Customer Reviews

COPS BOBBIES: POLICE AUTHORITY IN NEW YORK AND LONDON, (HISTORY CRIME & CRIMINAL JUS)

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I'm from an academic background. I'm used to reading dry works. I've slogged through thousands of pages of poorly-written books and journal articles (many in hard science, where researchers, who aren't trained in writing, are barely able to string together a few coherent words at a time) by sheer willpower for various classes and papers. So when I say that this book is just painfully poorly written, trust me that it isn't because I didn't have the background for it, that it was over my head or too complex or written for an academic rather than a lay audience. I had to put it down after a few pages because life is too short. (Technically, I suppose I can only say that the first few pages are unreadably bad. Perhaps it gets better.)

Additionally, the set-up of the book, examining New York and London police development, feels forced. I started the book open to the idea, but attempt to make the case to link them is clumsy at best. It remains the story of two disparate elements.

I sincerely hope the author never reads this--I hate to be this mean--but if you have only a passing interest in this subject, if this isn't integral to your thesis or dissertation, don't read this book.