Lagniappe's Keeper kindly sent me package containing this book, part of our "Stuff Guys With Guns Like to Read" plan.
Paul Kirchner brings the stories Jim Cirillo - one of the most accomplished gunfighters, police officers and firearms instructors to life with a well-written narrative.
Of course, with the material he has to work with must have made this book almost write itself.
Reading the book makes one regret missing the opportunity (since he sadly died in a car accident in 2007) to learn from Mr. Cirillo in person. The man was on the streets of New York in the turbulent 60s on a stakeout squad in gunfights with some of the worst robbers New York had to offer.
Filled with stories of Cirillo and other stakeout squad member's gunfights, it dramatically illustrates a time when officers with .38 special revolvers, the occasional 1911, shotguns and M1 Carbines faced down numerous store robbers.
The book highlights Jim Cirillo's laconic sense of humor and conveys quite a few of his thoughts on guns, ammunition and gunfights, not to mention his decidedly politically incorrect observations on the politics of the NYPD and City of New York.
Readers will learn that shooting fast and accurately is a life saver, but also learn from Mr. Cirillo's focus on knowing the backstop - knowing where your bullets will end up which is a key concern for both police and civilians.
After all if you hit an attacker but also either shoot through them or hit an innocent with a missed shot, you're not getting a medal, kudos or style points.
Instead you're probably looking at a lawsuit or quite possibly jail time for your mistake. That's a pretty key point to take away from the book.
In short, the book is well worth a read - but pick a time when nothing else is pressing as you'll be hard-pressed to put it down.
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