Joseph Wambaugh Books In Order

Publication Order of Hollywood Station Books

Publication Order of Standalone Novels

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh, Jr is a best selling American author famous for both fictional and non-fictional work on the police in the United States. He was born on January 22, 1937 in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. At the age of 17 in 1954, he joined the U.S. Marines and served for three years. He married at the age of 18. Joseph Wambaugh obtained an associate degree from Chaffey College and also attended California State University, Los Angeles where he received Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. He joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1960. He served as a policeman for 14 years, rising through the ranks from patrolman to the rank of detective sergeant He was still a police officer when two of his novels, The New Centurions and the Blue Knight were published. He is famous for his work on The Onion Field, 1979, Echoes in the Darkness, 1987 and The Black Marble in 1980. Several of his early novels were set in Los Angeles, California and its environs and featured LA police officers as protagonists. In 2000s, Joseph Wambaugh began teaching screenwriting courses at the theatre department of the University of California, San Diego, as a guest lecturer.

Joseph Wambaugh insight into police work led to his first book The New Centurions in 1971 which received critical acclaim and was a popular success. The success of his early novels led him to leave the force in 1974 to become a full-time writer. He became popular and prolific writer in the 1970s.

He has received several Awards including The Mystery writers of America’s Edgar Allan Poe special Award for nonfiction, for The Onion Field, 1974; Edgar Allan Poe Award for best screen play for, The Black Marble in 1981, The Rodolfo Walsh Prize for investigative journalism, International Association of Crime Writers for , Lines and Shadows in 1989. In 2004 he was made Grandmaster by mystery writers of America.

Many of his novels were adapted into feature films, or TV-movies in the 1970s and 1980s. The Blue Knight was adapted into an Emmy winning 1973 TV miniseries. His realistic approach to police drama highly influenced both television and film depictions from the mid 1970s forward. Joseph Wambaughs was involved in the creation and development of the NBC TV series Police Story from 1973 to 1978 and was revived on ABC in1988 to 1989. He was also involved in the production of the movie versions of The Onion Field in 1979 and The Black Marble in 1980. The choirboys was also made into a film. In 1993 Fugitive Nights was made into a film with the same title.

In 1992, Joseph Wambaugh created controversy with his nonfiction novel Echoes in the Darkness which is based on the murder of Susan Reinert, a school teacher in the Upper Merion school district in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His critics alleged that Wambaugh had paid prosecutors in the trial of Principal Jay C Smith to supply him with information before an arrest was made. One of Joseph Wambaugh’s most famous nonfiction novels is The Blooding. It tells the story of an early land mark case in which DNA fingerprinting assisted in solving two murders in Leicester in the UK. The DNA evidence led to the arrest and conviction of Colin Pitchfork.

The Hollywood station is the first novel of the Hollywood series by Joseph Wambaugh. In the Hollywood station, its deployment time at the Hollywood division and a wise old sergeant named Oracle is pairing experienced cops with rookies, and then deploying them on the streets to deal with law breakers. If you are a cop at the Hollywood division, it also means dealing with dealing with some of the most desperate criminals. Before the month is over the policemen in these revolving partnerships will match wits with crazies and colourful weirdoes such as the bike-borne flasher by name Darth Vader and untouchable Al whose modus operandi is unmentionable. The cops will also find themselves slipping in blood on the scene of a murder-suicide and taking a hand grenade, employed with lethal intent in a jewellery store robbery which is quickly connected to a Russian nightclub. This is an undercover operation go awry and Sergeant Oracle and his outfit must make sense of it. The situations in the street will tax both their skills and their partner loyalties. For the police, a night on duty means killing time and trying not to get killed. Supervised by an overzealous administrative system and racial politics the police become demoralised and can barely function.

The second novel in the series is the Hollywood crows. Nathan Weiss nicknamed Hollywood Nate for his acting ambition and Bix Ramstead are deployed to the LAPD’s community Relations Office. This office handles quality of life issues and its members are known as Crows. The Hollywood Crows is short for Community Relation Officers. The Crows deal with public nuisances, parking problems and the repeat callers that are disturbed or lonely. The idea is to free up other police officers for real police work. In the Hollywood crows Wambaugh continues to show that the Los Angeles police officer is dedicated but frustrated by regulations and rules. This oversight prevents the police from actually solving the city’s crime problems as they are forced to handle too much paper work and too many restrictions to action. Nathan Weiss and Bix Ramstead find themselves dealing with a lady named Margot Aziz. Being in Hollywood She’s gorgeous and also not what she seems. Morgot Aziz is in the middle of a bitter divorce and is trying to gain an upper hand over her husband. The husband runs a seedy nightclub but stays on the right side of the law enforcement by giving timely donations to police charities. Both Nathan and Bix get mixed up in the affairs of Margot. Margot Aziz was formerly known as Margaret Osborne. She was an ambitious exotic dancer tried gain upward mobility through marriage to the nightclub owner Ali Aziz. Margot Aziz wants to play for as much money as she can get. She is scheming to kill her husband to get his wealth. Margot Aziz plans to use Nathan Weiss and Bix Ramstead to achieve her goals.

8 Responses to “Joseph Wambaugh”

1. Colin Harries: 3 months ago

   As with many of the other commentators,
   I have read every one of Joseph Wambaugh’s books, both fiction and fact.
   They all sit in chronological order, in pride of place, in my bookcase
   Someone who can combine the raw authenticity of police work along with such narrative skills and above all, the wickedly dark and laugh provoking humour, is a very rare, if not unique writer.
   I am 30 pages short of reading The New Centurions again, with the aim of reading every book once again.
   Enormous pleasure relived and hats off to you Sgt. Wambaugh – undoubtedly my favourite author.

   Reply
2. Don Johnson: 4 months ago

   I’ve been reading Sgt Wambaugh’s for 50 years and I gotta tell you; nobody and I do mean nobody can weave a story whether fact or fiction like Sgt Wambaugh has done since his first book back in the early 1970’s…would you,could you, should you say that he’s my favorite writer?

   Reply
3. Alan Murgatroyd: 11 months ago

   Hi hugely enjoyed your books but as Australian I have some trouble with the colloquialisms , but eventually work ’em out . Thank you again and best wishes.

   Reply
   • Don Johnson: 4 months ago

     Use Google if you have any understanding US slang and phrases we use daily without thinking of it… I do that when a British or Australian phrase pops up in a publication I’m reading

     Reply
4. Daryl Poe: 1 year ago

   To begin, Edgar Allen and I share distant ancestors, but my love for reading and writing is born of Joseph Wambaugh. Early in my 30 year LE career in the 1970’s I read The Onion Field and was hooked. I have purchased and read all his books when published. From the love of reading I went on to earn my BA, MDiv, and Doctorate. I have recently finished my first book, “The CLEAR Path Forward.” After a Leadership career in policing and church, it addresses the need for transformative leadership centered on servanthood. Thank you Sgt. Wambaugh for the inspiration. My heart forever remains with Ian Campbell in The Onion Field.

   Reply
5. Erica Bass: 1 year ago

   Mr. Wambaugh I am a huge fan of your books – thought I’d read them all but I see a few I’ve missed from above. I’ll dive in this summer. Thanks for years of enjoyment and laughs.

   Reply
6. Dennis M Adams: 2 years ago

   In the early 70’s I was a young officer with the Buffalo NY police department. Inspired by Joseph Wambaugh’s books, I made several attempts at writing a novel over a span of 10-12 years. All failed. I never realized how much discipline and time was required. I have written to him in the following years and he has replied with encouragement. Finally, after retiring and having the time to write I have completed two novels; Motive and City Hall Secrets. I owe much of my growing success to Mr. Wambaugh. As many cops will have each other’s back, many of the ‘best-selling’ writers will give a hand to new comers like myself. Joe Wambaugh certainly deserves recognition for that. Thank you, Joe.

   Reply
7. Joseph C Leggett: 4 years ago

   Met Joe Wambaugh a number of times. A few LE patch shows. Went to Chaffey HS but he graduated 4 years before me. He has autographed all his books. He is my favorite all time author, as I spent 33 years in LE most in the Coachella Valley. 22 years as Parole officer and supervisor and also with Palm Springs Police Dept. Also went to Chaffey College and graduated from Los Angeles State with a degree in Police Science. He is a great Author and a great man.

   Reply