Boat arrivals have defined and divided 21st century Australia. This book outlines the Stop the Boats era from the 2013 to the 2022 federal elections. During this time, the dominant political view has been that to accept a single boat, family, or person, is to risk being overwhelmed by many others.

Kim Huynh is a Vietnamese boatperson who came to Australia with his family in 1979. He has taught refugee politics and political philosophy at the Australian National University for over two decades. Kim has researched Australian and US politics, along with political theory and gender. He authored a commercially and academically successful book about his parents and the Vietnam War entitled Where the Sea Takes Us, as well as short stories and essays on art and culture. Kim is also an Australian Broadcasting Corporation presenter and producer and has run as an independent candidate in local and federal elections. In all these roles and activities, he has sought to advance diversity, democracy and understanding, while continuing to be a boatperson.

List of illustrations, What if you had ended up face down in the sand?, Preface, Introduction: The Meaning of 'Stop the Boats!', 1. A New Border Era, 2. The Crises of 2015, 3. Manus Island and the Price of Deterrence, 4. Australia's Absolute Borders, Conclusion: After Stop the Boats!, Postscript: We Have a Thing with Boats, Index