Conlon is a NYC cop who also went to Harvard. I am sure his experiences in the NYPD were likely much more interesting than the abysmally edited version here reveals. ( )

Wonderful, insightful book. Nice flowing writing, funny, sad, all the right notes.

Love his passage about "paint"..... ( )

An exceptional book about a "man in blue" in the Bronx. This book was written and published before "Blue Bloods" appeared on television. And although there are some similarities, the book and the tv show are two separate entities. Most of the book was an enlightening and good read. I say "most" because the author didn't spare the pen in complaining about a certain unnamed few of his superiors. But then again, the book is fact and not fiction. ( )

Conlon's writing was very good, and the subject matter was mostly interesting, but this book really could have used an editor. A book of anecdotes about life as a New York City police officer did not have to be 550 pages. ( )

With 'Blue Blood,' former detective Edward Conlon delivers an engrossing memoir about his time in the NYPD, starting with his days as a rookie on the street up through finally obtaining his detective badge.

For anyone who's ever been curious about day to day life is like for the, as it were, "boys in blue," the book offers plenty of fascinating insights on all manner of subjects - from the squadroom atmosphere and camaraderie between coworkers, through the bureaucratic BS that Conlon and others had to suffer through. Readers hear about what its like to spend your days chasing down criminals, petty and otherwise, while dealing with a community that's at times welcoming, at other times not so much. Conlon also shares stories from his family history. His father was an FBI agent; his uncle, a colorful cop's cop, and well-liked. His great grandfather, as it turns out, was on the take, something Conlon tried to be forthright about without dismissing him as just another crooked cop. Overall, the stories make for interesting character snapshots, which work well woven in with Conlon's own experiences.

Readers also get some insight on scandals such as the Amadou Diallo trial and how they affected the lives and work of officers just trying to do their jobs. The degree with which the public sometimes distrusts the police becomes evident as Conlon shares stories of his frustration over open-and-shut cases that get thrown out time and time again because the ADAs know juries will never convict, even for the most ludicrous of reasons. It's frustrating to read about as well, particularly for those with a keen sense of justice.

I enjoyed my ride-along with Mr. Conlon, rather lengthy though it were. He's an excellent writer and it shows (in fact, he's since retired to pursue writing full-time and has a novel out). He does a good job of introducing us to his vibrant "cast of characters," making them not just abstract names, vague figures from his past that exist to the reader as little more than letters on a page, but memorable, real people whom I almost wished I knew, all unique and colorful even in their flaws. I think there's a lesson to be taken from that too - cops are just people, and trying to sweep them all under the same label, whether that be Hero or The Enemy, is erroneous. ( )