Memoirs of a Police Sergeant (Portuguese: Memórias de um sargento de milícias) is a novel written by the Brazilian author Manuel Antônio de Almeida. It was first published in 1852. It tells the colorful story of a problem child that grows up into an immoral, reckless young man until he is arrested by the police and given the chance of becoming an officer instead of serving his sentence. The book is full of picturesque descriptions of Rio de Janeiro's life in the early 19th century, including popular feasts and holidays, and is considered, besides a literary masterpiece, an important source of Brazilian history.
A recent edition in Portuguese (New York, NY: Luso-Brazilian Books, 2005) has the ISBN 0-85051-504-1. A recent English edition titled Memoirs of a militia sergeant: a novel (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999) has the ISBN 0-19-511549-X.
Famous quotes containing the words memoirs, police and/or sergeant:
“There are people who can write their memoirs with a reasonable amount of honesty, and there are people who simply cannot take themselves seriously enough. I think I might be the first to admit that the sort of reticence which prevents a man from exploiting his own personality is really an inverted sort of egotism.”
—Raymond Chandler (1888–1959)
“The duties which a police officer owes to the state are of a most exacting nature. No one is compelled to choose the profession of a police officer, but having chosen it, everyone is obliged to live up to the standard of its requirements. To join in that high enterprise means the surrender of much individual freedom.”
—Calvin Coolidge (1872–1933)
“It’s fear of being afraid that frightens me more than anything else.”
—Jerome Cady, U.S. screenwriter, and Lewis Milestone. Sergeant Clinton (Farley Granger)