
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Inside the Underworld
About this book
First published in 1972, Inside the Underworld gives a general picture of the underworld, showing it as it really is, stripped of romanticism and popular misconceptions—a non-stop resistance movement against the forces of law and order, whose ranks include both the weak and the strong, the skilled and the bungling.
How do robbers, con-men, and heisters function? What makes a top gang? Is underworld society different from ordinary society? What kind of clubs do criminals frequent? What is their taste in clothes, in girls, in jokes? Is the modern criminal most at home in Mayfair, Cannes, or Soho? What happens to his wife, his girls, his family when he goes to prison? Can he get policemen to take bribes or turn a blind eye to flagrant crimes? Questions such as these are answered as Peta Fordham unfolds her panorama of the underworld, and the reader will be able to learn many of the humdrum, sad and funny facts of life on the wrong side of the law. The author introduces an amazing variety of underworld characters, refugees from 'straight society' as well as callous and compulsive villains. Among her vignettes is the story of the young man who was largely responsible for changing the nature of British criminal expertise.
Mrs Fordham shows in considerable detail the changing attitudes of the underworld to the law, the police, to violence, and to international gangsterism.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Original Title Page
- Original Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Acknowledgments
- Table of Contents
- Introduction: Initiation into the Underworld
- Chapter 1 A Looking-Glass World
- Chapter 2 A Robbery on Tape
- Chapter 3 Apprenticeship to Crime
- Chapter 4 Villains à La Mode
- Chapter 5 The Architects of Organisation
- Chapter 6 Bellmen and Others
- Chapter 7 The Female Touch
- Chapter 8 Creeping Corruption
- Chapter 9 Are Criminals all Tories?
- Chapter 10 The Underworld in Trouble
- Chapter 11 Of Murder and Mayhem
- Chapter 12 Gangsters in Gangland
- Chapter 13 The Busy Monkeys
- Chapter 14 Superstitions Die Hard
- Chapter 15 Laughing to the Bank
- Chapter 16 Christmas-With a Difference
- Chapter 17 All is Human