Recent Book: Another Nick: Nick of Notting Hill
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X6503800809 |
| Date | 01 August 1965 |
| Published date | 01 August 1965 |
| Subject Matter | Recent Book |
first detective on the Sceneis in charge,
and
all superior officers who appear
later, including the chief, should report
to him and ask for orders."
It may be
that
in this country
our
system of training young C.LD. officers
is inadequate, or we are too old-
fashioned to concede that ajunior
detective might be able to direct his
seniors as to how an inquiry should be
conducted, but in my view, in most
cases of a serious character, there is
more to the detection of crime than
scientific knowledge, and it would be
unwise to permit such directions to be
given by an inexperienced junior
officer, but Iwould agree that the
first detective on the scene in a case of
murder, rape, etc., should remain with
the investigating team throughout
their inquiries.
This interesting publication does not
pretend to be a text book; its value
lies in the clear and precise presentation
of numerous matters which come
within the province of the daily duties
of many policemen, and it should be
admirably suited for personal owner-
ship by police officers and for inclusion
in police libraries. H. J.
VANN
ANOTHER NICK
ANTHONY
RICHARDSON:
Nick
of
Nolting Hill. Harrap. 21s.
It is difficult to see what appeal this
book will have for the average reader,
being in the main a chronicle of
events, many of quite a minor char-
acter, which took place some 10 years
ago in a West London division of the
Metropolitan Police. The main
attraction of the
book
is its obvious
authenticity and there has been no
attempt to over-dramatize
the
various
experiences related by "
Nick",
through his biographer. The theme is
the uphill fight of ex-P.e. Joe Nixon,
to achieve recognition for his beloved
Boys' Club in Notting Hill, and
although the various brushes P.C.
Nixon has with his senior officers are
described with reasonable restraint, it
is clear that
"Nick"
like many
other people of his ilk has difficulty
in seeing any point of view but his
own. All this is related in a somewhat
flat and dead-pan fashion and even
when dealing with the various exper-
iences of P.C. Nixon, the
book
fails
to command the reader's attention.
The success of Nick
of
the River is not
likely to be repeated with this effort.
J.A.R
MORIARTY
W. J.
WILLIAMS:
Moriarty's Police Law. An arrangement of Law and Reg-
ulations for the Use of Police Officers. Eighteenth Edition. Butterworth. 17s.6d.
Since the first Moriarty was pub-
lished 35 years ago,
providing"
...
in a
comprehensive form that knowledge
which the constable finds it difficult to
obtain",
the field of police legal
education and procedure has known
many changes.
That
Moriarty'sposition
in thatfield remains as strong and as im-
portant as ever is adequate testimony
to the shrewdness, understanding and
foresight of its originator,
and
to the
discrimination of many young officers
-and
those charged with their train-
ing-who
now have a wider choice of
textbooks in this vein.
Moriarty is almost an ever-green;
if it were in loose-leaf form it might be
completely so and even more
useful-
if more
expensive-than
it already is!
It has an air of timelessness, being to
some extent able lightly to brush off
August 1965
the ravages of legal change and amend-
ment without the dismembering effect
so often suffered by more elaborate and
detailed tomes. To the newcomer
(although he will probably not be
aware of it) Moriarty pours on a
turbulent sea of law the oil of calm
stability which has helped a great many
to grasp the basic essentials before
venturing into deeper waters. Its
straightforward, logical and compre-
hensive index, the pleasant absence of
footnotes, and strict economy in
cross-referencing, make it a delight to
handle and near-compulsive reading
not only for those in the probationer
stage but for many of more mature
experience who perceive in its pages
useful short cuts in bringing their
knowledge up to date.
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