Joseph Wambaugh

Joseph Wambaugh
Wambaugh in 2010
Wambaugh in 2010
BornJoseph Aloysius Wambaugh Jr.
(1937-01-22)January 22, 1937
East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
DiedFebruary 28, 2025(2025-02-28) (aged 88)
Rancho Mirage, California, U.S.
OccupationWriter
EducationChaffey College (AA)
Cal State LA (BA, MA)
GenreMystery
SubjectNon-fiction crime
Police procedural
Notable awards
Years active1971–2012
Spouse
Dee Allsup
​
(m. 1955)​
Children3
Military career
BranchUnited States Marine Corps
Service years1954–1957
Police career
DepartmentLos Angeles Police Department
CountryUnited States
Years of service1960–1974
Rank
  • Patrolman
  • Detective sergeant

Joseph Aloysius Wambaugh Jr. (January 22, 1937 – February 28, 2025) was an American writer. He was known for his fictional and nonfictional books of police work in the United States. Many of his novels are set in Los Angeles and have Los Angeles police officers as main characters in his books.

Wambaugh joined the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) in 1960. He served for 14 years, rising from patrolman to detective sergeant.

Death

Wambough died on February 28, 2025 in Rancho Mirage, California from esophageal cancer at the age of 88.

Works

Novels

  • The New Centurions (1971)
  • The Blue Knight (1972)
  • The Choirboys (1975)
  • The Black Marble (1978)
  • The Glitter Dome (1981)
  • The Delta Star (1983)
  • The Secrets of Harry Bright (1985)
  • The Golden Orange (1990)
  • Fugitive Nights: Danger in the Desert (1992); Translated editions: Chinese, Ye mu mi zong (1993); Taipei: Shi jie guan; Russian, Nochi beglet︠s︡a: roman (1993) ;
    • Spanish as La Noche del Fugitivo, with Ramón Alonso (1992). Barcelona: Grijalbo. pp. 444. ISBN 978-8425324833. OCLC 34825434, 804732116 and 434785602
  • Finnegan's Week (1993)
  • Floaters (1996)
  • Hollywood Station (2006)
  • Hollywood Crows (2008)
  • Hollywood Moon (2009)
  • Hollywood Hills (2010)
  • Harbor Nocturne (2012)

Non-fiction

References

  1. ↑ "Joseph Wambaugh Biography - eNotes.com". eNotes. Retrieved 2018-09-08.
  2. ↑ McFadden, Robert D. (February 28, 2025). "Joseph Wambaugh, Author With a Cop's-Eye View, Is Dead at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  3. ↑ New York: W. Morrow. pp. 336. ISBN 978-0688111281. OCLC 23767167
  4. ↑ ISBN 978-9578248007
  5. ↑ OCLC 222761404
  6. ↑ Moskva: Tekst. pp. 333. ISBN 978-5871060933. OCLC 32000126
  7. ↑ For commentary on the book, see: Wild, Peter (2011). Paradise of Desire: Eleven Palm Springs Novels. Tucson, AZ: Estate of Peter Wild. p. 281. OCLC 748584112.