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paulh1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Had this for years, putting off reading as I loved the TV show but it is as good, probably better. I recognised traits, stories, characters. An important book but a great read too.
book_concierge's review against another edition
2.0
Baltimore police were followed for an entire year, resulting in this nonfiction book. The writing is uneven, and not compelling. I found myself skimming. It's 600+ pages long and only about 250 of them captured my attention.
loujoseph's review against another edition
5.0
One half of his case, made most full in The Wire, that the institutions that either serve you or that you serve will betray you, and that individuals matter less and less every day..
Also like The Wire, it's incredibly well written and a compelling read, with fully fleshed out characters and scenarios that rival most fiction I've read.
Also like The Wire, it's incredibly well written and a compelling read, with fully fleshed out characters and scenarios that rival most fiction I've read.
euzie's review
4.0
While i enjoyed it, and you can't fault the level of detail and research behind this book, i just stopped caring. Somewhere around September
hieronymusbotched's review against another edition
5.0
Do you like The Wire? Does even reading those two words in that order make you froth at the mouth in anticipation of high-quality insights into the Jenga tower of modern law and order? Do swear words still have any kind of novelty in your mind?
Read this.
Read this.
mxdx1974's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
narzack's review against another edition
3.0
This is one of those weird books where it's very, very good, but it's hard to say that I it. It's a rough read, especially when you tell yourself that it's all true, and it's not just a piece of crime fiction. And, he doesn't really sugar coat the relationships between the police and the community, and he doesn't really excuse the incidents of police brutality. He also gives a good glimpse into the political workings of law enforcement and legalities, which definitely can illuminate a lot of the current problems with our legal system.
I think the only real issue I have with it is that there are so many characters that sometimes it can be hard to keep track of them all.
I think the only real issue I have with it is that there are so many characters that sometimes it can be hard to keep track of them all.