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Ten Feet Tall and Not Quite Bulletproof
Cameron Hardiman lived a life most young boys could only dream of. Every morning he put on a navy blue police flight suit, grabbed his flight helmet, and prepared to work on the police helicopter. He could be called to anything during a shift, to search for a missing child, to pull an injured driver from a wrecked car, or a dangerous sea rescue.
He saw his fair share of trauma and dealt with it like most coppers would: he quickly put each dangerous job out of his mind as soon as it was over. But one particular rescue job in Bass Strait brought about a reckoning - and Cameron was never the same again.
This is the brilliantly told, white-knuckle story of one cop learning every lesson the hard way - and coming to find out that being not quite bulletproof doesn't mean that you're not a good cop.
- GenresNonfiction
336 pages, Paperback
Published March 31, 2020
14 people are currently reading
72 people want to read
About the author
Cameron Hardiman
1 book5 followersCameron Hardiman joined the Victoria Police at age eighteen and served over 34 years in policing. Most of his time with Victoria Police was as an air observer with the Police Air Wing. He eventually joined the Australian Federal Police and served on overseas missions that included the Solomon Islands and Timor Leste. He then transferred into an investigations role, focusing first on general crime, then people smuggling operations and counter terrorism.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 6, 2020
Hardiman's non-fiction narrative begins with a common premise held by members of the police force, that when on the job they are indeed ten feet tall and bulletproof. The text thrusts the reader into a non-stop action trajectory. Hardiman sets a theme of illuminating the often harrowing everyday life of a policeman, with a wry sense of humour and a matter of fact air that betrays early on the "game face" both required and expected of the job. It is this game face, and the need to emotionally distance oneself from the familiarity of trauma both witnessed and directly experienced, without any debrief beyond a couple of beers or a coffee afterward that directs the shape and feel of this book.
Hardiman's career progresses when he becomes a member of the Victoria Police Air Wing. While he lives his dream by day performing and assisting in all manner of precarious rescues and retrievals, he takes the memories and images of his day off at the end of each shift along with his uniform. However, there is one central experience from which he cannot eventually escape, the telling of which is skillfully woven throughout the text like a representation of the repetitious nature of trauma itself. This experience, in which Hardiman came terrifyingly close to drowning in Bass Strait on the end of a rescue winch is one for which he received two bravery awards for along with his crew, but eventually, it is this recognition and his examination both of what courage means and how it is represented that begin to unravel the inner fortitude that he has girded himself with.
The sense of trauma immanent in Hardiman's recounting of his experiences is visceral and powerfully evocative of the time outside of time inherent in such moments. As readers, we are left breathless, our own adrenaline pumping in faint echo of a fight or flight instinct — felt as a terrifying vortex of uncertainty that most of us are lucky enough to rarely encounter. The gift of Hardiman's story is a fleeting invitation to the colours, sounds, smells and rush of his former life, but also the ability to walk away when we close the book. As tension grows and tightens throughout, there is the sense of some kind of reckoning impending, and it comes for the author in the most banal of environments, a train carriage in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The reality of PTSD comes crashing down in wave after wave of grief and the horrifying repetition of Hardiman's past experiences, the terror of almost losing his life in the Bass Strait rescue, and a hundred other moments of danger and harrowing incident.
Hardiman realises that his police career is over and that he is far from bulletproof.
He began writing the pieces of his narrative as therapy before being encouraged to formally collate the disparate experiences into a book, much to our gain as readers. We are, then, cast as safely distant witnesses to his adventures and to the everyday courage undertaken by our police force and paramedics, but also to the human experience of trauma. Hardiman has shown his skill as a writer and his further courage in revisiting and sharing his story and hopefully, we will hear more, and different kinds of stories from him in the future. I could hardly put this book down until I finished, with tears throughout.
Hardiman's career progresses when he becomes a member of the Victoria Police Air Wing. While he lives his dream by day performing and assisting in all manner of precarious rescues and retrievals, he takes the memories and images of his day off at the end of each shift along with his uniform. However, there is one central experience from which he cannot eventually escape, the telling of which is skillfully woven throughout the text like a representation of the repetitious nature of trauma itself. This experience, in which Hardiman came terrifyingly close to drowning in Bass Strait on the end of a rescue winch is one for which he received two bravery awards for along with his crew, but eventually, it is this recognition and his examination both of what courage means and how it is represented that begin to unravel the inner fortitude that he has girded himself with.
The sense of trauma immanent in Hardiman's recounting of his experiences is visceral and powerfully evocative of the time outside of time inherent in such moments. As readers, we are left breathless, our own adrenaline pumping in faint echo of a fight or flight instinct — felt as a terrifying vortex of uncertainty that most of us are lucky enough to rarely encounter. The gift of Hardiman's story is a fleeting invitation to the colours, sounds, smells and rush of his former life, but also the ability to walk away when we close the book. As tension grows and tightens throughout, there is the sense of some kind of reckoning impending, and it comes for the author in the most banal of environments, a train carriage in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The reality of PTSD comes crashing down in wave after wave of grief and the horrifying repetition of Hardiman's past experiences, the terror of almost losing his life in the Bass Strait rescue, and a hundred other moments of danger and harrowing incident.
Hardiman realises that his police career is over and that he is far from bulletproof.
He began writing the pieces of his narrative as therapy before being encouraged to formally collate the disparate experiences into a book, much to our gain as readers. We are, then, cast as safely distant witnesses to his adventures and to the everyday courage undertaken by our police force and paramedics, but also to the human experience of trauma. Hardiman has shown his skill as a writer and his further courage in revisiting and sharing his story and hopefully, we will hear more, and different kinds of stories from him in the future. I could hardly put this book down until I finished, with tears throughout.
July 13, 2020
Very good book full of exciting and terrible incidents. Getting PTSD is like every incident you attend slowly filling a bucket, but you don't know how big your bucket is. Eventually your bucket is full and you can no longer cope with anything. If you're lucky you retire before your bucket is full. It's the terrible price that military and emergency service workers pay. I hope he finds peace
February 12, 2020
I couldn’t put it down. A gripping yarn and writing this might possibly be bravest thing the author has ever done and that’s saying something!
February 17, 2020
Amazing story of courage and reckoning
Cameron Hardiman’s adventures as a police air observer will have readers gripped from the first page. Amid death and destruction, the heroes swoop from the sky in the police helicopter... but at what cost to these operatives who are prized for their ability to move from one disaster to the next? Cameron’s reckoning comes after a particularly perilous Bass Strait rescue where he came close to losing his life. His writing is so powerful, the reader follows him in a visceral way on his journey into the depths of PTSD. We are beside him when his world falls apart, and cheering his emergence out the other side.
Cameron Hardiman’s adventures as a police air observer will have readers gripped from the first page. Amid death and destruction, the heroes swoop from the sky in the police helicopter... but at what cost to these operatives who are prized for their ability to move from one disaster to the next? Cameron’s reckoning comes after a particularly perilous Bass Strait rescue where he came close to losing his life. His writing is so powerful, the reader follows him in a visceral way on his journey into the depths of PTSD. We are beside him when his world falls apart, and cheering his emergence out the other side.
March 31, 2020
Author should be regarded as retired as others and entitled to a pension. How bs is it after all these years on service.
I wouldn’t want to say enjoyed to have read someone’s suffering, but I digested every page is a reality and felt tremendous gratitude.
I wouldn’t want to say enjoyed to have read someone’s suffering, but I digested every page is a reality and felt tremendous gratitude.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2020
An eye opening tale of exceptional humanity
An incredible person doing an absurdly difficult job. We expect these people to go above and beyond and deal with trauma that is beyond comprehension, yet we provide little resources and training to deal with the after effects, almost to the point where PTSD is seen as an abject failure. This is an excellent book that tells the story of an exceptional individual and his struggle with the trauma of his job.
An incredible person doing an absurdly difficult job. We expect these people to go above and beyond and deal with trauma that is beyond comprehension, yet we provide little resources and training to deal with the after effects, almost to the point where PTSD is seen as an abject failure. This is an excellent book that tells the story of an exceptional individual and his struggle with the trauma of his job.
June 9, 2020
I couldn’t put this down ! Most brilliant recount of a career well served, so well written I thought I was there with you. And without giving anything away, the ending touched my heart for a million reasons. The actual best book I’ve ever read, thank you for sharing your story
February 1, 2020
This is not my typical reading choice but how glad I am that a friend recommended it to me.
Cameron's story absorbed me from the first page and I found it a fascinating insight into policing in general and his career trajectory.
He writes with skill and occasional laugh-out-loud humour and manages to remain respectful even while relaying how unmoved he was by some of the incidents that have scarred him.
I enjoyed his writing style and, as the book progressed, the way in which the sense of foreboding increased. I felt compelled to read on, even knowing something bad must be coming.
For any human being with a heart, this is at times a harrowing read so I can only imagine the impact these events would have had first hand. It made me wonder whether things are different now, in how police and other first responders are trained and supported to protect them from mental harm. I suspect some things have changed, but not enough.
All in all, for me this is a remarkable read because it's a remarkable story, well told.
Cameron's story absorbed me from the first page and I found it a fascinating insight into policing in general and his career trajectory.
He writes with skill and occasional laugh-out-loud humour and manages to remain respectful even while relaying how unmoved he was by some of the incidents that have scarred him.
I enjoyed his writing style and, as the book progressed, the way in which the sense of foreboding increased. I felt compelled to read on, even knowing something bad must be coming.
For any human being with a heart, this is at times a harrowing read so I can only imagine the impact these events would have had first hand. It made me wonder whether things are different now, in how police and other first responders are trained and supported to protect them from mental harm. I suspect some things have changed, but not enough.
All in all, for me this is a remarkable read because it's a remarkable story, well told.
January 31, 2020
‘Cameron Hardiman lived a life most young boys could only dream of. Every morning he put on a navy blue police flight suit, grabbed his flight helmet, and prepared to work on the police helicopter. He could be called to anything during a shift, to search for a missing child, to pull an injured driver from a wrecked car, or a dangerous sea rescue.
He saw his fair share of trauma and dealt with it like most coppers would: he quickly put each dangerous job out of his mind as soon as it was over. But one particular rescue in Bass Strait brought about a reckoning – and Cameron was never the same again.’
This book was fascinating.
I didn’t really no what to expect going into this book. I had hoped to get a little bit of information on different aspects of Cameron Hardiman’s career. So I was genuinely surprised by just how much was in this book.
Cameron Hardiman has done a brilliant job with this book. Reading this book was a real roller coaster of emotions. From funny stories and adrenaline fuel situations to heartbreaking moments; Cameron covers them all.
Having a collection of photographs in this book was a wonderful addition as I found it helped to see some of the things I was reading about to understand the situation and the scope of the jobs Cameron was working on.
I think it is easy to forget that not all heroes wear capes, and that sometimes living a heroic life can come at a cost. With so much excitement and drama on a daily basis, lessons are learnt on the fly and often the hard way.
This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time. I laughed, I cried and now I feel like I may be a little better educated about what our first responders go through in order to protect us.
Ten Feet Tall And Not Quite Bulletproof by Cameron Hardiman is a must read for everyone.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
He saw his fair share of trauma and dealt with it like most coppers would: he quickly put each dangerous job out of his mind as soon as it was over. But one particular rescue in Bass Strait brought about a reckoning – and Cameron was never the same again.’
This book was fascinating.
I didn’t really no what to expect going into this book. I had hoped to get a little bit of information on different aspects of Cameron Hardiman’s career. So I was genuinely surprised by just how much was in this book.
Cameron Hardiman has done a brilliant job with this book. Reading this book was a real roller coaster of emotions. From funny stories and adrenaline fuel situations to heartbreaking moments; Cameron covers them all.
Having a collection of photographs in this book was a wonderful addition as I found it helped to see some of the things I was reading about to understand the situation and the scope of the jobs Cameron was working on.
I think it is easy to forget that not all heroes wear capes, and that sometimes living a heroic life can come at a cost. With so much excitement and drama on a daily basis, lessons are learnt on the fly and often the hard way.
This is definitely a book that will stay with me for a long time. I laughed, I cried and now I feel like I may be a little better educated about what our first responders go through in order to protect us.
Ten Feet Tall And Not Quite Bulletproof by Cameron Hardiman is a must read for everyone.
Geramie Kate Barker
gemsbooknook.wordpress.com
October 18, 2020
This was a solid account of an exciting and often dangerous career. It provides a great insight into a world we rarely consider other than in the abstract. The stories are written in a way that makes them easy to read. and the book is well edited to bring them together. Unfortunately the ending with his account of a personal experience of PTSD feels rushed and does not allow the reader to fully understand what a devastating end to such a brilliant and obviously passionate career it was. Thank you for sharing your story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2021
For an exercise in writing therapy this book is incredibly well done. Absolutely thrilling, and I felt like an observer, tagging along on his shifts. I really liked how the story of what happened in Bass Strait unfolded gradually over numerous scattered chapters which really escalated the tension, but I'll admit it got frustrating enough during the climax of the action that I had to skip ahead to see what happened.
Fascinating and horrifying to read all these behind the scenes stories, of the kinds of incidents that I see in the news every day. My sympathy was always reserved for the victims and I barely spared a thought for the people on scene dealing with the aftermath; that has changed after reading this book.
The absence of Hardiman's wife and children was very conspicuous, I would have liked to have read more about them, but since the focus was on his career that was understandable. And since the negative impact of said career on his family was touched on later in the book, it made their earlier absence even more poignant.
I liked the way how he detailed the sometimes horrific events of his policing career in such a detached and dismissive way mimicked his early attitude, and to have that sudden switch happen where he went from feeling nothing to feeling basically everything was really harrowing. The shame he talks about is absolutely tragic - that the job requires police officers to become emotionless robots just to survive is horrible, and it's no wonder that the families of cops bear the brunt of this.
I applaud the writer for his honesty in talking about these issues, and letting us 'into his head'. As he said awareness is the first step toward solving a problem, and the more survivors come forward the more hope that the culture will change. I certainly hope that more people suffering PTSD read his story and feel empowered to come forward to ask for help.
A really important book, really well written, and instils in me both awe and sympathy for the people on the front lines of law enforcement.
Fascinating and horrifying to read all these behind the scenes stories, of the kinds of incidents that I see in the news every day. My sympathy was always reserved for the victims and I barely spared a thought for the people on scene dealing with the aftermath; that has changed after reading this book.
The absence of Hardiman's wife and children was very conspicuous, I would have liked to have read more about them, but since the focus was on his career that was understandable. And since the negative impact of said career on his family was touched on later in the book, it made their earlier absence even more poignant.
I liked the way how he detailed the sometimes horrific events of his policing career in such a detached and dismissive way mimicked his early attitude, and to have that sudden switch happen where he went from feeling nothing to feeling basically everything was really harrowing. The shame he talks about is absolutely tragic - that the job requires police officers to become emotionless robots just to survive is horrible, and it's no wonder that the families of cops bear the brunt of this.
I applaud the writer for his honesty in talking about these issues, and letting us 'into his head'. As he said awareness is the first step toward solving a problem, and the more survivors come forward the more hope that the culture will change. I certainly hope that more people suffering PTSD read his story and feel empowered to come forward to ask for help.
A really important book, really well written, and instils in me both awe and sympathy for the people on the front lines of law enforcement.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 7, 2020
Hadiman started writing as a form of therapy for his PTSD having suffered in his time at Victoria Police.
Ten Feet Tall and Not Quite Bulletproof is Hardiman's autobiographical account as a police officer, first for Victorian Police then the Australian Federal Police during which he was involved in many events remembered in public consciousness (Russell St, Black Saturday, RAMSI).
The book is exactly as you expect the subject matter to be, glimpsing into the jobs that Hardiman decided to be put to page. There is a proud tradition of coppers turned authors, and probably part good editorial direction and practise it weaves together in a satisfying narrative.
The book ends on the somber note of which Hadiman doesn't pretend to be cured of PTSD. He details the consequences to his life and family. I did come away with a better gratitude for the sacrifices of anyone who bare witness to such tragedies and my own personal take away from the book is the pernicious creep of trauma affecting even the most hardened person.
Ten Feet Tall and Not Quite Bulletproof is Hardiman's autobiographical account as a police officer, first for Victorian Police then the Australian Federal Police during which he was involved in many events remembered in public consciousness (Russell St, Black Saturday, RAMSI).
The book is exactly as you expect the subject matter to be, glimpsing into the jobs that Hardiman decided to be put to page. There is a proud tradition of coppers turned authors, and probably part good editorial direction and practise it weaves together in a satisfying narrative.
The book ends on the somber note of which Hadiman doesn't pretend to be cured of PTSD. He details the consequences to his life and family. I did come away with a better gratitude for the sacrifices of anyone who bare witness to such tragedies and my own personal take away from the book is the pernicious creep of trauma affecting even the most hardened person.
July 23, 2020
Cameron Hardiman lays bare the life of a copper which many people don't even want to think about. It is important that stories such as his are shared to encourage those who have or are living through similar experiences know that is is okay to talk about those experiences to their colleagues and to those outside of their occupations.
PTSD is real and not 'just the latest fashion' and help is available for the one suffering and for their family.
PTSD is real and not 'just the latest fashion' and help is available for the one suffering and for their family.
May 5, 2021
Incredible book about a very courageous Australian hero.
Every chapter contains a thrilling story about the trials and tribulations of our least decorated heroes. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in joining the police force as it follows an incredible career.
Every chapter contains a thrilling story about the trials and tribulations of our least decorated heroes. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in joining the police force as it follows an incredible career.
January 8, 2025
Confronting real-life storytelling. Well written & easy to follow. Being a Victorian with an emergency services father and knowing the locations and even some of the featured 'characters' brought this story home in a very deep way.
September 15, 2020
Every chapter seems to give a unique take on this job with a unique insight into ptsd as well.
November 17, 2021
One of the best books I have read this year. An uncut look at the life of a police officer, not shying away from the trauma and everything that comes with it. Cameron Hardiman is a legend.
March 14, 2024
Very interesting book and written in an easy-to-read conversational style.
The book certainly gave me a greater respect for our emergency services and the risks they take to save lives.
The book certainly gave me a greater respect for our emergency services and the risks they take to save lives.
October 7, 2024
Cam writes an honest description of what being a cop can really be like, especially in the areas most of the general public wouldn't know about. Very confronting at times, but unable to put down
February 16, 2023
Great read, I looked forward to getting through more and more chapters each night.
June 9, 2023
This book is pure honesty and shows the vulnerability, raw emotions and brutality of what our police officers have to go through and what they experience in a day to day life. Nothing is ever easy and this book is proof of how everything can change in seconds. Never take for granted what you have in life because there are people out there that may look and sound completely fine. But inside they are struggling with unimaginable demons and you don’t even know it. Highly recommend giving this one a read
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews