Behind The Blue Line

On Wednesday 15 April 1998, Detective Sergeant Gurpal Singh Virdi was arrested and accused of sending racist hate mail to himself and ethnic minority colleagues. Dismissed from the Metropolitan Police Service, his reputation in ruins, Virdi took his case to an employment tribunal which judged that he had been a victim of racial discrimination. Completely vindicated, Virdi was reinstated to the job he loved – but his travails were far from over. Constantly overlooked for promotion, he realised that by challenging the Met he had effectively ended his career. Following his retirement from the force and keen to serve his local community, Virdi decided to run for election as a Labour councillor – but, prior to the election, he was arrested a second time. The allegations levelled against him were horrifying: he stood accused of sexually assaulting an underage prisoner nearly thirty years earlier. Yet when the case went to trial, a jury took less than fifty minutes to clear Virdi of all charges, with the judge noting the likelihood of a conspiracy behind the case. But the damage had been done. Behind the Blue Line is Virdi's deeply shocking account of how one of Britain's biggest institutions brought the apparatus of the state to bear in a campaign to destroy the life of one of its own officers.

I wrote this book for my family and friends, because I wanted them to see there are other sides in Law Enforcement. When its time to work, officers give all they have to protect life and property. Sometimes they give their lives, so you may live. Sometimes officers have to relieve stress in their own way. They have to find a way to relieve stress, so they dont bring it home. The less stress an officer keeps within him/herself, the better chance he/she has to do their job and will also have a better chance to survive until retirement. Have you ever looked down the barrel of a loaded gun, in the hands of a crazy person? I have.

As the First World War bogged down across Europe resulting in the establishment of trench systems, artillery began to grow in military importance. Never before had the use of artillery been so vital, and to this day the ferocity, duration and widespread use of artillery across the trenches of Europe has never been replicated. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork, this groundbreaking study explains and illustrates the enormous advances in the use of artillery that took place between 1914 and 1918, the central part artillery played in World War I and how it was used throughout the war, with particular emphasis on the Western Front.

From the extraordinary Colombian French politician and activist Ingrid Betancourt, a stunning debut novel about freedom and fate Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s Dirty War and infused with magical realism, The Blue Line is a breathtaking story of love and betrayal by one of the world’s most renowned writers and activists. Ingrid Betancourt, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir Even Silence Has an End, draws on history and personal experience in this deeply felt portrait of a woman coming of age as her country falls deeper and deeper into chaos. Buenos Aires, the 1970s. Julia inherits from her grandmother a gift, precious and burdensome. Sometimes visions appear before her eyes, mysterious and terrible apparitions from the future, seen from the perspective of others. From the age of five, Julia must intervene to prevent horrific events. In fact, as her grandmother tells her, it is her duty to do so—otherwise she will lose her gift. At fifteen, Julia falls in love with Theo, a handsome revolutionary four years her senior. Their lives are turned upside down when Juan Perón, the former president and military dictator, returns to Argentina. Confronted by the realities of military dictatorship, Julia and Theo become Montoneros sympathizers and radical idealists, equally fascinated by Jesus Christ and Che Guevara. Captured by death squadrons, they somehow manage to escape. . . . In this remarkable novel, Betancourt, an activist who spent more than six years held hostage by the FARC in the depths of Colombian jungle, returns to many of the themes of Even Silence Has an End. The Blue Line is a story centered on the consequences of oppression, collective subservience, and individual courage, and, most of all, the notion that belief in the future of humanity is an act of faith most beautiful and deserving.

Harry wrote of his memories of his law enforcement years in a humorous fashion, memories he would like to share with all of us. There is a funny side to law enforcement, that, maybe no one ever sees. These stories are all true and set forth for enjoyment.

Readers will learn about one of the world's most exciting sports. Readers will find easy-to-read explanations of ice hockey's beginnings, basic rules and strategies, and how they can suit up and get on the ice.

A gold coin found in the time capsule of East Side School was a real coin. Gus Klemetson, editor of the Decorah Docket and amateur coin collector, knew that, but he couldn't find any reference to it. The name of the donor, Decorah Laurah, also had no history. With persistence, luck, and help, he uncovered a most amazing story. Abraham Lincoln had commissioned a secret mint in 1861, the coins destined to buy Sioux Indian peacefulness during the impending Civil War. Stolen before delivery, Gus tracked their circuitous journey to the person of Decorah Laurah. Unfortunately, his quest soon struck very close to home, almost costing Gus his life and everything dear to him.