Midnights: A Year with the Wellfleet Police (A Ruminator Find) (Paperback)

by Alec Wilkinson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Enthralling and thoroughly entertaining. -- Gentleman's Quarterly

His reporter's eye for detail is omnivorous...ear for voices is fine and precise and his perceptions of and compassion for his fellow officers are profound. Never patronizing, never amused at their expense; he portrays them as they are: underpaid, underappreciated rural Americans struggling to make it from day to day. -- New York Times Book Review

Midnights portrays the voices and routines of believable men... he conveys his experiences with wisdom and sophistication. -- Chicago Tribune, Sunday, May 14, 2000

Product Description
"When I was twenty-three years old, five months out of college, with a degree in music, and without any idea of what to do with myself, I took a job as a policeman in Wellfleet, Massachusetts, and resolved to stay with it for a year because I thought it would do me good. I was lonely much of the time, as well as scared, surprised, excited, embarrassed, self-righteous, and many other things, too. I spent hours at a stretch hoping nothing serious would happen when I was working alone; I never quite shook the feeling that I was a fraud; and on several occasions, when it all seemed to be too much, I meant to quit, but I never did." --Alec Wilkinson

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Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Ruminator Books (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1886913323
• ISBN-13: 978-1886913325
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #675,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cape Cod Cop: a.k.a. Officer "Crash", August 10, 2000

By	Jonathan A. Smith (Hudson, MA USA) - See all my reviews

I won't tell you why Alec Wilkinson was given the dubious nickname of "Crash" while he served on the Wellfleet Police force. You'll have to read the book to try and figure that one out! What I can tell you is that Midnights is one of the most amusing true stories I have ever read. It's like a real-life Mayberry.. Barney Fife and all! Originally published in 1982, Wilkinson describes his personal experiences as a small town cop on Cape Cod. Fresh out of college with a music degree, he was looking for work in the summer of '75. Wilkinson gave law enforcement a try. So what if he had no police training! As you will read, it was one bizarre summer and off-season that followed. Memorable too. And Wilkinson candidly recounts his year with the men in blue, often with sidesplitting humor! It's no wonder why this comical gem is back in print.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining look at small town police work, January 8, 2004

By	T. Gower (Harwich, MA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I have long enjoyed Alec Wilkinson's work in the New Yorker, so it was a treat to discover "Midnights." It's a marvelous read. Wilkinson's style is spare and elegant, and his candor about his shortcomings as a cop makes for some hilarious moments. I plan to buy a copy for my policeman brother-in-law, but anyone will enjoy this fine book.

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting and literate book, January 23, 2007

By	Dan Bogaty "Mr. Congeniality" - See all my reviews

MIDNIGHTS is a well-written and interesting account of the author's year as a small town policeman, a job for which he was not ideally suited. Mr. Wilkinson gives the reader insight into not only his own point of view, but presents the reader with a look at the police skills and personality of each of his co-workers (as noted, it was a small force). The book is, while not laugh-out-loud funny, gently humorous and the author does not take himself overly seriously. This book is insightful and is well worth reading.