Deadly beat - 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.