Gangland: London's Underworld

by JamesMorton (Author)

• Used

  Hardcover
  1992

  $3.25

• Used

  Paperback
  1994

  $3.25

  In Gangland , his survey of London's Underworld, James Morton concentrated on the history, personalities and powers behind the capital's criminal fraternity. Now, in this comprehensive and thoroughly researched companion volume, he has turned his attention to the country as a whole, assessing the role of the great criminal families, gangs and organisations in all of Britain's major cities. Beginning with a concise overview of the London scene, including discussion of celebrated and well-documented families such as the Krays, the Sabinis and the Richardsons, Morton then embarks on a nationwide tour of robbery, extortion and vice. From Glasgow's hard men to the burgeoning drugs market on Manchester's Moss Side, this book exposes the people and places behind the profession of violence - documenting the histories, fads and feuds, as well as containing perceptive and fresh outlooks on the crimes themselves. Also covering Liverpool, Newcastle, Cardiff and Birmingham, this book contains individual chapters on the role of women in organised crime, the growing significance of the drugs trade to all but the most petty of villains, and the incidence of criminal activity in the world of sport - in particular the practice of doping in horse and greyhound racing. Crime in Ireland is also examined in detail, and the author assesses to what extent a cross-over exists between the worlds of the pure criminal and the political terrorist.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2003

  $3.25

  The early criminals were just as violent, dangerous and daring as their more recent relations. After a raid on the American Express in Paris, Eddie Guerin was sent to Devil's Island from which he escaped and survived, probably by eating his fellow escapees. Gangland: The Early Years is about criminal society and the characters who brought it about in the 19th and 20th centuries. It concentrates on the aristocrats of crime - men and women who stole and spent fortunes. Whilst a great many ended their lives in prison and poverty, some went on to become millionaires and members of society. One of the lesser known facts of criminal life of 19th century is the ease with which criminals from London and New York moved between the two cities, as well as spreading their enterprises into Europe. After a successful robbery in America or England, members of the team might take an extended working holiday . The files of the Pinkerton Detective Agency are littered with reports of the Americans who were working in Europe and the English thieves in New York or Chicago.