Australia likes to assume that extremists and their dark ideas can be stopped at the border. But Fortress Australia, and the sense of security it provides, is an illusion. For over a century, extreme ideologies have seeped through the borders into Australian communities. Terrorists have repeatedly emerged from the shadows, bringing terrible violence.

Chasing Shadows exposes the surprisingly long history of political and religious violence in Australia. It includes previously classified and little-known information, shedding new light on major incidents and thwarted plots. It discloses secret training camps, hit lists and forgotten missions. It reveals the true nature and extent of terrorism in Australia.This history spans Irish nationalists, justice commandos and left-wing radicals who sought to foment revolution. It explores the religious cults of Ananda Marga and Aum Shinrikyo, and the jihadist networks of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State. It also traverses right-wing extremism, from Croatian fascists through to the white supremacists who have dominated headlines since the Christchurch massacre.