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Blood on the Badge: True Crime, Courage, and Carnage in Australia's Most Violent Years
Gunfights, stabbings, and unspeakable violence — these are the true stories of the officers who stood between chaos and order.
Early 20th-century criminals were among the most ruthless in Australia’s history. Their violent excesses left communities reeling.
In an era when handguns, explosives and Tommy guns were the weapons of choice, police officers faced down dangerous offenders without modern tactics, protective gear or psychological training — relying only on grit, instinct and sheer physical courage.
Award-winning police veteran Alan Leek brings to life a gripping collection of true stories from a time when raw danger came with the badge. From the frenzied Anzac Day stabbing of a young constable who had returned from years of active war service to an officer mortally wounded by a serial killer he had apprehended, whose bravery earned a posthumous George Cross. These are stories of men who stepped forward when others ran — and often paid the ultimate price.
Blood on the Badge is a hard-hitting tribute to the forgotten heroes of Australian policing. Through gunfights, prison breakouts, brutal stabbings and the relentless toll of frontline service, this book lays bare the human cost of justice during one of the nation’s most violent periods.
Early 20th-century criminals were among the most ruthless in Australia’s history. Their violent excesses left communities reeling.
In an era when handguns, explosives and Tommy guns were the weapons of choice, police officers faced down dangerous offenders without modern tactics, protective gear or psychological training — relying only on grit, instinct and sheer physical courage.
Award-winning police veteran Alan Leek brings to life a gripping collection of true stories from a time when raw danger came with the badge. From the frenzied Anzac Day stabbing of a young constable who had returned from years of active war service to an officer mortally wounded by a serial killer he had apprehended, whose bravery earned a posthumous George Cross. These are stories of men who stepped forward when others ran — and often paid the ultimate price.
Blood on the Badge is a hard-hitting tribute to the forgotten heroes of Australian policing. Through gunfights, prison breakouts, brutal stabbings and the relentless toll of frontline service, this book lays bare the human cost of justice during one of the nation’s most violent periods.
250 pages, Paperback
Published December 30, 2025
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