The Choirboys

I finished reading The Choirboys by Joseph Wambaugh the other day. I’ve had the book for some time but I never got around to reading it until now. I wish I had read it earlier, the book is fantastic. It was published in 1975 and takes place in 1974. The book centers around ten Los Angeles patrol police officers who’ve dubbed themselves “choirboys”. All the officers work the night shift and often meet late in the evenings when off duty for “choir practice” at MacArthur Park. Choir practice usually involves heavy drinking, some fighting, the re-telling of war stories and visits from a couple of local barmaids who would on occasion let the boys ride “the train”. Each chapter usually entails a story or two about the officers who are paired up as partnered units. The story culminates with a final and tragic “choir practice”.

The book is hilarious, sad, politically incorrect (putting it mildly by today’s standards), sick and superb. Wambaugh was a policeman who quit his job shortly before The Choirboys was published. I can only imagine if the antics from the book were pulled from his experiences. I like his writing style so well I plan to check out some of his other published works new and old. If you’re like me and usually don’t like police novels, do yourself a favor and read this book. You won’t be disappointed.