Thomas has excelled himself. An important and riveting study in social history, it also has a very pertinent relevance in the crime-riddled society that is Britain today.-The Sunday Times (London) A magnificent book. Beautifully written, utterly compelling: almost without fault in every respect.-The Literary Review Venturing into the urban underbelly of postwar Britain, and especially of London, this riveting true-crime chronicle explores the shadowy ganglands where for twenty-five years armed robbery, prostitution, vice, and drugs flourished under racketeer kings.