Thursday, January 21, 2010

Review: THE DARK SIDE - Roger Rogerson


Roger Rogerson is probably one of Australia's best known and notorious police officers. Presented with a medal for his services to the police force in 1980, just a few short years later he found himself facing charges of corruption and attempted murder which despite acquittal, ended his career in the police force.

THE DARK SIDE is Rogerson's own version of events. Not surprisingly it doesn't dwell on the events that made him a house-hold name. He focuses more on cases he worked on over his long career in the police force.

Reading the autobiography of someone who has become notorious for whatever reason is always a little difficult; especially if there has been past misdeeds or alleged crimes. Just how much of the truth are you really getting? After all you're only getting their side of the story and there's nothing in the way of critical analysis of that story.

I doubt that Rogerson was telling "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." There is little or no mention about the events that made him so notorious although his accounts of cases he worked on are interesting enough. You get the picture of what would be called an old time traditional detective who isn't averse to bending the rules to achieve and outcome. Just how far those rules were bent is left to the individual to decide.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sunnie - You make a very good point. When you read those true accounts of events, it really is hard to tell how much of it is true and how much isn't. They can make for engaging enough reading, but how much to believe? That's harder.

Sunnie Gill said...

Thanks for the comment Margot..I actually have another book about the man written by someone else. I should read it for comparison.