Rating: 
Summary: Still relevant today
Review: "Serpico" is a powerful piece of reporting by Peter Maas, one of the best true crime writers in America. Hard to believe that the events of this book occurred thrity-odd years ago. The tales of corruption in the New York City police department could have come from the headlines of any big city newspaper today. Maas's genius is how he puts you with his subject to the extent that you are not even aware that he's guiding you through the story. Anyone with an interest in law enforcement should read this book and take it for what it is, a warning against the temptations of the job. As such, it is far from comforting.
Rating: 
Summary: Recommended
Review: "Serpico" is a powerful piece of reporting by Peter Maas, one of the best true crime writers in America. Hard to believe that the events of this book occurred thrity-odd years ago. The tales of corruption in the New York City police department could have come from the headlines of any big city newspaper today. Maas's genius is how he puts you with his subject to the extent that you are not even aware that he's guiding you through the story. Anyone with an interest in law enforcement should read this book and take it for what it is, a warning against the temptations of the job. As such, it is far from comforting.
Rating:
Summary: exposing NYC police corruption
Review: A really unbelievable story how an NYC cop blew the whisltle on police corruption, continued to work with those same cops and dealy with red nyc tape. I bought this book just prior to photographing Frank Serpioco and he signed it which was pretty cool.
Some criticisms of the book are that there are no photos. it is always interesting to see images of the bed guys and what Serpico looked like compared to the Al Pacino image I have of him.
Also--some of the detailed Knapp Commission discussion became pretty boring to read through. As with the Donnie Brasco book, the discussion of the good guys(lawyers, commisioners) became tedious. It if for me, more interesting to read how the bad guys were caught and what bad things they were doing that got them caught.
Rating:
Summary: Should be read by all Americans
Review: Along with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle," this book should be familiar reading to all Americans. While the 1906 classic exposes the horrors of capitalism, this 1973 masterpiece details the corruption and graft in an institution we have been taught to believe is always noble and honest. The setting and scene is New York, the largest police force in the country.
Serpico finds the bad guys and brings them in for booking, only to have his fellow cops pander and play with the gangsters, as if the latter have a closer association than they do with Serpico. Throughout the organization of the force, corruption is rife. Little deals and major attitudes and processes that undermine the civil security force are nicely interwoven into this book, which details Serpico's path through the ranks from a cadet, to a beat cop, to a detective, until the last trial, when Serpico's shooting (possibly by his own force, an incident that opens the book) is more fully examined.
Horrible to contemplate, too credible to ignore, this book is a must for all Americans.
Rating:
Summary: Another Good Book by Maas
Review: I would recomend this book.It is well written and enjoyable to read.Serpico I believe is a hard person to write about so some of the fact are kind of fuzzy.What I would have liked to read is what happened to Serpico after he dissapeared.There is nothing in the book about this though.If you are interested in NYPD true stories this is the one to start with .There is another book that kind of goes with this one called Varnish Brass-the decade after Serpico it is by Barbra Gelb
Rating:
Summary: A Great Man, But a Very Biased Story
Review: I'd like to begin by saying that Serpico is a very great man. Without question he is one of my heroes. I respect his complete integrity. I think this book should be required reading. It shows the importance of integrity. However, I have one major criticism of the book. When Peter Maas wrote it, he had his own agenda. He wrote the book after he wrote The Valachi Papers. Valachi placed Italian-Americans in a negative light. So Maas wanted to focus on an extremely positive American of Italian descent. The only problem is that he did so at the cost of giving fair credit to other people who were involved. In the book and film, Serpico's former friend, David Durk, is reduced to a very secondary role. In fact, the book suggests that Durk's reasons for fighting corruption alongside Serpico are politically motivated. I've read other books about Serpico and Durk. Serpico was certainly incorruptible and a paragon of virtue. However, he would not have gone to the Knapp Commission if Durk had not persuaded him to do so. The two fought corruption together. A proper book would have been entitled SERPICO AND DURK. Maas story is quite exciting. Serpico was very much a street cop. Durk, on the other hand, although equally incorruptible, was a desk cop. They are both men of the highest caliber, and both deserve equal praise. Although I'm disappointed about the treatment of Durk, I still think Serpico is must reading. (P.S. Amazon, you should refer readers to Durk's biography, which is entitled CRUSADER. It's certainly not nearly as exciting as SERPICO, but Serpico does play a large part in the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Man, But a Very Biased Story
Review: I'd like to begin by saying that Serpico is a very great man. Without question he is one of my heroes. I respect his complete integrity. I think this book should be required reading. It shows the importance of integrity. However, I have one major criticism of the book. When Peter Maas wrote it, he had his own agenda. He wrote the book after he wrote The Valachi Papers. Valachi placed Italian-Americans in a negative light. So Maas wanted to focus on an extremely positive American of Italian descent. The only problem is that he did so at the cost of giving fair credit to other people who were involved. In the book and film, Serpico's former friend, David Durk, is reduced to a very secondary role. In fact, the book suggests that Durk's reasons for fighting corruption alongside Serpico are politically motivated. I've read other books about Serpico and Durk. Serpico was certainly incorruptible and a paragon of virtue. However, he would not have gone to the Knapp Commission if Durk had not persuaded him to do so. The two fought corruption together. A proper book would have been entitled SERPICO AND DURK. Maas story is quite exciting. Serpico was very much a street cop. Durk, on the other hand, although equally incorruptible, was a desk cop. They are both men of the highest caliber, and both deserve equal praise. Although I'm disappointed about the treatment of Durk, I still think Serpico is must reading. (P.S. Amazon, you should refer readers to Durk's biography, which is entitled CRUSADER. It's certainly not nearly as exciting as SERPICO, but Serpico does play a large part in the book.
Rating:
Summary: The Book that made Pacino Great!!!
Review: Peter Maas artistically tells a story of a man who always wanted to be a "good cop." Unfortunately, the dream is shattered when Frank Serpico confronts wide-spread corruption in the NYC Police Department. The famous Knapp Commission is a result of Serpico's complaints about corruption on the force. Unfortunately, Peter Maas's story could be told about many large urban police departments. Make no mistake about it, corruption, bigotry, and racism are all a part of law enforcement. It was the case back in the 60's - 70's, and it is still the case today. Consequently, Peter Maas's story about "one good cop" fighting a sea of corruption is still relevant today. The story drags at times. But, otherwise, it is quick reading. It is definitely a story that needs to be read. Hence, I recommend this book. Police corruption is still a current topic. But, more importantly, Serpico's story is one of hope. At least there is "one good cop" out there trying to make a difference. And, knowing this, has made a difference in the way I view law enforcement professionals. That is, they are not all bad.
Rating:
Summary: The Book that made Pacino Great!!!
Review: Peter Maas artistically tells a story of a man who always wanted to be a "good cop." Unfortunately, the dream is shattered when Frank Serpico confronts wide-spread corruption in the NYC Police Department. The famous Knapp Commission is a result of Serpico's complaints about corruption on the force. Unfortunately, Peter Maas's story could be told about many large urban police departments. Make no mistake about it, corruption, bigotry, and racism are all a part of law enforcement. It was the case back in the 60's - 70's, and it is still the case today. Consequently, Peter Maas's story about "one good cop" fighting a sea of corruption is still relevant today. The story drags at times. But, otherwise, it is quick reading. It is definitely a story that needs to be read. Hence, I recommend this book. Police corruption is still a current topic. But, more importantly, Serpico's story is one of hope. At least there is "one good cop" out there trying to make a difference. And, knowing this, has made a difference in the way I view law enforcement professionals. That is, they are not all bad.
Rating:
Summary: Extraordinarily fascinating!
Review: Serpico! The name that brings chills to my bones. Serpico and Donnie Brasco are my two heroes in the world of criminal justice. Serpico's life mission is not just cleaning out the bad guys, but bad guys posing as good guys, COPS! And the way he risks his life in the process, simply tells a story of a moral beam behind the corruption of the so called blue wall of silence.
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