9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
As usual, Wambaugh delivers., April 14, 2003
Joseph Wambaugh never ceases to entertain me. The Blue Knight is one of his earlier works, and so far its a very close second to The New Centurions for my favorite Wambaugh novel.
The novel tells the story of Bumper Morgan, a Los Angeles beat cop who is three days from retirement. Bumper is a big, fat, loveable glutton with a bit of a sadistic streak. We follow his last few days on the police force while he begrudgingly drives his patrol car through his long time beat in LA. Bumper explains that he prefers walking the beat, but since hes too old and fat he is forced to drive his legs arent what they used to be.
Bumper tells his own story, and everything is told through his eyes. As usual, Wambaughs gifted use of sharp, witty dialogue and scathing common-man analysis of the streets brings Bumpers story to life. Everyone on his beat loves him. Restaurant owners pile heaps of culinary delights in front of him on a daily basis, and its obvious Bumper LOVES to eat many times my mouth started watering while reading the descriptions of a wide variety of foods laid out for this loveable cop.
When hes not eating (a rare occasion, or so it seems), Bumper meets with other locals: strip club owners, convenience store managers, even homeless bums whom he pays for info on the local crooks. Bumper is proud of himself for paying his informants out of his own pocket rather than paying out of the PDs kitty; he thinks it keeps his sources anonymous and safe.
As warm, loveable and thoughtful our hero is, there is a sadistic side to Bumper Morgan as well. Hes not above turning up the heat on the undesirables, and it seems to me that its considered to be part of the job for him; certainly nothing to think twice about. Witness the bookie that nearly gets his arm broken after trying mail his book back to himself. This bookie stands by a mailbox and as soon as he sees the heat coming, drops his stuff in the slot this time, he didnt get his arm out of the box fast enough, so Bumper takes the opportunity to crush his arm into the box while pumping for info. Youd think incidents like this would make the reader dislike Bumper; not so. His matter-of-fact tone and the fact that he doesnt dwell on his use of physical force makes you feel as if brutality is a part of his status quo. It is this attitude that proves to be Bumpers undoing once you get to the surprise ending. There is another stunningly crafted scene in which Bumper embellishes the truth in court. Hes not above fibbing a little to get these goofs behind bars.
Sharp witted, thoughtful, funny, human, brutal, warm, disturbing, violent, and truthful, The Blue Knight is a bright spot for Wambaugh. His police stories are far beyond your average police procedural; in fact, I havent read any novel by Wambaugh which follows a set formula. Those unfamiliar with his writing style may note that Quinton Tarantino follows a similar vein when it comes to script writing. The difference is that while the wit is similar between the two, it is Wambaugh who has a more clear idea of how to make the slick verbiage work to establish realism, rather than Tarantinos more tongue-in-cheek approach. Bumper Morgan is REAL. Recommended.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Journey Behind The Scenes., February 12, 2001
This review is from: The Blue Knight (Paperback)
Who better to tell a cop's tale than an old cop? Wambaugh was there. He's able to translate his experiences in the LAPD into words we can feel and smell. The Blue Knight is a refreshing detour in the world of crime writing, a genre overloaded with static police procedurals and gory murder mysteries. The Blue Knight is a simple tale that humanizes a typical beat cop. At a time when cops were unpopular and routinely tagged as abusive Nazis or ignorant "fuzz" or "pigs," Wambaugh takes the other side, realistically describing the unique ups and downs of an LA beat cop by delivering his good-guy protagonist, Bumper Morgan.
Bumper is human, likeable. He walks his well-worn beat, meting out justice not by the book, but by common sense. This book works well at all levels. -- ....
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Three Days in the Life of a Veteran Street Cop, September 23, 2008
Mr. Wambaugh's outstanding book still holds up after three decades. World-weary after twenty years on the police force, Bumper Morgan reflects on the changing nature of police work and the potential for a new phase of his life when he retires at the age of 50. He is exposed on a daily basis to the extremes of the human conditon; from seamy survivalist of poverty and drug-addiction to courageous, law-abiding citizens just trying to get by. Overweight Bumper wallows in a variety of "freebies", especially food, that appreciative merchants heap upon him for helping them out throughout his career. A realistic and compassionate depiction of a street cop. Absolutely worth reading.
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