Overview

The East End has always held a malign fascination for the general public. In this book James Morton looks at this phenomenon from the days of the unsolved murders committed by Jack the Ripper to the 1960s when the Kray Twins held the reins of the Underworld, to the present and how the structure of crimes and criminal gangs has changed. EAST END GANGLAND looks not only at the Twins but also at the influx of immigrant gangs of the 1900s, the powerful Chinese drug dealers of the 1920s, the racecourse gangs, the men who ran crime on the docks, and organised prostitution throughout the century to the major drug dealers of today.

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9780751530056

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Reviews

A refreshing change from those that examine only the life of the Kray family. A fascinating read SUNDERLAND ECHO A fascinating look behind closed lock-up doors...a book that will prove essential reading for anyone who thinks they know East London. EVENING STANDARD Morton's account...destroys quaint ideas about crime. BIG ISSUE The tales are told with a flourish in a fascinating, useful and lively history THE TIMES

A refreshing change from those that examine only the life of the Kray family. A fascinating read - SUNDERLAND ECHO A fascinating look behind closed lock-up doors...a book that will prove essential reading for anyone who thinks they know East London. - EVENING STANDARD Morton's account...destroys quaint ideas about crime. - BIG ISSUE The tales are told with a flourish in a fascinating, useful and lively history - THE TIMES

The public has long had a fascination with gangland and London's East End. Why else would the late Reggie Kray draw the crowds (as did his brother five years earlier) to his funeral in 2000? The notoriety of gangland thugs and murderers follows them, not only throughout their lives and to their deaths, but for decades afterwards. Morton's 12th account of gangland villains recounts the exploits of such characters as Jack the Hat McVitie, Frank Mitchell and the Kray brothers through the 20th century and up to the present day. Chapters focus on specific villains or gangs, particular areas and groups such as prostitutes and immigrants. One can't help but wonder what this book, as one of what almost amounts to a series, can offer in the way of new material, since these characters are for the most part well documented already. However, it does bring the gangland scene right up to date with an exploration of how organized East End crime is changing. Now much of it is influenced heavily by drug trafficking and the rich rewards that brings. There are also other, newer elements appearing, such as football hooliganism and similar mob violence, and the rise of ethnic gangs. (Kirkus UK)

'A refreshing change from those that examine only the life of the Kray family. A fascinating read' SUNDERLAND ECHO 'A fascinating look behind closed lock-up doors...a book that will prove essential reading for anyone who thinks they know East London.' EVENING STANDARD 'Morton's account...destroys quaint ideas about crime.' BIG ISSUE 'The tales are told with a flourish in a fascinating, useful and lively history' THE TIMES

Author Information

James Morton, Editor-in-Chief of the NEW LAW JOURNAL, is the author of the hugely successful Gangland series. He has long experience as a solicitor specialising in criminal work.

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