Roman Quaedvlieg was always destined to make a mark. As a rookie policeman on the mean streets of Fortitude Valley in the dying days of the Moonlight State, his first arrest was Brisbane’s most wanted escapee. Three decades later, he found himself navigating through the corridors of power in Canberra.

Tour de Force charts the years in between, during which he truly sees it all. From policing on the beat to going undercover with bikies and gangs, to eventually running covert operations at the Australian Crime Commission, exposing major drug importations while working in customs services and leading the operation to turn back boats on international waters. Right up to being appointed as the very first head of the Australian Border Force, Roman Quaedvlieg’s story is one of a tough, resourceful and disciplined policeman rising through the ranks to the very top of law enforcement in Australia. This is a personal and political story that exposes a deeply conflicted national security system and doesn’t shy away from his notorious sacking from the top job.