Flic: the true story of the journalist who infiltrated the police

flic (French noun, masculine) (slang, derogatory) cop; police officer Flic (noun) The gripping and groundbreaking work of French comics journalism. What happens behind the walls of a police station? What kind of living does a cop make? And how does a culture of racism and violence become entrenched? Valentin Gendrot went undercover in Paris to find the answers - revelations that rocked France and led to a series of investigations, including an internal affairs case on Gendrot himself. Flic is an expose of a world never before seen by outsiders, an urgent story for our times, powerfully illustrated by the talented Thierry Chavant. 'What Gendrot depicts is a world of nihilistic cynicism. Stewing in racist invective and anti-bureaucratic rage at the mountains of paperwork they are buried under, Gendrot's fellow officers come across as frustrated and thwarted. They take that anger out on usually defenseless immigrants. While Gendrot depicts many potent scenes of vindictive violence - at one point, he witnesses cops pummeling a teenager with all the vicious senselessness of a scene out of A Clockwork Orange - he also digs into the policing institution's sad state of logistical affairs. After one officer kills himself, Gendrot delves into the sense of helplessness that leads so many other police to do the same (51 in 2017). The work builds into an empathetic chronicle of human suffering, with Gendrot emerging more mystified more than outraged. It's a thought-provoking affront to any reader looking for simple solutions.' -Publishers Weekly 'An explosive new book by an investigative journalist has drawn fresh attention to police brutality and racism in France ... Chronicles the author's training and the six months he spent as a police officer in one of Paris' poorest districts ... its vivid portrayal underlines how France's history of racism and present-day police tactics have remained relatively unexamined.' -Matt Bradley, NBC News 'A journalist who spent almost six months undercover in a Paris police force witnessed racism, almost daily violence, and a culture of impunity for officers who mistreated civilians ... The book's release follows a period of increased criticism of police in France.' -Jamie Clifton, Vice