Gangland: London's Underworld

by JamesMorton (Author)

• Used

  Paperback
  1993

  $4.20

  The spectacular trial of the high-profile Kray brothers blew the lid off the London Underworld of the 1950s and 60s. But what of the great city's gangland before and since? In this comprehensive and thoroughly researched history of London's secret life, James Morton exposes some startling conclusions about exactly who lurked - and still lurks - in the powerhouses of the Underworld. From the Dover Road Gang of the 1880s to the era of the Krays and up to the Triads and Yardies of the present, GANGLAND reveals the people who ruled, robed and regulated vast areas of the capital - and those who hold ominous power today. Fascinating accounts are recorded - many from contemporaries of the controllers of vice in Soho, of contract killers, bank robbers, drug dealers, grasses and supergrasses - and of the crooked police officers and lawyers who helped them perpetuate the Underworld structure.

• 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
  1992

  $3.25