Twentieth Century Cop: The Flying Squad Detective Who Wrote 'The Bill'

Barry Appleton investigated some of the most notable crimes of the twentieth century, from multi-million pound robberies to cold-blooded killings that shook the world.

Walking the beat of the crime-ridden East End under the rule of the Krays, Barry went toe-to-toe with the underworld, earning multiple commendations for his courage. Following a series of high-profile murder cases, he was assigned to the Flying Squad and went undercover to investigate the assassination of Martin Luther King.

Life in the ‘Sweeney’ was dangerous and the detective’s dedication to the job saw him injured in the line of duty, pushing him and his family to the limit. After 20 years’ exemplary service with the Met, Barry’s crimefighting adventures continued when he achieved overnight success as the lead scriptwriter of The Bill, adding gritty realism to 50 episodes of the groundbreaking drama.

Now Barry has taken on one final case to unravel his own incredible life story. How did a boy from the Welsh valleys end up in a shootout on the streets of London? What made a hard-nosed cop swap his snub-nosed Smith & Wesson for a second-hand typewriter? And who was the angel always by his side?

Featuring dramatic flashback sequences and never-before-told behind-the-scenes stories from Britain’s longest-running police procedural drama, Twentieth Century Cop is an extraordinary true crime memoir that vividly captures life as an old school copper, on the streets and on the screen.