Blue Blood, by Edward Conlon

I have the utmost respect for those that risk their lives for others. When I came across this autobiography of a Harvard educated cop working in the Bronx, I was compelled to pick it up. While a bit long and repetitive at times, the story lines are captivating and I found this hard to put down. Even though our lives are nothing alike, I felt a connection to the author; the familiar style in which it is written gives the feeling that if I ran into him we could have a beer together. This isn’t some distant person writing a history for the ages, but a guy telling his life story to his family.

Being a nearly 700 page tome, Conlon discusses a wide range of topics. We get the tale of how he went from Harvard to the police academy along with the stories of his father (an FBI agent) and his grandfather (a corrupt cop). We get the history of the NYPD and the Bronx. We get the French Connection case and the Serpico case. We get an inside look at the tedium of police work and the thrill of an arrest. We get political hassle and incompetent leadership, and true heroes and the forging of brothers-in-arms. We get the stories of junkies, dealers, thugs, and informants along with a NYPD cop’s experience during 9-11. But mostly, we get thoroughly entertained and a large sense of respect for the badge and those that proudly wear it.

First Sentence:

As I tok my first steps on patrol as a New York City police officer, heading out from the precinct onto East 156 Street toward the projects on Courtlandt Avenue in the South Bronx, a deep voice called out, “There’s a new sheriff in town!”