Brave Hearts-By: Cynthia Brown-Body Armor Outlet

Brave Hearts By: Cynthia Brown

Brave Hearts takes you inside the hearts and minds of fifteen police officers as they go about the difficult task of protecting people from harm. Whether gathering intelligence to stop a terrorist attack, conducting an international narcotics investigation, working undercover to get illegal weapons off the streets, tracking a serial murderer, ending a gun battle, or mediating a domestic dispute, the men and women in Brave Hearts give new life to the word heroic.
The author’s long term relationships with the police and her unusual access to the people who work in this insular and isolated profession has enabled her to take us on a unique and startling voyage into the trenches of the law enforcement world.
You will feel the tragic aftermath of 9/11 as first responders to the disaster share their stories never told before. You will gain unique insight as the women talk frankly about how their experiences working in the alpha-male world of the police. You will be there as officers cope with unimaginable violence, cruelty and sadness. And you will learn about the love and affection that develops between people who depend on each other, at times, for their very lives.
If you read Brave Hearts, you will understand why people across the country are saying this book changed the way they feel about their police officers.

These are hard copy and they are autographed by Cynthia Brown.

About the author . . .
Cynthia Brown has spent three decades working with the U.S. law enforcement profession. Early in her career she organized community meetings for the police and residents in one of Boston’s most crime-plagued neighborhoods. Later she produced a neighborhood newsletter for the Boston Police Department that was distributed throughout the city’s five police districts. In 1994 she founded American Police Beat, a national, monthly magazine where she still serves as publisher. American Police Beat is the nation’s largest, most influential law enforcement publication.
She is the recipient of many awards for her work including the prestigious National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund’s Distinguished Service Award. Past recipients include former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, several U.S. Senators and members of the House of Representatives.

What people are saying about Brave Hearts . . .
“In the pages of Brave Hearts, which is a sort of Profiles in Courage set in the police precincts of New York, Cynthia Brown tells the stories of fifteen officers of various ranks and specialties who repeatedly risk their lives, and in some cases their physical and mental health, to serve and protect the citizens of this city, often doing so, in that time-worn and time-honored phrase, above and beyond the call of duty. Prior to becoming Police Commissioner, I had the privilege of serving alongside the men and women of the NYPD for almost thirty years in many different commands. Over the course of my career, I continually witnessed the quiet professionalism, compassion, and heroism practiced day in and day out by our law enforcement officers. That commitment, courage, and self-sacrifice have been superbly captured in the profiles of the extraordinary people you will meet in the pages of Brave Hearts.”
—Raymond W. Kelly
Commissioner, New York City Police Dept.

“Anyone interested in the police and their unique way of life should read Brave Hearts, fifteen fascinating true stories about cops that dramatically reveal what makes them tick.”
—Joseph Wambaugh, best selling author
and former Detective-Sergeant, Los Angeles Police Department

“With Brave Hearts, Cynthia Brown, who I have known and worked with for four decades, has written a seminal work about the complexities of law enforcement work. As the reader gets to know the fifteen officers profiled in this book, they are sure to be inspired by their remarkable acts of courage and come away with a better understanding of the complicated challenges inherent in enforcing the law and protecting people from harm.”
—William J. Bratton, former Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and former Police Commissioner in New York City and Boston

“It’s rare to find a book that changes the way you go about your everyday life, but Brave Hearts is one such book. Ever since Cynthia Brown first walked into our office and started talking about the men and women of the NYPD she wanted to profile, our thinking about police officers has changed. The officers who bear their souls in Brave Hearts are ordinary people, no different than you or me, unless it’s time to risk their life to save a stranger or get a criminal off the street. They are the ones who run toward the screams when everyone else is running in the opposite direction. Why? Who are these people, really, and what motivates them to take the risks they do? Cynthia’s unique access and the interviews that result really get to the heart of the matter and provide insight into the subculture of law enforcement, a generally closed-off and very private group of professionals. Reading Brave Hearts has enlightened the way we think about cops, and about human nature in general.”
— Larry Kirshbaum and Lisa Leshne LJK Literary Management.

“Brave Hearts is one of the most intelligent and sympathetic portrayals of law enforcement work I have encountered. Anyone who reads the book will gain a new respect for the incredible service our officers and deputies perform for their communities twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year. While the people in Brave Hearts all work for the New York City Police Department, they could have easily been members of my agency, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The commitment of the people profiled in this book coupled with the enormous risks they take to protect and serve is the real story of the men and women who have dedicated their lives to a career in law enforcement. We are all in Cynthia Brown’s debt for writing this wonderful book.
—Lee Baca, Sheriff, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

“I have been working closely with Cynthia Brown for almost 20 years. Over that time, she has been one of the most enthusiastic and tireless supporters of both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and the National Law Enforcement Museum. It was our great honor to present her with our “Distinguished Service Award” in 2008. With Brave Hearts, she has accomplished a great feat for America’s law enforcement profession by taking the reader on a unique voyage straight into the hearts and minds of the remarkable people who have chosen the most noble profession – keeping our citizens safe by bringing justice to those who seek to harm them. Anyone who reads Brave Hearts can not help but come away with a new found respect and admiration for the people who have the courage and commitment to take on the difficult work law enforcement entails.
—Craig Floyd, Chairman
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund & National Law Enforcement Museum

“I just finished Brave Hearts, stories about fifteen police officers. It reads just like a good novel. The look of the book is terrific as well, especially the use of pictures. There were parts that reminded me of the award winning books about precinct life written by Ed McBain. It is no exaggeration to say these people are real-life “Profiles in Courage” and very much like the book of the same name written by President John F. Kennedy. With Brave Hearts, Cynthia Brown has accomplished something truly significant and I know this book will fly off the shelves of my bookstore.” —Jane Hanauer, Owner, Laguna Beach Books, Laguna Beach, California

“Cynthia Brown has written a wonderful book that goes beyond the usual cop books and shows us the lives, exploits, and feats of individuals who protect and serve our communities. Cynthia selected from a diverse group of individuals for her vignettes. There is Sam Panchal who hid from his parents that he had joined the NYPD because Indian parents are not especially enamored of police. There is a fond sketch of Ann-Margaret Lyons and Pete Tetukevich who fell in love at work. There are stories of gritty determination, of rescues, of shootings, of blood on the floor, of bravery and courage. Cynthia has written a book that should be widely read by those who are in business, but, more importantly, by those who want to know what drives the men and women who put on their uniforms every day and venture out in an unknown space - not knowing what would transpire during their shifts. It is a great read and I strongly recommend it.”
—Lt. Sunil Dutta, LAPD

Breathtaking book about law enforcement work
by Dick Kirby

From across the pond, Cynthia Brown has taken several years to cobble together accounts from the lives of some of the bravest New York cops; and it's paid off. Not only is the book well-researched, Brown has managed to expertly extract every nuance of emotion from her courageous subjects; in consequence, the characters are shown to be sympathetic without descending into mawkishness, astonishingly brave without being gung-ho.

Various accounts of the 9-11 atrocity and how it affected the book's contributors feature large, of course but many of the individual accounts are breathtaking - for example, the methodical way in which Detective Joe Herbert brought the Zodiac killer to justice or the amazingly inventive ruses used by undercover detective, Alvin Rountree.

My favorite? Kai Wong, the community police officer who was highly respected by the law-abiding community, whilst the low-life community were scared witless by him - just the way it should be!

A thoroughly good read.

Dick Kirby was born in the East-End of London in 1943 and joined the Metropolitan Police in 1967. Half of his 26 years service was spent as a detective with the Flying Squad and the Serious Crime Squad and he was commended for courage and catching thieves on 40 occasions. He is the author of 'Rough Justice', 'The Real Sweeney', 'You're Nicked!' 'Villains' and 'The Guv'nors.' He lives and writes with his family in a village in Suffolk.