Overview

This is the story of a man who went from Yorkshire mill worker to Monte Carlo millionaire. Amongst the men 'who broke the bank at Monte Carlo', Joseph Hobson Jagger is unique. He is the only one known to have devised an infallible and completely legal system to defeat the odds at roulette and win a fortune. But he was not what might be expected. He wasn't a gentleman or an aristocrat, he wasn't a professional gambler, he was a Yorkshire textile worker who had laboured in the Victorian mills of Bradford since childhood. What led a man like this to travel nearly a thousand miles to the exclusive world of the Riviera when most people lived and died within a few miles of where they were born? The trains that took him there were still new and dangerous, he did not speak French and had never left the north of England. His motivation was strong. Joseph, his wife and four children, the youngest of whom was only two, faced a situation so grave that their only escape seemed to be his desperate gamble on the roulette tables of Monte Carlo. Today Jagger's legacy is felt in casinos worldwide and yet he is virtually unknown. Anne Fletcher is his great-great-great niece and in this true-life detective story she uncovers how he was able to win a fortune, what happened to his millions and why Jagger should now be regarded as the real 'man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo'.

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9781398103344

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Reviews

'An utterly compelling and deeply personal account of a working class Victorian man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo. In telling the remarkable story of her ancestor, the author brings to life one of the most transformative periods in British history. Her painstaking research is as fascinating as the tale itself. Not to be missed.' -- Tracy Borman 'A thrilling true detective story that redefines family history. Anne Fletcher deploys impeccably researched social history on the Victorian north of England as the convincing backdrop to a portrait of a desperate man whose last chance is finding improbable luck, a thousand miles from home.' -- Jonathan Foyle 'An eloquent and captivating rags-to-riches tale, well-drawn, evocative of character, place and era; a fascinating read.' -- Amy Licence

Author Information

Anne Fletcher is an historian and writer. She has a successful career in heritage and has worked at some of the most exciting historic sites in the country including Hampton Court Palace, St Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Bletchley Park and Tower Bridge. She is the great-great-great niece of Joseph Hobson Jagger, 'the man who broke the bank at Monte Carlo' and he is the subject of her book 'From the Mill to Monte Carlo' published by Amberley Publishing 2018. Her search for his story started with only a photograph, a newspaper article and the lyrics of the famous song. The story was featured in national newspapers.

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