Policeman's progress

by Harry Cole

P C Harry Cole, twenty seven years on the Southwark force, has done it all and there's consequently many a tale to tell. His account of life on the beat is good humoured and honest, a rich mixture of riotous and serious reading. Harry's loyalty to his fellow officers and his obvious sympathy for all reasonable human eccentricities shine out.

Genres: Humor, Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 1992

Reviews

[Adrian Spalding · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating to read about the police service in the 1980's. It speaks of the frustration of the regular copper on the beat, who just wants to help people. Long hours and little thanks, not a lot has changed.

[Andrew Fish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry Cole is the James Herriot of the police force - at least until Bernard Pearson can be persuaded to write his memoirs. His books don't quite have the gentle charm of Herriot, but the stories are memorable and interesting and worth reading if you can pick them up cheap.

[Rupert Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

More a collection of anecdotes than a book, this is nevertheless very readable, enjoyable and interesting. Set mostly in the 1960s and 1970s, this book follows the adventures, mishaps and disasters that befall a beat officer in south London. Some events are humorous, some sad, some terrifying but the author recounts them all with believable detail and in a rather light manner that makes even the most tragic of incidents interesting and digestible.
In many ways this contemporary account reveals how much policing has changed over the past 40 years.
Even if you have no interest in the world of policing, give this book a try. You [probably] won't regret it.