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This book was written in a very interesting way. First, Wambaugh set up the mystery of the "dead body" at the choir practice. He then describes all of the players in detail during the book while you, the reader, get to guess who ends up being that "dead body." The answer, revealed at the end, is a surprise.

At first, I thought that the "choir practices" as described by Wambaugh were over the top. But then I recall my Marine Corps days and remember some rather wild times myself. There used to be a bar in El Centro (CA) that I used to go to at night and it had a backyard to it with old dilapitated lawn chairs and we'd take our drinks out there and lie around under the stars, getting, well, pretty much getting "swacked" as Wambaugh would put it. There were even a couple of local women who hung around the place who could well have been persuaded to "pull the train" on us.

There are many similarities between military life and law enforcement. You got your phoney-baloney inspections that basically exist for the brass to feel important and superior as they stroll through the ranks, nitpicking here and there. Many of the younger officers are incompetent and just horrible dealing with the rank and file, similar to how Lieutenant Finque is portrayed. Of course, there are plenty of seasoned vets like Sergeant Yanov that help them save face by acting as middleman. In the military as in the LA police department, it's the line sergeants that actually get things done (while the brass take all the credit).

The character of Dean Pratt ("Whaddaya Mean Dean") was hilarious. I actually knew some Marines who were very much like that character. I knew some Roscoe Rules types too. In fact, all the characters in this book reminded me of somebody I knew in the Marines. In particular, I remember a Marine (Gunnery Sergeant) who lived in the enlisted barracks because he didn't have a nickel to his name. He was paying off 2-ex wifes and supporting five children between them - very much like Spermwhale Whalen (great name, by the way). I always wondered how it was possible for the man, who was maybe making $1200 a month (and this was in the early 1980s), to support two families. In fact, this Gunnery Sergeant was reduced in rank just before I got discharged for "conduct unbecoming." Seems the officer of the day found him passed out drunk on the barracks pool table at 4AM.

The Los Angeles Police Department as portrayed by Joseph Wambaugh is a far cry from how it was portrayed on that 1960s show "Adam-12"!

I liked the part near the end where the D

If you liked "The Choirboys" you'd really like "The Delta Star" Same author about a decade later.

All the best

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The Los Angeles Police Department as portrayed by Joseph Wambaugh is a far cry from how it was portrayed on that 1960s show "Adam-12"!

I wonder if Wambaugh wrote his book partly in reaction to the "Adam-12" show.

I liked the part near the end where the D

Huh? I think your sentence got cut off. It reminds me of when I do an impression of singing the theme tune of Sound Of Music: "THE HILLS ARE A..."

I liked the part near the end where the D

Huh? I think your sentence got cut off. It reminds me of when I do an impression of singing the theme tune of Sound Of Music: "THE HILLS ARE A..."

I'm wondering if stuff like this can happen only on an American police force because of our national eccentricities. Somehow I can't imagine something like this on a Swiss police force.