Good Cop, Bad War

My double life undercover with the drug gangs

This is the best book ever written about the British war on drugs.

Gripping exposé of the disastrous reality of the drug war

Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover police officer – befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. With the insight that can only come from having fought on its front lines, Neil came to see the true futility of the War on Drugs – that it demonises those who need help, and only empowers the very worst elements in society. Neil is on the board of LEAP (Law Enforcement Action Partnership) in the US and is the Chair of LEAP in the UK. LEAP is an organisation made up exclusively of law enforcement professionals, past and present, who campaign for drug law reforms. He has also starred in Channel 4 Drugs Live.

'Undercover, you're never just acting; you're only ever a different version of yourself.' 
 
Neil Woods spent fourteen years (1993-2007) infiltrating drug gangs as an undercover policeman, befriending and gaining the trust of some of the most violent, unpredictable criminals in Britain. But Neil was never your stereotypical gung-ho, tough-guy copper. This is the story of how a thoughtful, idealistic character learned to use his empathetic nature to master some of the roughest, most dangerous work in law enforcement. There was no training, no manual and no plan for when things went wrong; he was just dropped at a corner and told to make connections. But, inevitably, having swords thrust against his jugular, witnessing beatings, stabbings, and gangsters burning suspected rats with acid took its toll. 
 
Drawing on Neil’s experiences, with the insight that can only come from having fought on the front lines, GOOD COP, BAD WAR is at once a narrative-driven true crime read and a fascinating story of a character under pressure.

Neil Woods

J S Rafaeli

Anyone who cares about Britain should read this extraordinary and riveting book. It will change how you see our country - and lots of things that seemed strange will start to make sense.

If you want to understand how Britain succumbed to a self-defeating war on drugs benefiting only the most vicious gangsters, this book is the perfect primer with its highly-readable fusion of analysis, history and first person testimonies from the front line.

The terrifying inside story of Britain’s drug trade

TO KNOW THE TRUE STORY BEHIND A WAR, ASK THE PEOPLE WHO FOUGHT IT 
 
 'An observation van is running surveillance on a high-level Bradford gangster. Suddenly the van is surrounded by men in balaclavas and tied shut. Out comes the can of petrol. It is set alight and the two cops inside barely escape with their lives. This incident is never reported. The gangsters clearly have informants inside the police and alerting the public would undermine the force. Everyone shrugs it off – with so much money in the drugs game, corruption is part and parcel of the whole deal' 
 
The Drug Wars have been fought on British streets for decades, bringing destruction, corruption and violence in their wake. Yet it is a story that remains fundamentally untold. Until now. 
 
In this groundbreaking book, former undercover police officer Neil Woods, who risked his life infiltrating some of the UK's most vicious gangs, pieces together the complex and terrifying reality of the drug war in Britain. Calling upon gripping first-hand accounts from those on both sides of the battle, Drug Wars is told by those who are fighting it.

Drug Wars

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Praise for Drug Wars

Anyone who cares about Britain should read this extraordinary and riveting book. It will change how you see our country - and lots of things that seemed strange will start to make sense.

If you want to understand how Britain succumbed to a self-defeating war on drugs benefiting only the most vicious gangsters, this book is the perfect primer with its highly-readable fusion of analysis, history and f ...

Books by Neil Woods

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