Deadly beat: Inside the Royal Ulster Constabulary

by Richard Latham

You go to work, and you might be shot dead. You imagine being horribly maimed in a bomb blast. You come home and wonder if you'll be shot at the front door. You go to bed with a revolver on the bedside cabinet. At times you wonder if this is really part of the UK.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Ireland, Biography

203 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2001

Reviews

[Sam]

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]

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]

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.