As an ex-cop who writes, picking twenty of my favourite policing memoirs proved to be a tougher challenge than I expected. As a young PC, I was brought up on a diet of Harry Cole’s good humoured and honest reflections on life in the Met that included Policeman’s Lot and Policeman’s Progress, both of which are, sadly, out of print. These books were popular reading from a time when not many serving or retired police officers were minded to use their experiences and memories to create entertaining stories. That’s all changed. There are a lot of police writers now and a lot of police books. Policing has become a popular genre. Some are very original, some reproduce the type of canteen stories many from our world have heard hundreds of times before. Once in a while, no doubt in an attempt to cash in on the growing popularity of the genre, a police memoir emerges that can best be described as fantasy. None of those, I can assure you, will be listed here.

Amongst the best books to emerge in recent years are Blue by retired Chief Superintendent John Sutherland and Tango Juliet Foxtrot (TJF) by Iain Donnelly. Blue became a Sunday Times bestseller, TJF should have been and, if there is any justice, will be. Both are excellent insights into the reality of policing, not only revealing what cops actually do but also how they react and how exposure to repeated trauma can affect them.

Life as a chief officer of police is very different from that of a PC on the beat, investigating burglaries or dealing with are ever-increasing traffic problems, but it is nevertheless equally challenging. For me, three particular auto-biographies have captured what it really means to shoulder the responsibility of senior command. Not for the Faint-Hearted (Sir John Stevens) is one of the best-written and most popular but, more recently, I have had the pleasure of listening to two audio books, The Real Prime Suspect (Jackie Malton) and Kill The Black One First (Michael Fuller). The narration of Jackie’s book is excellent and, as one would hope from a professional narrator, beautifully read. In Michael Fuller’s case, he narrates himself and, for me, this personal touch brought an extra something to the account that made it all the more enjoyable. Well done, Michael!

Recently, I enjoyed reading Alice Vinten’s On the Line and Matt Calveley’s Cops and Horrors. Matt’s book describes a long career and contains some fascinating tales, Alice’s memoir is an enlightening, humane and informative account of the challenges faced by female officers, in particular. I Am Norwell Roberts (Norwell ‘Noz’ Roberts) offers a similar insight into the experiences of a black officer. I knew the author well, from our time together working at Kentish Town in North London. As a young crime squad detective, Noz was my supervising Detective Sergeant. He was and will always remain a hero of mine and someone I respect immensely. His story is worthy of inclusion on every reader’s bookshelf. 

For an insight into policing away from the city, Now Then Lad, Tales of a country bobby (Mike Pannett) transports the reader away from the hustle and bustle of urban life into a slower, more idyllic environment that still has its particular policing needs and where this author excels at describing them in a style that is as informative as it is entertaining. Mike is an experienced author now with several books published, and it shows.

I have a particular interest in the memoirs of cops who have been at the sharp end for many years. They’ve been there, done it, and earned the right to wear the T shirt. What they describe can sometimes make for harrowing reading, and they take the reader into a world that few get to see. Among the best I have read from cops who have spent their lives at the sharp end are Lethal Force (Tony Long), and A Force Like No Other (Colin Breen). Tony’s book was a particularly interesting book as it goes into detail about his experience of ‘gripping the rail’ in the dock at the Old Bailey following a shooting incident he was involved in. Not an experience any firearms officer would wish to go through but one they all know is a possibility that could result from the incredible job they do.

On the subject of firearms officers and their training, The Trojan Files (Roger Gray) was another good read, although like Harry Cole’s books, it is also out of print. I would also spare a special mention to the independently published Firearms and Fatals (Harry Tangye) and The really FUNNY thing about being a COP (Malky McEwan) both of which enable the reader to learn about contemporary issues facing the modern-day police officer. Harry’s book is packed with valid experience and opinion, Malky’s is a hilariously entertaining account of policing in Scotland. Both are worth a read. 

Although it seems only yesterday, thirty years have passed since I sat down in the Detective Training wing at Hendon police training college with around twenty aspiring hostage negotiators to listen to a talk by Gary Noesner, then head of the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit. I was as enthralled by Gary’s talk as my colleagues and soon understood why the Met had flown him to the UK so we could learn from him. His book Stalling for Time has become a classic that offers a candid and fascinating insight into this mysterious world.

When it comes to true crime, there are three books that, in recent times, have really captured my interest. The first is Who Killed Daniel Morgan by Alistair Morgan and Peter Jukes. I was asked to interview Alistair and Peter for the Crime Cymru Literary Festival last year and read their book in preparation. It enthralled me, appalled me and embarrassed me. The Met, in all honesty, doesn’t exactly emerge from this book with flying colours. Nonetheless, it’s a gripping read. The police service fairs rather better in Manhunt, the murder of Millie Dowler (Colin Sutton) an adaptation of which was screened on UK television, and Babes in the Wood (Graham Bartlett and Peter James) the story of the deaths of Karen Hadaway and Nicola Fellows and the eventual conviction of Russell Bishop for their murders. 

My desert island choice? That would be Stalling for Time (Gary Noesner). Gary’s talk changed my thinking and the way I look at people and life. His book is just as powerful. Maybe start with it, and read the others too. All are worthy of your time.