describes how a fervent supporter called a superior, who'd recently handed Plowman a commendation for his work, to ask why he'd let him resign. The supporter described Plowman as, 'one of the best police officers' he'd ever worked with.
The response of the DCS to whom he was speaking was, 'Christian who?'
What drew me to this non-fiction account was that it read like fiction. Superbly written, answering all my questions and with just enough detail to get me right into the nub of the scene, my heart was racing every time author, and undercover officer, Christian Plowman was launched into a covert Metropolitan Police operation. His scholarship-funded private education, aptitude for foreign languages and supposed lover-not-a-fighter mentality all intrigued me. He didn't seem the type. But then, what is the type of an undercover officer? This book is the closest I've come to finding out.
Plowman rose through the ranks from 'bobby on the beat' - a job he ironically appears to have enjoyed the most and yet his aspirations always lay higher - through various covert roles, usually tacked onto the end of the day job. Finally he reached his dream: to be employed full-time as an undercover officer. This position demanded a new persona, another new passport and mobile phone, as well as a rented flat and all the bills, relationships and correspondence associated with becoming the fictitious character Plowman had chosen to create. In reality, the position was often dull with very little work to do.
Plowman was commended for his bravery on occasions and survived life-threatening situations on many more. The story of him standing centre stage with a group of shot-gun owning criminals surrounding him, a group whom Plowman felt had suspicions about his true 'cop' identity, particularly made my heart jump. Plowman calmly describes the moment when he felt the cord come away from his Sony Walkman only to hang below the edge of his coat. Remarkably, the bulky Walkman taped inside his clothes was the sole piece of equipment used to record the crucial evidence which would incriminate this gang of drug dealers. In the murky world in which Plowman was operating every time he 'crossed the line,' these criminals would be under no illusions about where that particular power cord was leading and what it was intended to do. Sometimes it reads like Plowman had nine lives but the pressure of the adrenalin kick in this type of situation took its toll on him in the end.
Juggling multiple fake personalities, working regular 70 hour weeks, barely socialising outside of work and engaging in intensely stressful, life-threatening and often disturbing operations, took its toll on Plowman's health and home life. Somewhat inevitably, Plowman got divorced, lost motivation and desire for his work and experienced a colossal loss of drive and confidence. He plunged to rock bottom and ultimately to a train journey which was to lead him to the river in which he'd chosen to drown himself.
The title cleverly led me to believe that this book was going to be about an undercover police officer who went 'bad'. In fact, it's more original than that. It's about how a life crossing the line between the real and the invented would test anybody's sanity and how the people who do this job for a living shouldn't necessarily be idolised but should at least be respected. The world Plowman describes isn't cool or glamorous but dirty and smelly, depressing and terrifying; and, in the absence of a better system, absolutely essential. Plowman says he's glad he did the job because he was instrumental in removing some of the worst criminals from our neighbourhoods. But his real world was a lonely place where he grew to see himself simply as a cog in the wheel of Scotland Yard's fight against serious crime. Showing blatant signs to colleagues that he needed help, his pleas went ignored by all but one. Poignantly, Plowman describes how a fervent supporter called a superior, who'd recently handed Plowman a commendation for his work, to ask why he'd let him resign. The supporter described Plowman as, 'one of the best police officers' he'd ever worked with.
The response of the DCS to whom he was speaking was, 'Christian who?'
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August 15, 2015Not rating this book. I bought it for research purposes and although it was interesting from a personal perspective, it failed to do what I wanted. However, anyone looking for a gritty, honest account of life as an undercover cop would probably enjoy this immensely.
March 30, 2022
Wow. An incredibly detailed account of what it's like working within the Met, particularly certain task forces. There is such a huge amount of immense detail that you can really feel like you're in the heart of the events; in Plowman's shoes.
What I was somewhat irritated by was the obvious usage of the thesaurus to make the book more complicated/heavier. Plowman suddenly uses such niche words that have barely been mentioned in history, and I personally feel that's to make himself look smarter. As for the reader... I constantly had to google a variety of words (like 'modicum') throughout the book. It's a tad unnecessary - it's complicated enough.
Nevertheless, I do not regret reading this book - and it's definitely become one of my favourites, as he also points out the importance of people working in my own field - something a lot of writers in such an area often overlook, or ignore.
5/5.
What I was somewhat irritated by was the obvious usage of the thesaurus to make the book more complicated/heavier. Plowman suddenly uses such niche words that have barely been mentioned in history, and I personally feel that's to make himself look smarter. As for the reader... I constantly had to google a variety of words (like 'modicum') throughout the book. It's a tad unnecessary - it's complicated enough.
Nevertheless, I do not regret reading this book - and it's definitely become one of my favourites, as he also points out the importance of people working in my own field - something a lot of writers in such an area often overlook, or ignore.
5/5.
August 6, 2020
Can feel the nature and working environment of Old Bill. It's more true than what depicted in TV series.
And, depression, trauma from parent's relationship is well described, and epilogue at the end of the book well explained the siuation. Strangely, this aspect drew more of my attention and is more fascinating to me.
And, depression, trauma from parent's relationship is well described, and epilogue at the end of the book well explained the siuation. Strangely, this aspect drew more of my attention and is more fascinating to me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2023
Candid account of life as a cop. Includes time spent undercover and the moral and psychological dilemmas that ensue. Interesting insights into police culture and some tense moments along the way.
August 18, 2024
It’s ok.. entertaining and easy reading. I kind of couldn’t tell what was true towards the end of the book as it’s really been wrote from the author’s perspective..
April 5, 2023
I read this after recently reading a book by his ex partner Danni. I did enjoy this book but not as much as her story.
This was the story of Christian's career getting to be an undercover police officer and the struggles he faced and the breakdown it caused him to have. It was very interesting but not as full of suspense as others I have read. Still a good read though for anybody interested in police procedural stories and biographies.
This was the story of Christian's career getting to be an undercover police officer and the struggles he faced and the breakdown it caused him to have. It was very interesting but not as full of suspense as others I have read. Still a good read though for anybody interested in police procedural stories and biographies.
February 6, 2014
Interesting non-fiction account of an undercover cop who burned out a bit in the job. Not brilliantly written, but it is a short account of one man's experiences and pretty readable and insightful.
It reminded me of Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police, a better and more shocking book, but one that echoes Christopher Plowman's experience of how difficult it is to spend all your time masquerading under false identities – he gets involved as a grungy drug addict, a gun seller, a paedophile, a gangster etc.
The other message is that the force doesn't seem to offer much beyond token psychological support for officers in these stressful jobs. It's a very macho culture, apparently.
Some of it is funny, some scary. None of it makes you long to do the job.
It reminded me of Undercover: The True Story of Britain's Secret Police, a better and more shocking book, but one that echoes Christopher Plowman's experience of how difficult it is to spend all your time masquerading under false identities – he gets involved as a grungy drug addict, a gun seller, a paedophile, a gangster etc.
The other message is that the force doesn't seem to offer much beyond token psychological support for officers in these stressful jobs. It's a very macho culture, apparently.
Some of it is funny, some scary. None of it makes you long to do the job.
November 11, 2013
An undercover officer gives details of some of the operations that he has been involved with.
An interesting book, but in some place the narrative felt confusing – could have done with a better edit.
An interesting book, but in some place the narrative felt confusing – could have done with a better edit.
September 24, 2014
I was so looking forward to reading this but it was so boring! Sorry Christian as clearly you were very good at what you do but the book didn't captivate me at all
August 14, 2016
True life account of a police officer going under cover in covert operations, really good book
October 15, 2016
Really amazing book! Really insightful and somewhat heartbreaking! Definitely recommend!
January 19, 2017
Mało konkretne, miejscami trochę naciągane.
March 25, 2014
fascinating fast read as couldn't put the book down
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews