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Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets

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Author: David Simon
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Category: Book

List Price: ~~$18.00~~
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Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 672
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.3

ISBN: 0805080759
Dewey Decimal Number: 363.259520972526
EAN: 9780805080759
ASIN: 0805080759

Publication Date: August 22, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Like new condiiton, all pages intact w/o any marks or writing. Most items ships same day w/ FREE delivery confirmation. great Feedback!

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Editorial Reviews:

Amazon.com Review
This 1992 Edgar Award winner for best fact crime is nothing short of a classic. David Simon, a police reporter for the iBaltimore Sun/i, spent the year 1988 with three homicide squads, accompanying them through all the grim and grisly moments of their work--from first telephone call to final piece of paperwork. The picture that emerges through a masterful accumulation of details is that homicide detectives are a rare breed who seem to thrive on coffee, cigarettes, and persistence, through an endlessly exhausting parade of murder scenes. As the iWashington Post/i writes, "We seem to have an insatiable appetite for police stories.... David Simon's entry is far and away the best, the most readable, the most reliable and relentless of them all.... An eye for the scenes of slaughter and pursuit and an ear for the cadences of cop talk, both business and banter, lend Simon's account the fascination that truth often has."

Product Description
divdivbFrom the creator of HBO#8217;s iThe Wire/i, the classic book about homicide investigation that became the basis for the hit television show/b/divb/bdivbrThe scene is Baltimore. Twice every three days another citizen is shot, stabbed, or bludgeoned to death. At the center of this hurricane of crime is the city#8217;s homicide unit, a small brotherhood of hard men who fight for whatever justice is possible in a deadly world. /divdivbrDavid Simon was the first reporter ever to gain unlimited access to a homicide unit, and this electrifying book tells the true story of a year on the violent streets of an American city. The narrative follows Donald Worden, a veteran investigator; Harry Edgerton, a black detective in a mostly white unit; and Tom Pellegrini, an earnest rookie who takes on the year#8217;s most difficult case, the brutal rape and murder of an eleven-year-old girl. /divdivbrOriginally published fifteen years ago, iHomicide/i became the basis for the acclaimed television show of the same name. This new edition#8212;which includes a new introduction, an afterword, and photographs#8212;revives this classic, riveting tale about the men who work on the dark side of the American experience./div/div

Book Description
divdivdivdivThe scene is Baltimore. Twice every three days another citizen is shot, stabbed, or bludgeoned to death. At the center of this hurricane of crime is the city's homicide unit, a small brotherhood of hard men who fight for whatever justice is possible in a deadly world. brbrDavid Simon was the first reporter ever to gain unlimited access to a homicide unit, and this electrifying book tells the true story of a year on the violent streets of an American city. The narrative follows Donald Worden, a veteran investigator, Harry Edgerton, a black detective in a mostly white unit, and Tom Pellegrini, an earnest rookie who takes on the year's most difficult case, the brutal rape and murder of an eleven-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Baltimore is plagued by racial tensions and a drug epidemic, and the detectives often feel that the rising tide of chaos is about to swamp them completely. brbrOriginally published 15 years ago, iHomicide/i became the basis for the acclaimed television show of the same name. This new edition--which includes an introduction, an afterword, and photographs--revives a classic of its kind, a riveting tale about the men who work on the dark side of the American experience./div/div/div/div

Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...

5 out of 5 stars

Pretty close to perfect November 28, 2008
I've just re-read this after 10 years. Sometimes the lens of nostalgia distorts memory so as to make a good book great. br /br /Not the case here. Homicide is still the best account of urban America in decay; and the best 'police procedural' I have ever read, by such a wide margin as to render most comparisons meaningless. br /br /If you have enough interest to read the reviews, then you absolutely must read this book.br /

5 out of 5 stars

Great Book September 19, 2008
I'm only halfway through the book but I can already give it 5 stars. It's not really a tale where the ending matters, but more like a narrative of the day to day grind of being a homicide detective. The book has ruined my ability to watch Law and Order and similar shows as watching a show where murders are solved (seemingly one at a time) in a one hour show week after week seems silly now. David Simon is a great writer. I am also a big fan of "The Wire" television show.

5 out of 5 stars

Great book September 1, 2008
I had seen the the Homicide: Life on the Streets TV series before. Also was a big fan of David Simon's "The Wire".br /br /This is an excellent book and I am looking forward to reading his other book, The Corner.

5 out of 5 stars

Well written and very accessible, highly recommended June 5, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

I read this book after watching - several times over - David Simon's most recent work, The Wire. I have always been interested in detectives and was drawn by this book because it is non-fiction. As well as being a highly enjoyable read, I would say there were three main takeaways. First, the detailed first-hand account of actual cases and methods of investigation (including related disciplines such as interrogation, medical examination, ballistics, trace evidence, etc. as well as the legal processes and challenges that lead to conviction) have made me much more familiar with the actual process of solving murders. Second, a basic understanding of the structure and organization of a homicide unit within the police department and how the system is incentivized to solve crimes. Third, an appreciation of how these detectives - through late-night drinking sessions and office humor - manage to make their lives livable when they are not dealing with the darker side of their profession. Simon's first book is really special, I look forward to reading it again someday.

5 out of 5 stars

Like You Were There May 18, 2008
Homicide is one of the better of the crime reporting novels I have read. Simon was definitely at the top of his game.br /br /He manages to write the book with more of a novel feel then a biography of the people involved. Other similar books, such as 'Homicide Special' try for the same thing, but you still feel the writer in their presence. Simon makes the reader feel as if they are there without feeling that the writer is intruding on anything.br /br /The cases the officers work on are all interesting, and not all are slam dunks or even solvable. Many authors would feel a need to make their book have cases with endings. I applaud Simon for not giving in to that temptation.br /br /Baltimore definitely plays a role in this book, and you get a real feeling for the city. You can see in this book the seed that would eventually sprout the series 'Homicide'.br /br /If you are interested in detective work this is an excellent read. I highly recommend this book.

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