Any Joseph Wambaugh Fans?

[GRACE]

Anyone here read Joseph Wambaugh?

If so, do you have a favorite novel by him?

I just finished up FireLover and thought it was a great book.

My other faves include: Onion Field, Lines and Shadows, and Choirboys. Actually, all of his books are greeat but those are the ones that stick out in my mind!

[Urban Jedi]

Just read The Choirboys, and thought it was excellent.

Read The Onion Field a few years ago. Ditto.

Joseph Wambaugh is alluded to on numerous occasions in a book by Roger Graef called 'Talking Blues', published in about 1986 about the British police, so I thought I'd try some of his stuff. Very difficult to find in UK bookstores, though.

[Mack811]

I have read most of books and enjoy them all. I have old worn paperbacks in my shelf and as I get older and forget them I will read them again
I especially enjoy the true stories. "Lines and Shadows" is one of my favorites as is "The Onion Field".

[DMS 525]

I'm a big time Wambaugh fan. I've read a lot of his books, but need to get with it on a lot of his more recent writings. Echoes In The Darkness was awful eerie, but it had some hilarious parts in it.

I've read The New Centurions, The Black Marble, The Blue Knight, and Lines And Shadows.

[Don]

Up until Choirboys, I thought he was an upright dude. But when I saw rookies trying to live up to his choirboys crap, it turned me off completely.

I have no use for him, and I DO NOT think he is a friend to LE. He is far more interested in $$$ and he has abused his status as a retired cop.

[Sweet_Kate]

Living on the Mexico border "Lines and Shadows" is literally set in my backyard. Being in San Diego, I knew of or met a few of the characters in the book. As far as the rest of it, I agree with Don, he is way overblown.

Kate

[ateamer]

I like Wambaugh and have read most of his books. His later ones had more of a sense of humor; his earlier works, such as The Choirboys, reflected a burned-out, bitter cop. I frequently reread favorite passages from his books. He could get a little less imaginative with his characters' names though; they don't sound like real names. It's time for him to come out with a new novel.

[GRACE]

Don,

Choirboys was definitely a tough read BUT I hope that most rookies aren't like the folks he portrayed in the book.

I am not a cop so I can't really comment on his his relationship with current or former LEO's. I just think some of his true stories are really good.

His new book FireLover is the true story of John Orr. You California folks have probably heard about that case since it was in your backyards. I thought next to the Onion Fields it was a great book.

[Snoopy1]

I really liked The Onion Field. As to the others, I don't like so much sex in my reading material. That seems to be what sells books. People are so obsessed with it.

[Dave Cohen]

I think "The Blooding" was one of his best works. We see Wambaugh around SDPD occasionally. He's a major supporter of law enforcement fund-raising efforts for things like Widows & Orphans fund. "Lines and Shadows" is still very popular around here; some of the people featured in the book still work for the department.