True Blue: Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them [Hardcover]

Randy Sutton (Author), Cassie Wells (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2004

After September 11, 2001 Las Vegas Police Sergeant Randy Sutton began soliciting writing from law enforcement officers-his goal being to bridge the gap between the police and those they serve, with a book that offers a broad and thoughtful look at the many facets of police life. Hundreds of active and former officers responded from all over the United States: men and women from big cities and small towns, some who had written professionally, but most for the first time. Sutton culled the selections into five categories: The Beat, Line of Duty, War Stories, Officer Down, and Ground Zero.

The result is True Blue, a collection of funny, charming, exciting, haunting stories about murder investigations, missing children, bungling burglars, car chases, lonely and desperate shut-ins, routine traffic stops, officers killed in the line of duty, and the life-changing events of September 11. Here, officers reveal their emotions-fear and pride, joy and disgust, shame and love-as they recount the defining moments of their careers. In these stories, the heart and soul behind the badge shines through in unexpected ways. True Blue will change the way we think about the deeply human realm of police service.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

"We live in the worst twenty minutes of someone else's life," writes a cop, exemplifying the honesty and directness that characterize this book. Sutton, a detective in the Las Vegas Police Department, invited cops across the U.S. to write about themselves in such a way as to answer this question: "How can we show who we really are to citizens and cops alike?" The collection that resulted houses 51 responses, roughly divided into five categories: "Line of Duty," "The Beat," "War Stories," "Officer Down," and "Ground Zero: Stories of 9/11." No story is longer than 10 pages. Many are heartrending, especially the accounts of 9/11. Some are hilarious, like the way a cop convinced a nutcase that he had gotten rid of the space aliens infesting his house. All demonstrate that cops, who have reason to reflect on their experiences, are wonderful philosophers and storytellers. Connie Fletcher
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"If you want to enter hearts and minds of the men and women sworn to protect us, read True Blue. These intimate episodes, written by the law officers who lived them, are funny, sad, moving and powerful. With proceeds going to those law enforcement families who lost a hero on 9/11, everybody should own this memorable book."
--Joseph Wambaugh, author of The Onion Field and Fire Lover

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312324812
• ISBN-13: 978-0312324810
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,261,984 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME!!!!, February 8, 2004

By 

Tom K. (Madison, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Blue: Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them (Hardcover)

As a law enforcement student I read as many of these types of books as possible. "TRUE BLUE" is by far the best... I couldn't put it down! The stories in the book are mesmerizing and because they are true and written by "real" cops makes this book a great read for anybody who wants to know the reality of police work and the dedication put forth in this profession. And as a double bonus..I found out that the proceeds from the sale of the book go to New York City 9-11 survivors fund. BUY THIS BOOK!!!

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars amazing, February 9, 2004

By 

Mary C Martin (Sitka, AK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: True Blue: Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them (Hardcover)

Thank you to all who took the time to share with us the true, happy, sad, fearful and amazing lives of a police officer. I would have never realized the powerful jobs that each of you carry trying to protect us, everyday. Special thanks to Ray Majeski, Sitka, AK, for signing my book for my daughter Hillary--the first one that he signed. Seems he still touching the lives of others, even when he is no longer a police officer. Mary

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Often Sensitive Side of Police Officers, June 1, 2005

By 

Michael L. Slavin "HardBopper" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: True Blue: Police Stories by Those Who Have Lived Them (Mass Market Paperback)

The author has put together an excellent collection of true police short stories from around the country. By my count there are 55 different contributors included. Most of the stories are just several pages in length so that makes for quick reading. As might be expected the quality of the writers is somewhat uneven. Frequently there are quite dramatic events being recounted that certainly maintain the readers attention. All in all--quite an interesting read.