All the Pieces Matter: THE INSIDE STORY OF THE WIRE

Description

Since its final episode aired in 2008, HBO's acclaimed crime drama The Wire has only become more popular and influential. The issues it tackled, from the failures of the drug war and criminal justice system to systemic bias in law enforcement and other social institutions, have become more urgent and central to the national conversation. The show's actors, such as Idris Elba, Dominic West, and Michael B. Jordan, have gone on to become major stars. Its creators and writers, including David Simon and Richard Price, have developed dedicated cult followings of their own. Universities use the show to teach everything from film theory to criminal justice to sociology. Politicians and activists reference it when discussing policy. When critics compile lists of the Greatest TV Shows of All Time, The Wire routinely takes the top spot. It is arguably one of the great works of art America has produced in the 20th century. But while there has been a great deal of critical analysis of the show and its themes, until now there has never been a definitive, behind-the-scenes take on how it came to be made. With unparalleled access to all the key actors and writers involved in its creation, Jonathan Abrams tells the astonishing, compelling, and complete account of The Wire, from its inception and creation through its end and powerful legacy. 'Jonathan Abrams has talked to nearly everyone involved in making the show and this oral history is essential reading for any fan.' - The Guardian

Jonathan Abrams is an award-winning journalist who writes for Bleacher Report. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Boys Among Men. He was previously a staff writer at Grantland, the Los Angeles Times, and the New York Times and is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Jonathan Abrams has talked to nearly everyone involved in making the show and this oral history is essential reading for any fan -- PD Smith * The Guardian * a worthy companion to the greatest TV show of all time * i news * this oral history will remind you just how stunning and influential the TV drama was -- Sharon Wheeler * Crime Review * The way that the topics shift is quite natural; Abrams has done a great job of selecting pieces that work well together - so much so that the effect is like reading the transcript of a long panel discussion involving twenty-plus people * The Crime Review * From the moment The Wire ended, all I have wished for is one more season. Jonathan Abrams has given us something just as valuable - the complete story of how something this wonderful, rich, and intricate came to be -- Michael Schur, creator of Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn 99 and The Good Place