with an introduction by David Simon

Welcome to the critically acclaimed HBO drama series The Wire, hailed as ‘the best show on television, period’ by the San Francisco Chronicle. The New York Times calls it ‘a vital part of the television landscape…unvarnished realism.’ Time declares that The Wire, ‘like its underfunded, workaday cops, just plugged away until it outshone everything else on TV.’

The Wire stands not only as riveting drama but also as a sociopolitical treatise with ambitions beyond any television serial. It portrays the war of attrition between Baltimore’s hardened police force and its drug dealers, and the blurring of good and evil, justice and injustice, right and wrong.

Rafael Alvarez—a reporter, essayist, and staff writer for the show—brings the reader inside, detailing many of the real-life incidents and personalities that have inspired the show’s storylines and characters, providing the reader with insights into the city of Baltimore—itself an undeniable character in the series. Packed with photographs and featuring an introduction by series creator and executive producer David Simon, as well as essays by acclaimed authors George Pelecanos, Laura Lippman, and Anthony Walton, here is an invaluable resource for both fans of the show and viewers who have yet to discover The Wire.

Praise for The Wire:

‘You either love The Wire, or haven’t seen it.’

— Guardian