Featured podcasts - Author Interviews

Secret Service agents who protect the President and other high-level government officials spoke publicly for the first time to Ronald Kessler for "In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes In the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect." In this month's author interview, Keller discusses the history of the agency, duties of the agents themselves and the men they protected.

To tell the story of the use of deadly force by law officers, Chris McNab uses a historical narrative that follows Wild West marshals, the posse era, Prohibition gangsters, armed civic protesters, and the drug turf wars of the 1980s and '90s. "Deadly Force: Firearms and American Law Enforcement" also explores the legal and career ramifications of police gunfights and the use of SWAT units with aggressive combatants who are increasingly using heavier firepower against officers.

Art Slatkin, a leading expert on crisis and hostage negotiation, explains the three stages of a negotiation, delineates the personality types officers will encounter and offers several practical tips officers could use right away during the three specific stages of building rapport, negotiating and resolution with volatile people. Slatkin's "Training Strategies for Crisis and Hostage Negotiations" is the topic of this month's author interview.

Tapping into his experience as an investigator with the Chula Vista Police Department for 17 years, Tom Basinski wrote the true-crime novels "Cross-Country Evil" and "No Good Deed" based on detailed case material from local cases. In "Cross-Country Evil," Basinski chronicled the 18-year investigation that resulted in a conviction of a serial rapist (he interviewed from prison) who murdered a college student working as a prostitute. Listen to his account of the case.

In his book, Leonard Levitt examines the lines of power that often result in the NYPD's police commissioner and mayor duking it out for "publicity, credit and power." Levitt's "NYPD Confidential: Power and Corruption In the Country's Greatest Police Force" is based in his experiences covering the department as a columnist for Newsday. In the book, he covers the high and low points of the administrations of William Bratton, Howard Safir, Bernie Kerik and current commissioner Ray Kelly.

In "The First Responders: The Untold Story of the New York City Police Department and September 11, 2001," Anthea Appel weaves together the stories of members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit (ESU) who first arrived at Ground Zero. Appel, who was on patrol on 9/11 and has since retired after a 20-year NYPD career, recounts the ESU members who searched for terrorist "sleepers" and survivors. Appel also tells the story of the mysterious man who was arrested in the North Tower in the moments before it fell.

In this cast, Lawrence Kane describes an effective technique for handcuffing an out-of-control suspect. The martial arts instructor and author of "Surviving Armed Assaults" also gives you one surefire thing to say to a belligerent person to help you gain control of the situation without needing to get physical. Kane's book has been praised by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman as an effective tool to gain greater awareness, defend against various weapons and manage the aftermath of violence.

As a member of the Texas Rangers from 1966 to 1993, Joaquin Jackson watched the evolution of the law enforcement agency into a modern outfit. In his adventure-filled memoir "One Ranger," Jackson recalls what it was like to respond when riots threatened, violence erupted and criminals needed to be brought to justice along the Texas-Mexico border. Jackson, an NRA board member, also responds to President Obama's call to re-institute the assault weapons ban.

Adam Eisenberg tells the story of female law enforcement pioneers in "A Different Shade of Blue." The stories of 50 women on the Seattle Police Department provide insights into the sexism, size differences, harassment and other challenges of breaking through the blue ceiling. Seattle was one of the first cities to hire female officers in 1912, and one of the first to put women on the street as equal beat cops in 1975. The book arrived in July 2009.

In an era of celebrity outlaws such as Baby Face Nelson, Pretty Boy Floyd and Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger was in a class by himself. Elliott Gorn's book chronicles the year, 1933-34, when Dillinger's gang raided banks across the American heartland and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. The spree triggered new anti-crime legislation and helped bring about the modern FBI. "Dillinger's Wild Ride" arrived a few weeks ahead of the 75th anniversary of the gangster's death in June 2009.