Release date: 6th August 2019
The inspiring true story of police officer Luke Warburton and his best friend, Chuck the police dog, and their dangerous operations in the line of duty.
At 10.30 p.m. on 12 January 2016 Acting Sergeant Luke Warburton thought he was taking his last breath. A decorated New South Wales Police Officer, the father of three was looking death in the face after a bullet pierced his femoral vein. If it wasn't for the fact that it happened in the Emergency Ward of Sydney's Nepean Hospital, Warburton would probably have been dead already. An hour earlier, he'd walked to his police van with his ever-faithful German shepherd, Chuck, trotting alongside.
Later, Luke would be awarded the Commissioner's Valour Award for conspicuous merit and exceptional bravery in the line of duty. He would maintain he was just a copper doing his job.
So, too, was Chuck, who was nationally recognised for bringing down Australia's most wanted man, Malcolm Naden, after a manhunt lasting more than seven years.
MAN'S BEST FRIEND is Luke and Chuck's story. It's the story of a boy who dreamed of one day being a policeman, of his love for dogs and his time at the NSW Police Dog Unit. It's also the story of an ordinary man and his ordinary dog doing extraordinary things in the line of duty.
ARC received from Hachette Australia for an honest review
I am a sucker for true crime kinds of stories. Add in a dog and I am putty in their hands.
I remember seeing the news story of Luke Warburton's shooting. I don't watch much news any more, but hearing Nepean Hospital in the news story made my ears prick up, as my mum worked their for many years and it always catches my attention.
This book - man, it is a heck of an emotional ride.
Luke tells his story of becoming a police officer, of becoming a dog handler, and of that night with humour, with emotion and with a turn of phrase that brings you right into the story with Luke and his K9s. Though written with journalist Simon Bouda, you can tell that this is Luke's voice shining through.
It was a wonderful insight into the world of the NSW Dog Unit, the animals, the handler and the connection between man and beast.
I have already recommended this book to a few of my friends, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
It was a wonderful insight into the world of the NSW Dog Unit, the animals, the handler and the connection between man and beast.
I have already recommended this book to a few of my friends, and I hope they enjoy it as much as I did.
Luke Warburton is a Senior Constable who won the Commissioner's Valour Award for Bravery as a member of the Dog Squad in Western Sydney.
Simon Bouda is an investigative journalist with Channel 9's crime and terror unit, and appears regularly on A Current Affair. Simon is the author of three books, including the bestselling Survival, the story of the Thredbo landslide, with Stuart Diver
