The Onion Field

Name: The Onion Field
Author: Joseph Wambaugh

by Joseph Wambaugh

True crime: LAPD officers and robbers caught in a tragic kidnapping and murder case

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About the author

Joseph Wambaugh

Joseph Wambaugh was a former LAPD detective whose raw, unromantic portrayals of police work in The New Centurions and The Choirboys transformed the police procedural genre. His work exposed the psychological toll of law enforcement with a candor that shocked readers used to idealized cop fiction. The Onion Field is considered one of the greatest true crime books ever written.

More by Joseph Wambaugh

The New CenturionsLos Angeles police officers navigate corruption, violence, and moral compromise during their careers
The Blue KnightAging Los Angeles cop faces his final years on the street before retirement
The ChoirboysLAPD cops engage in drinking, partying, and darkness while exploring off-duty corruption
The Black MarbleTwo detectives investigate the murder of a suicidal woman in Los Angeles
Hollywood StationLAPD cops working Hollywood division navigate crime, politics, and modern urban policing