City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster

City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster
Author :
Publisher : Hachette UK
Total Pages : 469
Release :
ISBN-10 : 9781444739787
ISBN-13 : 1444739786
Rating : 4/5 (87 Downloads)

Book Synopsis City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster by : Andrew Davies

Download or read book City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster written by Andrew Davies and published by Hachette UK. This book was released on 2013-08-15 with total page 469 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: **Includes fascinating stories about Billy Fullerton, leader of the Billy Boys, featured in the latest series of BBC's Peaky Blinders** 'A new type of criminal is in our midst - a dangerous, ruthless, well-armed man, who will stick at nothing, not even murder. He is introducing into this country the gangster methods of Chicago and New York... Trade depression has thrown into unemployment thousands of unskilled youths who have nothing to do but lounge about the street corners of our slums in gangs.' John Bull weekly newspaper, 1932. During the 1920s and 1930s, Glasgow gained an unenviable and enduring notoriety as Britain's gang city - the 'Scottish Chicago'. Now Andrew Davies, author of the acclaimed The Gangs of Manchester, brings to life the reign of terror exerted on Glasgow by gangs like the Billy Boys, the Kent Star, the Savoy Arcadians and the South Side Stickers. Out of the most dilapidated and overcrowded tenements in Britain, stepped young men and women dressed like Hollywood gangsters and their molls. On the city's streets, they took centre stage in dramas of their own making, fighting territorial battles laced with religious sectarianism and running protection rackets modelled on those of the American underworld. Drawing on fifteen years of original research, Andrew Davies provides compelling portraits of legendary figures such as 'Razor King' John Ross and Billy Fullerton, leader of the Billy Boys - described as the 'Al Capone' of the city's East End. He sheds new light on the way the city's police and judiciary dealt with the gangs and reveals the fascinating role played by the media in creating myths of the underworld. During what the Daily Express described as 'The War on the Gang', Glasgow's police were led by Chief Constable Percy Sillitoe (who later became head of M15), determined to maintain the image as a tough, gang-busting cop he had forged in Sheffield during the 1920s. This dramatic story, played out against the backdrop of the most volatile of Britain's cities, provides a new window onto the most turbulent period in modern British history and a timely reminder of how deprivation, unemployment and religious bigotry are a toxic cocktail in any era.


City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster Related Books

City of Gangs: Glasgow and the Rise of the British Gangster
Language: en
Pages: 469
Authors: Andrew Davies
Categories: True Crime
Type: BOOK - Published: 2013-08-15 - Publisher: Hachette UK

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

**Includes fascinating stories about Billy Fullerton, leader of the Billy Boys, featured in the latest series of BBC's Peaky Blinders** 'A new type of criminal
Gangs of Glasgow
Language: en
Pages: 188
Authors: Robert Jeffrey
Categories: True Crime
Type: BOOK - Published: 2008-07-19 - Publisher: Black & White Publishing

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

In the twenty-first century, Glasgow is still a city living down a fearsome reputation for crime. And for some citizens of the Dear Green Place, brawling is in
Scotland’s Gang Members
Language: en
Pages: 202
Authors: Robert McLean
Categories: Social Science
Type: BOOK - Published: 2020-06-11 - Publisher: Springer Nature

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Drawing on extensive life-history interviews with serious violent offenders, this book offers a unique socio-historical analysis of gang membership and gang evo
A Companion to the History of Crime and Criminal Justice
Language: en
Pages: 330
Authors: Jo Turner
Categories: History
Type: BOOK - Published: 2017-06-21 - Publisher: Policy Press

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This companion addresses the history of crime and punishment through entries by expert contributors that select and define the central vocabulary and terminolog
The Incredible Rise of a Gorbals Gangster
Language: en
Pages: 512
Authors: Colin MACFARLANE
Categories:
Type: BOOK - Published: 2019-10-24 - Publisher:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Johnny McGrath, 21, was the leader of the notorious Glasgow razor gang The Gorbals Cumbie. He feared no-one, but was feared by many. This book follows his trial