Book Reviews (Edited b y A. R. Brownlie)

HAND MARKS

H.I.T. Patricia Anne Kolb (C. C. Thomas, SpringJield, Illinois, 1979, 93pp., index. No price stated)

This is an interesting and well-presented manual for the classification, filing and retrieval of palm prints. The numerous illustrations are exceptionally good and every experienced fingerprint technician will realise the prodigious research which Patricia Anne Kolb has undertaken to obtain the curious palm impressions for the manual.

In the U.K. nearly every chief fingerprint officer has experimented with similar systems for the classification, filing and retrieval of palm prints. How- ever to the reviewer's knowledge this is the first which incorporates a punch and sort system. As palm print collections grow into the tens of thousands in finger- print bureaus, many fingerprint officers are of the opinion that they become unmanageable. Nevertheless any system-may it be the one presented by the author--is better than none a t all.

R.F.

A Force for the Future Roy Lewis (Temple Smith, London, 1979, 316pp., £7.50)

A readable, well-researched book by an author who has obviously gone deeply into his subject. Perhaps there are too many quotes from other persons, not all of which would be agreed with by some police officers. The conclusions reached are similar to those advanced by several sources over the years, namely more specialisation within forces and greater school/police liaison. The advocacy of Regional police forces eventually leading to a National one and even a European Federal force is a well-worn theme.

One idea-that of posting police officers to different arts of the country should the need arise-is too military in concept to find much favour among those who advocate a close community/police relationship.

Two highly interesting and worthy conclusions (particularly the first) are:- 1. Retired Senior police officers to be elevated to the House of Lords; 2. The provision of a Special National Mobile Reserve.

S.B.

RESEARCHING AN ASSASSIN

Legend, The Secret World of Lee Harvey Oswald Edward Jay Epstein (Hutchinson, London, 1978, 368pp., index, £5.50)

With the exception of the Bible, there can be few topics upon which more printer's ink and paper has been expended than that of the murder of John F. Kennedy. The role of Lee Harvey Oswald in that tragedy has taken up a very large proportion of that ink and paper, to which has been added this present