I read Chris Master's book bookwyrm.social/book/1432873/s/flawed-hero (Flawed Hero on the same defamation trial (as per the Federal Court's listing www.fedcourt.gov.au/services/access-to-files-and-transcripts/online-files/ben-roberts-smith):
Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (NSD1485/2018) Ben Roberts-Smith v The Age Company Pty Ltd (NSD1486/2018) Ben Roberts-Smith v The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd (NSD1487/2018) Ben Roberts-Smith v Johnathan Pearlman (NSD1826/2018) Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (NSD1440/2018)trial (Ben Roberts-Smith /
Whilst Master's was a more dispassionate and pointed telling of the trial, Nick McKenzie's take is considerably more personal. The book provided a clear outline of the lengths that all journalists had gone to in establishing the facts, and then it goes into the progression of the defamation action, and the affect it was having, in particular, on McKenzie.
Well worth reading both books on this trial, I'd hung onto this one for a time because we were due to read it for our f2f bookclub. All of whom had not read the other book, all of whom were horrified and appalled by Roberts-Smith actions, and what was done in our name by him. There's "fog of war" and there's deliberate bullying, abuse, killing and utterly disgusting behaviour.
Had hoped that the SAS was above all that. Our military leaders have some work to do, but then all levels of leadership in this country need to get their acts together.
Crossing the Line
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.