U.S. MARSHALS

The story behind the country’s oldest law enforcement agency, the U.S. Marshals service, as told by its former associate director for operations Earp, with veteran co-author Fisher (co-author, with Tom Coughlin: Earn the Right to Win, 2013, etc.).

In this real-life version of the TV series America's Most Wanted, Earp explores the service known around the world for heroes like Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson and significant events like the Shootout at the O.K. Corral and its development over the years since its formation in 1789. Established during the administration of George Washington as the police force of the federal court system, the service has a unique function in American law enforcement, and this function has been transformed—especially since the Reagan administration—as tough-on-crime policies have increased demands on law enforcement agencies. The marshals' mandate extends across the whole republic. They are empowered to deputize agencies of federal and local government—e.g., the U.S. Forest Service, parole officers and others—to aid their operations. Anyone who has run out on a warrant for arrest, skipped court appointments, broken parole or work-release agreements, broken out of jail or comes under one of their prioritized categories of criminal can find themselves the target of pursuit. Earp recounts how such infamous figures as Panama's Gen. Manuel Noriega and Puerto Rican terrorist William Morales were brought to justice. The author describes their investigative methods, especially their mastery of modern technology to identify, locate and track down their targets. Each aspect of the narrative is introduced through its own kind of action story and brings to life the dangers and rewards of a deputy's life. Earp's tales are educational, and he highlights the ingenuity and training required to become a U.S. Marshal.

A swift-moving history of and tribute to officers who are “out there at all hours of the day and night, kicking down doors, stopping vehicles, and arresting heinous fugitives.”