Christmas, 1953: While the rest of Philadelphia sings Jingle Bells, Thomas Grubb gets his first taste of a cop's life. Before he cashes his first paycheck he encounters: a man gutted by a knife-wielding mugger, a fighting-mad mental case intent on destroying a hospital emergency room and the hushed-up shooting death of an undercover cop. That first week is nothing compared to what lies ahead. Working as a street cop, an undercover officer, a detective and finally gang control, Grubb will spend the next thirty years going toe-to-toe with all the fast-changing and sometimes violent events that have rocked American society. A Cop's Life: The remarkable story of a truly remarkable man.