Customer Reviews

Conflict In Blue: Behind The Badge

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book was outstandingly written by a veteran police officer who experienced the "real" efforts made by police officers in LA and throughtout the United States.

Thanks.

I recently read CONFLICT IN BLUE. I've not before read a book with as much action & violence & the emotion that goes along with it. You get the feeling you know many of these guys and you understand the change in their personna as "time-on-the-job" jades even the strongest. The book displays how terribly fragile life is, and how miserable life can be for some. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Four stars easily.

G.Stewart

NOTE: THIS SHOULD BE A FOUR STAR REVIEW ~ I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY CHANGING MY ORIGINAL 3-STAR MOUSE CLICK.

Is this paperback special? Yes. Nearly four months after my initial reading I am still trying to put my finger on why this book is still so alive and vivid. The author has accomplished something unique. Almost every day my subconscious mind pulls me right back into the pulse of the story. The cover is closed but the chronicle is open! The scenes which were played out in my minds eye are as crisp today as they were during my initial reading. CONFLICT IN BLUE will take you on a journey. Within its pages you will grow intimately acquainted with the ever present conflict between light and darkness.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but not to the faint hearted.

Conflict in Blue is a gritty, intense police drama set in the dark alleyways of 1968 L.A. The book provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of toughened street cops faced with split-second, life-altering decisions.

Whitaker's writing style will grab you. I felt like I heard the humming of the Plymouth's engines, smelled the gunpowder and tensed when morally-bereft criminals emerged from the shadows. Whitaker put me right there. It's a great read - a phenomenal first offering for an up-and-coming author. I highly recommend it.

If you are looking for a real down and dirty, feel it in your gut, smell it in the air, crime drama experience, this is the book for you. This book made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, chapter after chapter. Nick McLean is the kind of cop you want to follow around and have at your back in times of trouble. This definitely feels like the real thing. Written by someone who's been there, done that. This ought to be a movie for sure.

Look out Stephen J. Cannell! This one's comin' right up your alley!

I'm a music composer, not a literary critic. Having said that, I've made my living for 40 years writing the music for over 6,000 hours of episodic television...most of those episodes were about cops and the legal system. I am certainly not an expert...but I do consider myself very informed on police and legal matters. I never would have expected that my friend from high school - Richard Whitaker, who became a LAPD cop would not only write a book that is correct in police terms...but also highly entertaining. And - that is exactly what he has accomplished. Believe me when I say that we are friends - but I would not lend my name to a glittering review of his work if I didn't really believe it. The truth is - I was blown away at how well crafted and entertaining this book is. If you enjoy cop stories - you will love this book!

MIKE POST

This was an awesome book and I have handed it out to all of my friends...I love the details of the book and the description that is given..I have read it twice.

In 1968 I was a police officer working the streets of Glendale, California (8 miles from downtown Los Angeles). This novel is an excellent book in that it contains quality written expression, but more important for me is that I related to the author's main character (Officer McLean) and to many of the incidents and happenings clearly and graphically described and defined in this book. Many memories of my 27 year law enforcement career with the City of Glendale, California came flooding back to me as I read this gripping book. I knew the author personally when he was a practicing L.A.P.D. officer and have had contact with him through the years. I am impressed with the high quality and character of this book. After I retired from my first career at GPD in 1991 I began a second career as a teacher in the field of Criminal Justice. For the past 11 years I have taught CJ courses for Southern Utah University. As an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice I intend to utilize this book as a "reader" supplemental textbook for the upper division CJ 4700 ("Police Systems and Practices") course at SUU. I believe this book will help the college student obtain a better feel and understanding of what policing the streets of a large metropolis was/is like. I know Richard has been working on this book for years. Congratulations on a work well done!

Thanks Richard,

Wayne D. Williams, Police Lieutenant (Retired)

I was an RTO (Radio Telephone Operator) for LAPD in 1968, so I had the privlege of assigning calls to, keeping the status of and at times being a life line for these "real men" cops that Richard describes in this wonderful and realistic book. The accurate and vivid descriptions of the police environment in the 60's, down to the decrepit station office furniture and coffee machines, brought back great memories. I felt like I knew all the characters and was sad when I finished the book...I will miss Nick McLean! I'm looking forward to a sequel.

Also, my dad was Captain Charlie Reese. I believe he would have loved reminscing about his absolute favorite assignment through this book.

Reading about him in your book helped me hear his voice and see his face again. Thank you, Richard, for portraying him as he was...a helluva man.

A great reminder of the sacrifices and challenges our police officers go through so we can live in relative peace and safety.