One Marshal's Badge - by Louie McKinney (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Much more than one cop s tales of gritty cases. It s an encounter with our country s recent history." From the foreword by John Walsh, host of "America's Most Wanted"

Book Synopsis

While many people are familiar with the U.S. Marshals Service's reputation from frontier days, when legendary lawmen such as Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson enforced the Wild West, the agency's modern exploits are less well known. One Marshal's Badge sheds light on the service's valuable role in current national and international affairs through the intriguing figure of Louie McKinney, the agency's former director. McKinney's life is an inspirational story of personal fortitude and professional achievement. Growing up a sharecropper's son in the segregated South, McKinney rose to become the first career deputy to lead the Marshals Service. Prior to his promotion, McKinney contributed to the agency in many groundbreaking ways, including helping to restore order to the skies after a rash of airline hijackings in the early 1970s; guarding prisoner John Hinckley, the man who attempted to assassinate President Ronald Reagan, as a yearlong assignment; transporting criminals to trial and to prison in his own car before the creation of Con Air; enforcing the integration of Southern public schools as a black deputy marshal; and heading an innovative sting operation that netted hundreds of fugitives by enticing them with free football tickets.One Marshal's Badge offers a rare glimpse into the Marshal Service's inner workings, especially its witness protection program and elite SWAT team, and is an eyewitness account of the social turbulence that defined American history in the late twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"I've had great admiration for the U.S. Marshals since they escorted me to the first integrated elementary school in New Orleans. Despite the tough job they faced that day, they were caring and concerned about my welfare. I'm so happy to see Louie McKinney's story in print. His inspiring story will familiarize everyone with these unsung lawmen."--Ruby Bridges, civil rights activist, author of Through My Eyes, and chair of the Ruby Bridges Foundation-- (8/4/2009 12:00:00 AM)

"This is a compelling story that needed to be told. It is the story of a man upon whose shoulders the men and women of today's U.S. Marshals Service are standing. It is the story that captures in a powerful and meaningful way a significant portion of the history of our nation and its oldest federal law enforcement agency. It is a story of courage, compassion, perseverance, service, and honor."--John Marshall, former director of the U.S. Marshals Service-- (8/5/2009 12:00:00 AM)