This book takes a look the origin of policing in the United States, and its possible roots in the Slave Patrols of the south during slavery. It looks at how the

"Obscured from our view of slaves and masters in America is a critical third party: the state, with its coercive power. This book completes the grim picture of

Let's begin with the basics: violence is an inherent part of policing. The police represent the most direct means by which the state imposes its will on the cit

“Swanson has done a crucial public service by exposing the barbarous side of the Rangers.” —The New York Times Book Review A twenty-first century reckonin

Winner of the John Hope Franklin Prize A Moyers & Company Best Book of the Year “A brilliant work that tells us how directly the past has formed us.” —Dar