Great journalism, but could be more readable

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	• Homicide David Simon Ballantine Books, 1993 - 640 pages average customer review:based on 62 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

funny and filled with drama

what was the most funniest parts were is when dave brown and donald worden kept pestering one another.

One of the best true crime books ever

I started watching the TV program "Homicide: Life on the Street" before I heard about the book on which it was based. A fellow fan recommened the book highly, and I can say that the praise was spot on. David Simon's prose is perfect for the subject matter, the way he paints the background of what it is REALLY like to be a "murder police" in a major US city, the description of the relationships between the detectives and their work environment, etc. There is an updated version which includes photos of some of the true life cops profiled in the book: To the fan of the series it is a treat to put faces to the names, as well as updates on what the detectives are doing now.

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Intense

Being a police officer espically,In a large city.Like New York,LA or Baltimore [The city where the book takes place.] Is psychologically and phyiscally draning,An existential threat to ones pysche and without any glamour what so ever.So why do they do it John Kelly a character on NYPD Blue did it because his old man was a cop.Who was killed in the line of duty when he was 11.The same with Clarice Starling the fictional FBI agent who is Hannibal Lector lover in the novels of Thomas Harris and the films of Johnathan Demme and Ridley Scott.[Not that Iam comparing the two characters.] Some because they see as an adventure after it`s no surprise it has been glorified on shows such as Dragnet,Starsky and Hutch and Miami Vice and in films such as Leathal Weapon.But in really Stephen Spielberg isn`t around to say cut thats a rap.It`s much more intense the cases Psychologically effect the first case in the book is the murder of an 11 year old girl who was also sexually assulted.[The case is still unsolved.]There is also an episode of the tv show which based on this book called ''Homicide;Life on the Street'' in which the detectives are stuck inside there precint on Saturday Night no case is investigated they just sit around and talk about life [The Camera doesn`t even leave the squad room during the episode.]So what I`am trying is the life of a police officer is not what see on television or in movies.Every day you are reminded of the fact that human beings of Raping Women,Killing each other in cold blood and Molesting Children.I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to know about the day to day psychological struggles of a cop.Espically a homicide detective.

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Best Cop Book Ever

I will keep this short: I have been a city cop for almost eighteen years and I defy anyone to find a better book about policework than this one. This is the closest you can come to knowing what being a cop is all about short of actually wearing a badge.

Great journalism, but could be more readable

I read this book because I'm a huge fan of the television series that came out of it. And, I found it to be a well chronicled account of the author's year of work in the Baltimore PD Homicide unit.

So, why 4 stars instead of 5? Simply because the book was something of a chore to read rather than being a page turner. Maybe it was all of the careful detail reporting about addresses, crime scenes, evidence, etc. and the general lack of writing which helped the reader identify with and understand the individual detectives better than just knowing their names. Or, maybe there were just too many detectives and crimes to do that. But, for whatever reason, I found this lengthy book to be more of a chore to read than the vastly more desirable status of being a joy to read. It was worthwhile and educational, but not as gripping and entertaining as the actual experience surely must have been. I liked it and respected it, but I didn't love it like I love the television series.

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reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

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