an excellent book

More Wambaugh magic with the pen. Great writer.

Awsome, plain and simple!

True Wambaugh. A good read from start to finish.

Great book, True story . . . .Read it. . . .

Read this a long time ago but still enjoy the skill of Wambaugh in his current novels.

Excellent book

This was a great, great book when I read it yrs. ago! A must read, from all perspectives. One of my criminal justice class academy instructors way back when, Mitch Smith, was one of the officers who responded to the initial scene, out in that field. He said it was really a terrible crime, that the officer who survived was often ostracized & criticized by his fellow LEOs. Mitch also said this surviving officer ended up spending time in a hospital for psychiatric reasons. No one from this crime or police dept. was ever the same again.

Excellent account of terror...a must read for anyone not just law enforcement. This is by far Wambaugh's best.

Definitely a great book, along with the rest of Wambaugh's work.

Should be required reading at the Academy

Joseph Wambaugh is a great writer of Police stories. The Onion Field is my favorite of his non fiction books. His fictiion writing is outstanding.

Great book a must read.

Very good book, a must read.

I read this book years ago...it is great!!!

We studied this story in the academy. Unfortunately, about a year after graduation, one of our fellow officers found himself in a similar situation where he was forced a gunpoint (shotgun to the head) to give up his weapon. He did give up his weapon, and luckily he was not injured and the suspects were caught (later). Of course, his decision was praised and critized with a 50/50 decision. You really can't say what you are going to do unless you are in that position...read this book and you will develop your own convictions.

Must read

A riveting account based on a true story about the murder of LAPD officers. Wambaugh at his best.

Read the book after I saw the movie many years ago. Great book, very well written. Must read for LEO's.

Outstanding read. Rest in Peace LAPD Officer Ian Campbell

Great Book !!! A must read!!

Agreat true crime story from the master "cop" writer Joseph Wambaugh. Giving all the details of the death of Officer Ian James Campbell and the resulting survivors guit of Officer Karl Hettinger (Before it was known there was even such a thing). Hettinger who gave up his gun was made to feel a coward by fellow officer and the admistration and was made a scapegoat for Campbell's deat (in MHO). The book is a quick read that you'll have trouble putting down. Made into a movie in 1979, the movie stays pretty true to the actual story and does not gloss over Hettinger's troubles after the incident. A book every cop should read.

As with most movies, they do not do the book justice. I must say, I was very impressed with both. I read the book in one day and have read it several more times over the years. Although this tragedy occurred in 1963, there are lessons still today to be learned from it. Mr. Wambaugh took his experience as a veteran police officer and told this story as only a cop could.

This was an interesting book for me as it happened out side of where i live and i even met the officer that survived. He ran for city council or soemthing in Bakersfield.....He was a very nice man....

I read this book so long ago and loved it. I consider it a great read and a classic. If you get a chance watch the movie with James Woods in it. What the surviving officer goes through is heart wrenching. I also highly recommend 'The Blue Mable', same author.

This was mandatory reading for us in the academy. Written well. I liked the book more than the movie. This story changed theories about weapons in law enforcement. This is where saying, "Never give up your weapon," came from. Wambaugh had a lot of great books.

Excellent Book, This would be a good book,if it was fiction. Unfortunately, It's all true.

Good book. Couldn't put it down.

One of his best.

I agree this is a very good book. I as well think everyone should read this book.

I had the misfortune of having to read this on a tight schedule for a class. While I enjoy Wambaugh's writing style, and the story- sad though it may be... I didn't like it. I'm not even sure what is was exactly that made me really glad when I was done with it, but I was.

Very good. Very sad. Read this while in the academy. Based on a true story this book will keep you drawn in until the end.

Excellent