Swat Teams: Explosive Face-offs With America's Deadliest Criminals

by Robert L. Snow

Ever since Charles Whitman gunned down over a dozen innocent people in 1966 from his perch atop the University of Texas clock tower, “SWAT team” has become a household word. In this compelling book, police veteran Robert L. Snow takes us into the midst of the nation’s heroic SWAT teams, allowing us to eavesdrop on harrowing negotiations between killers and cops. He gives us a balanced look at what SWAT teams do right and what they do wrong and recommends ways to improve their tactics in future hostage situations. While he gives no-holds-barred analyses of such dire failures as Waco, he also celebrates SWAT’s greatest triumphs—thousands of incidents in which no one was hurt. No policeman or citizen can afford to miss this harrowing yet hopeful look at society’s main weapon against sudden terror.

318 pages, Paperback

First published March 21, 1996

About the author

Robert L. Snow served for 38 years at the Indianapolis Police Department, retiring in 2007 with the rank of captain. While at the police department, he served in such capacities as Department Executive Officer, Captain of Detectives, and Commander of the Homicide Branch. Snow has also been a publishing writer for over 30 years. He has had over 100 articles and short stories published in such magazines as PLAYBOY, READER'S DIGEST, THE WRITER, THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER, THE SAINT DETECTIVE MAGAZINE, and others. Snow is also the author of 18 books, including SLAUGHTER ON NORTH LASALLE, SWAT TEAMS, and LOOKING FOR CARROLL BECKWITH.

Reviews

[Mandy Huot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very fun to read. It gives you an inside look at what Swat Team members really are made of, and also gives examples of real events for each chapter. I enjoyed it!

[David Jin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice way to get a quick inside look at the operations, chain of command, and stories within the elite operations of law enforcement.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the lurid title this is a refreshingly straightforward and intelligent book about SWAT - how it started, the principles behind its operations and tactics and analyses of successful and unsuccessful operations. Every chapter starts with the obligatory 'An ordinary day in Pootle, Ill. was about to turn deadly...' but once you get past that it's a fascinating read. Unsurprisingly SWAT teams are not full of maverick movie stars leaping Jon Woo style through the air with guns blazing. Capt. Snow emphasises that a successful SWAT operation is a bloodless negotiation and that if that fails the teams only succeed and survive through meticulous planning and teamwork. A must read for any writer thinking of including SWAT in their stories.