Deadly Beat: Inside the Royal Ulster Constabulary

by Richard Latham

Considered by some to be one of the finest police forces in the world, the officers of the Royal Ulster Constabulary are looked upon by others as evil storm-troopers of Unionism and the British Government. The RUC is now a force undergoing sweeping change in response to Republican demands, yet for 30 years it stood alongside the British Army in a war that killed over 300 policemen and injured thousands more. For 14 years, Richard Latham, an Englishman, served as a police officer, both in England and in Northern Ireland, before transferring from the English Special Branch to the RUC in 1991. This is his story, giving his insight into the grim reality of policing Ulster. The book brings to light incidents of racism and religious bias experienced by the author himself. It looks behind the scenes to reveal the extremes of behavior, alcohol abuse, womanizing, and petty corruption that happened during his time with the RUC.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

204 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic. It shows how the general situation in Northern Ireland affected the RUC and how the officers tried their best to deal with it as impartially and professionally as possible, even when the people and politicians were baying for their blood. This is an incredible account of what RUC officers had to go through just to do the job they were paid to do and how vulnerable they were from all sides. Great to have the view of an RUC officer for a change. A must read for everyone, especially those who try and critise the RUC.

[Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

I oft enjoy these books relating to the RUC's history. This book lacked an editor, structure and is written rather piss poorly. It's obvious Richard isn't an author in any way. The book is all over the place. That said the matter, when we are talking about the RUC, is incredibly interesting and fascinating. Unfortunately I do feel I could have condensed it down by about 100 pages and structured it better into a short 5 year history of the RUC. There are significantly better books out there relating to RUC material but this one is still worth a read.

[Richard JF Gallick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting viewpoint

This is a factual account of a former member of the police force, One that has come from a person who came from England and served along side men and women from the province. A no holds bars account of his views.