Customer Reviews

Dreams in Blue: "The Real Police"

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
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2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

So often taken for granted, police throughout our nation help to maintain order and sanity in "civilized" society. They risk their lives every single day for people whom they will likely never meet, all to preserve peace. They see things people should never have to see and face situations people should never have to face. All while asking nothing more in return than a modest paycheck.
Dreams In Blue: The Real Police chronicles the real life career and experiences of one such policeman. The stories are chilling, inspiring and all the more poigniant because they are true. The reader is afforded a rare "fly on the wall" perspective of police work that gives a heightened appreciation for what it means "To protect and serve". Do yourself a favor and buy this one. You won't regret it.

Richard Neal Huffman stepped out of the TV of his childhood, and began walking then, in his daily reality, in the footsteps of his super heroes. Though some of Huffman's steps fell far and hard, he kept walking, kept defending, even now, 58 years hence.

This true story needed to be told and needs to be read. It was written in a clean, direct style which had me reading easily, comprehending without effort, wanting to return to read after being away only a few minutes.

Even having been married to a policeman for many years, I learned more from this story than I knew or had experienced about the life of a policeman, more of what I wanted to know, what I felt honored to know.

I am thankful to Amazon for many things, including opportunities in which to develop my profession as a writer; including various services to customers to communicate opinions to each other and to the public on products purchased; including product availability of items I need and can't get as easily locally, or elsewhere.

After reading this story I can say that I'm more thankful to Amazon for one thing over the others noted above. I'm thankful to have been able to find, read, and review the books I have from authors who believed in their work so much, they paid to have their books published. This book, DREAMS IN BLUE, has solidified that appreciation for Amazon being the only easily accessible, viable place in which I could have discovered this book and bought it, in the Super Saver Shipping category, no less. After reading DREAMS IN BLUE, my conclusion has become concrete that I've discovered more rare gems among the offerings of POD's like Publish America, Book Surge, Author House, etc., than among the established NYC Houses. I do not mean to disparage those houses or books; I mean only to elevate POD offerings as they deserve to be in the currently quirky and queue challenged market place.

This true story needed to be told and needs to be read. Yes, I've purposely repeated that statement from my above paragraph.

This is a man who didn't stop at reading and watching movies about super heroes coming to the rescue of the timid or weak, against those who brutally and repeatedly bullied them. This man dedicated himself to defending people in harm's way, from his childhood days through adulthood, in his personal and professional life. His stories accounting this walk reached beyond my heart, into my soul and will do that to most if not all who read it. One qualification, however: Please read this story from page one, in order, and slowly. To use any other method might allow a reader to draw inaccurate conclusions about "The Real Police." This story deserves any reader's apt and orderly attention.

In his introduction, Huffman writes: >>...so that people can better appreciate what the police do on a daily basis.<< He expressed that "daily basis" with refreshingly simply clarity, more so than any other police novel or true crime book I've read. Again, I don't mean to downplay the others; I'm merely expressing my opinion of the unique value in this account.

I had forgotten how underfunded most police agencies are, and how much this lack is increased in many small towns:

>> In stark contrast (to the City Hall in the same building), the police department was housed in a section that, back in the fifties and sixties, had been used by the fire department. During the time that the fire department used the building the floor had a drain so the fire trucks could be washed. The floor became impregnated with oil from leaky seals on the fire trucks. As a result, the carpet that was installed for the police department, later became discolored in spots from the oil working its way back to the surface. The carpet always appeared dirty because of the oil stains.... Many of the (ceiling) tiles were missing or broken, exposing a tangle of electrical wires running this way and that. Some of the tiles were discolored from leaks in the roof, a problem that was not only cosmetic but dangerous, since water and electric does not mix well.... Our two police vehicles were Chevy Novas with too many miles on them, both ran good but were in constant need of repair.... Generally speaking the night shift would get between three and ten complaints during the shift. Now that appears a small number, but when one complaint, such as a serious accident or someone stabbed, or shot, happened, then eight hours was just not enough. Mostly however, it was responding to domestic situations, a report of theft or vandalism a landlord tenant dispute, a disorderly person or a reckless driver. <<

I had known first-hand how these men felt to be in a patrol car alone at night, with backup sometimes a half-hour away in the distance. My husband was a deputy for Multmomah County Sheriff's Office, which protected the large rural county surrounding Portland, Oregon. Those deputies didn't run with partners; each vehicle was manned by a lone deputy, but there were other deputies and Portland police officers actively "out there" somewhere. In a small town like Bangor, Michigan, a single deputy would sometimes be alone in the city, the solitary law enforcement, except when an auxiliary or reserve officer would ride along or have their radios tuned.

This story lived up to its title perfectly, and it does so much more than that. "This is my story," means something here. Something I am thankful to have read. Something you will be thankful to read.

Thank you Richard Neal Huffman, for making it through the other side of throat cancer to write and publish this story. And, my thanks also to your family. I know how it feels to be on their side.

Thank you Amazon, for assisting authors like this to be discovered and read. That service is close to being equal to the one given by men like this author.

Possibly nothing rises above the service of a human being who steps far enough out of his boundaries of safety to rescue someone within the clutches of a bully, when that victim is not able to defend himself. Some people seem to be born to defend.

This hero will not go unsung. Read this clear voice singing as one, in DREAMS IN BLUE "The Real Police." Read it before the chorus comes. I'm proud to be among the first. This man, this story, deserves to be read.

Bless you and your family, Officer Huffman.

Linda Shelnutt

Highly recommend this book to people who enjoy real life stories written as they occurred from a police perspective but without a police bias.

I first heard of this book in 2006 and have always wanted to read it, but never got around to it until now. The wait was well worth it!

Dreams in Blue: "The Real Police" is an entertaining, educational read that takes the reader inside the police departments of Smalltown America of yesteryear. Author Richard Neal Huffman takes us with him as he patrols the streets in and around Bangor, Michigan.

I was fascinated by Huffman's accounting of how and why he chose police work as his career after serving in Vietnam, and was touched by his motivation and honest way of handling each individual situation. This story serves up the bitter with the sweet as he records not only the crimes he handled but the liberties he took in applying his honest brand of justice. Some of his ways were humorous as he had much more freedom to do things "his way" in those days. In today's stricter environment, he would be called "on the carpet" for not following "proper police procedure." Those were the days where cops could be "real men" and stand up for their principles.

This is an easy, relaxing read because Huffman writes in a chronological, orderly manner as he details the crimes that he handled and weaves his personal family history into the story. By the time I finished the book I felt like I knew him and his family.

He relates story after story of crimes committed--both misdemeanors and felonies--with some of them being very similar in nature. Most were average, everyday crimes in today's world: burglary, drunk-in-public, assault, car theft, rape and spousal abuse. Some were deadly serious, while others, such as a man being nude in public, were humorous.

Since Huffman worked for small-town forces, he knew many of the criminals for years and was surprised that certain ones turned to crime, but actually expected it of others. As I stated above, some of the stories were similar, which made them seem repetitious and dry at times...identical situations only with different names of the perps.

This is not an exciting, page-turner book; the pace is not "spot on" or geared for that--as it would be if this were fiction--but it's an entertaining, fun read that I enjoyed immensely.

I deducted one star because the story lacks momentum in some places and there are grammatical errors. Since the author admits he wrote the book so that his "children and their children might know something about their dad and grandpa," I think it serves its purpose admirably. Truthfully, IMO, it goes much further than that: it depicts the life of a cop in realistic detail that helps the reader understand and appreciate good cops like Huffman...and disrespect the bad ones he writes about.

Huffman went on to serve on the city council and when he was elected mayor, he got a dose of "dirty politics" in the most unexpected way. To learn more about that, I recommend you read the book.

I admire Huffman and am pleased to have "met" a good, honest, dedicated cop like him!

I highly recommend this book. A fine reading adventure! I also read his exciting novel Rubal about a Civil War soldier who has a strange battlefield experience that changes his life forever. I hope he continues writing as I would enjoy reading more of his works.

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis, August 2009
author of "Dream Reachers" (with Chase Von)

Book Review: Dreams in Blue by Richard Neal Huffman

People today don't wonder why the show "Cops" was one of the longest running Television series in the United States. The show needed no scripts, no music (besides its infamous theme song) and no narration. Filming of incident after incident coupled with commentary from the Law Enforcement Professionals on the job perfectly sufficed. Unlike today with the litany of "reality" shows that plagues our televisions every evening; the idea of filming "reality" was revolutionary. Unlike today's "reality" shows (notice the parentheses, as most of these programs are carefully set up by producers and directors, and therefore far from resemble the everyday in society) COPS was filming what was actually going on in the shift to shift lives of Law Enforcement Professionals. This gave the ordinary citizen a window into the lives and struggles of our people in law enforcement. The show, as well as the use of video in general, also gave law enforcement a great learning and training tool; this tool could prove to be revolutionary to law enforcement today. It is no wonder to us today why such a show was so successful. Being able to witness the behaviors of people of which the law enforcement profession was designed to handle, and the struggles of the professionals who work in such an environment, is incredibly interesting and compelling for everyone.

The book, Dreams in Blue: "The Real Police by Richard Neal Huffman would prove to take its readers much deeper than a video camera could go. Unlike most of the police TV programs, accounts that are generally taken from largely populated areas, Huffman's writing takes you deep inside small town America. Small, quaint little towns that most people would drive through and think, "what a nice, quiet, and peaceful place," if they thought anything at all. Sadly, as evident in this book, no place where people inhabit is problem free. The derelicts of humankind exist everywhere.

The average citizen is not equipped, either mentally or physically, to deal with these derelicts. That is why even the smallest of towns have law enforcement coverage; and usually the coverage they do have isn't enough. The small town departments usually aren't operating 24 hours, and are usually understaffed and underfunded. This leaves people like Richard Huffman to be the street cop, the detective, the crime scene investigator, the SWAT cop, and the liaison to the public. Small town cops, even today, are your "Bill Hickocks" and "Wyatt Erps" of society. They have to be everything to the town in which they work. They work in environments where backup may be anywhere from two minutes to a half an hour away. In such environments, and with such duties, the ways in which problems are solved and situations are handled are far different then what you see from large city video footage.

Richard Huffman takes you inside this world; the world of the small town cop. This is a world where most video based television shows haven't ventured. He introduces you to people, situations, and a culture that is both interesting and unique from anything else you might read. He takes you on a journey from his life as a laborer from a sharecropping family, to his life as a military man during Vietnam, to his life on the streets as a law enforcement professional. He ends his tale from his journey into the political arena where he served as mayor, to his quiet retirement. He takes you not only into the environment of small town law enforcement, and not only into his personal journey in the profession, but he takes you to a place where cameras can't go: into the mind and emotions of someone in the profession.

This is a place that the cop reality shows can't take you. It is easy to sit behind a television screen and watch an incident with detachment. It is challenging if not impossible to get into the officer's mind and heart. Dreams in Blue takes you there. With his Hemingway-isk style of prose, Huffman takes on that seemingly impossible journey. You don't witness these incidents from a bird's eye or camera view. Through this book, you feel what it would be like to be there yourself, possibly having to handle such incidents that plague small town America. Incidents that may range from dealing with community relations or driving the town drunk home to the situations involving the violent criminal, the rapist or child molester, or the murderer. Are you prepared to not only witness, but feel what it would be like to have to deal with such circumstances?

Purchase Dreams in Blue: "The Real Police," and go on a journey with Richard Neal Huffman that you will never forget. It will change the way you look at your small town cop, and it will revolutionize the way in which you view our society. Get into the mind and heart of a "real" policeman. You'll be happy that you did.

Paul Janulis

I just finished reading Dreams in Blue and I have to say I could not put it down. My father authored this brilliant peice of work and I have been telling everyone about it because I am so proud of what he has accomplished as well as the fact that it was a great book! I found it to be humorous and frightening at times. The writing moved quickly enough to not be boring and yet slow enough to paint a picture of what was going on. This was my father and I never realized what danger he put himself through every day and what he fought for. This book has truly opened my eyes to the things that were going on as I grew up and they weren't pretty. My father protected us from the "bad guys" and made our town as safe as he could, all the while keeping his humor and good spirit about him. I recommend this book to all those who really want to know what it is like to dedicate yourself to protecting the world around us, even in a small town there are people that are working to hurt people around them and my father along with all the brave police workers are there to prevent them from doing just this. Good job Dad! I am so proud of you! I can't wait to pass this on to my daughter and tell her what a wonderful grandfather she had!
Jenny

I was captured by the title, "Dreams in Blue" and thought that I was going to learn about the author growing up with aspirations of being in law enforcement, then fulfilling his dreams and motivating others to follow their dreams. Maybe even put some myths to rest that he thought were true but learned weren't. Basically I thought it would be something of a motivational journey through the eyes of the author. This was not the case! While reading, I felt a sense of anger coming from him, especially when he goes off topic and brings up his political service and the mudslinging that took place on the city board. I felt like I was reading a tabloid account and was completely turned off by the book at this point. It seemed that a generally well conceived idea to put a career choice into words turned into an angry letter to the editor in book form. I would have been more interested in reading this if he would have taken out all the rants and left in his experiences related to the topic.

Dreams in Blue: "The Real Police"This is an Exceptional Book.I could not put it down.I agree with his views on the system.The stories he tells are edge of your seat,Thrilling.. to see if he catches the bad guy,Hoping he doesnt get shot or just listening to his routine traffic stops.It's like your in the car with him.You cant believe this is what cops deal with everyday.They are Heros in every since.He has lived an amazing life,He Helped alot of People,and was wronged by so many,When they should have been thanking Him.He told his Story so excellent in this Book.