Joseph Wambaugh
Author of The Onion Field
About the Author
Writer Joseph Wambaugh was born in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on January 22, 1937. He joined the Marines right out of high school, but later earned both a B. A. and M. A. from California State College in Los Angeles. He worked for the Los Angeles Police Department from 1960 to 1974. His first show more novel was The New Centurions (1971) and several subsequent novels have been award winners. The Onion Field won an Edgar Award (1984), and Lines and Shadows won the Rodolfo Walsh Prize from the International Association of Crime Writers (1989). He has worked creatively on several film and television projects, including Police Story, The Black Marble, The Choirboys and The Blue Knight. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Series
Works by Joseph Wambaugh
Joseph Wambaugh: 4 Complete Novels Includes Blue Knight, Black Marble, New Centurions and Choirboys (1988) 29 copies
four complete novels 2 copies
The onion field : screenplay 2 copies
Korgossarna. D. 2 1 copy
A cena do crime 1 copy
The Smoke Jumpers 1 copy
Momci iz zbora 1 copy
Der Deltastern 1 copy
La noche del fugitivo 1 copy
Associated Works
In the Shadow of the Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe (2009) — Contributor — 179 copies, 3 reviews
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Birthdate
- 1937-01-22
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- USA
- Birthplace
- East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
- Places of residence
- East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA (birth)
Los Angeles, California, USA - Education
- Chaffey College
California State University, Los Angeles - Occupations
- novelist
police officer
policeman
soldier - Organizations
- US Marine Corps
Los Angeles Police Department - Awards and honors
- MWA Grand Master (2004)
Members
Reviews
Lists
Awards
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Statistics
- Works
- 39
- Also by
- 3
- Members
- 10,108
- Popularity
- #2,349
- Rating
- 3.7
- Reviews
- 169
- ISBNs
- 462
- Languages
- 13
- Favorited
- 15
This is the true story of two robbers, Gregory Powell and Jimmy Smith, who kidnap policemen Karl Hettinger and Ian Campbell and subsequently kill Officer Campbell. Officer Hettinger goes through a harrowing escape. The killers are quickly arrested and the book details their journey through the court system. It also deals with the lasting impact of that terrible night on Karl Hettinger.
What struck me most powerfully was the total lack of support Officer Hettinger received from the police force. He got no counselling and was even openly blamed for the death of his partner. We watch him go through what we now know as PTSD with no support and with devastating consequences for his mental health.
Contrast that with the way Messrs Powell and Smith were given multiple opportunities to assert their innocence and/or reduce their initial sentences of death. While they were arrested pre-Miranda, the new standard was applied to their cases on appeal. The death penalty was abolished in California while Mr. Powell was on death row, so he avoided that verdict. While they were not coddled by the system. it nonetheless paid much more attention to their rights than to the needs of Karl Hettinger.
Joseph Wambaugh was a cop before he was an author and it shows in his treatment of this story, and in the way he helped develop the then-new genre of true crime. Still a worthwhile read after all this time.
P.S. Don't skip the introduction by James Ellroy. Probably the best introduction to a book I've even read.… (more)