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Villains' Paradise Donald Thomas

Villains' Paradise By Donald Thomas

Villains' Paradise by Donald Thomas


$25,99
Condition - Very Good
Only 4 left

Summary

A revealing social history of post-war Britain, seen through the powerful lens of crime

Villains' Paradise Summary

Villains' Paradise: Britain's Underworld from the Spivs to the Krays by Donald Thomas

With the war over, the forties and the fifties in Britain have the aura of a golden age. But nostalgia is deceptive: to contemporaries, the battlefront seemed only to have moved closer to home, as anxiety about armed robberies and psychopaths spread. Teenage Teddy Boy razor gangs proliferated and youths casually stabbed each other at dance halls. Newspapers revelled in headlines about the slashing of Jack Spot; Ronnie Biggs and his accomplices prototyped the gang of the future with the famous Great Train Robbery of 1963. Britain had lost the Ashes, exports had nose-dived and all of its secrets had probably been given to the Russians, but when it came to safe-blowing, it led the world.With the narrative sweep and eye for telling detail that was a hallmark of his previous 'underworld' accounts, Donald Thomas chronicles a history we might rather forget, through compelling stories we can't live without.

Villains' Paradise Reviews

Praise for An Underworld at War: 'Astonishing ! Thomas has excelled himself. His book is mesmerising and is an unputdownable and brilliantly researched page-turner. An important and riveting study in social history, it also has a very pertinent relevance in the overtaxed, overruled and crime-riddled society that is Britain today.' -- Sunday Times Praise for An Underworld at War: 'This is a wonderful book, the best I have read for ages. It is beautifully written, utterly compelling: almost without fault in every respect. Thomas, who was a boy during the war, understands his metier intimately' -- Literary Review Praise for An Underworld at War: 'Fascinating ! a richly readable and absorbing account' -- Times Higher Education Supplement Praise for An Underworld at War: 'Donald Thomas's fascinating book ... is full of wonderful examples of dishonesty, from the most mundane ... to the shocking' -- Daily Telegraph Praise for The Victorian Underworld: 'The author has a practised eye for the best anecdotes and presents amazing characters' -- The Spectator 'A thorough, clear and entertaining analysis of post-war criminality' -- Marcel Berlins, The Times 'Fascinating ... A serious, well-written book ... Admirably clear-eyed' -- Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday 20050918 'Crime, like the poor, is always with us. Donald Thomas's skill in this book is to put it into its historical context' -- Ray Connolly, Daily Mail 20051028 'An intensely detailed, exhaustively researched and highly readable social history. Or, should one say, anti-social history?' -- Evening Standard 20051017 'A rewarding and utterly necessary read.' -- Clive Aslet, Country Life 20051027 'This is not just another essay in the true crime genre. Thomas has written a very decent piece of 20th century british history...well-written, solidly-researched' -- Sunday Herald 20050925 'This is a serious...social history ! Compelling stories ! This is fresher and more challenging than fiction' -- The Herald 20050910 'For all those readers who enjoy well-researched true crime and narrative-led social history, the latest Donald Thomas is a must for their bookshelves.' -- Gilda O'Neill, author of OUR STREET 20050427

About Donald Thomas

Donald Thomas is the author of seven biographies and is also a respected novelist. He has won the Gregory Award for his poems Points of Contact. He was born in Somerset and educated at Queen's College, Taunton and Balliol College, Oxford. He holds a personal chair at Cardiff University.

Additional information

GOR002381453
9780719557347
0719557348
Villains' Paradise: Britain's Underworld from the Spivs to the Krays by Donald Thomas
Used - Very Good
Hardback
John Murray Press
20050912
528
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in very good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Villains' Paradise