Download or read book Thief Taker General written by Gerald Howson and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on 1985-01-01 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The historical literature of political deviance is sparse. This unusual work, chronicling the history of Jonathan Wild, represents an effort to come to terms with one of the more amazing characters of English social history. Wild was both part of the policy system in eighteenth-century England, and also one of the most adroit criminals of the age. In the 1720s, London suffered the worst crime waves in its history. Civic corruption took place on a staggering scale. The government's answer was to pay a bounty for the capture of robbers, thus creating a class of professional informers. Wild was applauded as the most efficient thief hunter and gang breaker in British society; but his own posse of thief catchers was basically a front behind which he was able to control the underground world, through a complex system of blackmail, perjury, and terror which the book details. All who opposed him were betrayed to the law, and in the struggle for power Wild sacrificed several hundred of his own people to the hangman. No one since his time, with the exception of Lavrenti Beria of the late Stalin era GPU so nearly succeeded in bringing the underworld under the control of one system of power. At one level, this is a biography of the world's first supercriminal. At another, it is a sociology of criminal behavior and its political consequences. Howson sheds fresh light, not only on a figure who has become famous in literature, but more important, on the entire structure of gang life. The book is written "as a "terrifying and fascinating study of a historical epoch; it also offers a completely fresh picture of the birth of modern organized-crime families as part of modern organized political systems.
Download or read book The Thief Taker Hangings written by Aaron Skirboll and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2014-09-02 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After the Glorious Revolution, a not so glorious age of lawlessness befell England. Crime ran rampant, and highwaymen, thieves, and prostitutes ruled the land. Execution by hanging often punished the smallest infractions, and rip-roaring stories of fearless criminals proliferated, giving birth to a new medium: the newspaper. In 1724, housebreaker Jack Sheppard—a “pocket Hercules,” his small frame packed with muscle—finally met the hangman. Street singers sang ballads about the Cockney burglar because no prison could hold him. Each more astonishing than the last, his final jailbreak took him through six successive locked rooms, after which he shimmied down two blankets from the prison roof to the street below. Just before Sheppard swung, he gave an account of his life to a writer in the crowd. Daniel Defoe stood in the shadow of the day’s literati—Swift, Pope, Gay—and had done hard time himself for sedition and bankruptcy. He saw how prison corrupted the poor. They came out thieves, but he came out a journalist. Six months later, the author of Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders covered another death at the hanging tree. Jonathan Wild looked every bit the brute—body covered in scars from dagger, sword, and gun, bald head patched with silver plates from a fractured skull—and he had all but invented the double-cross. He cultivated young thieves, profited from their work, then turned them in for his reward—and their execution. But one man refused to play his game. Sheppard didn’t take orders from this self-proclaimed “thief-taker general,” nor would he hawk his loot through Wild’s fences. The two-faced bounty hunter took it personally and helped bring the young burglar’s life to an end. But when Wild’s charade came to light, he quickly became the most despised man in the land. When he was hanged for his own crimes, the mob wasn’t rooting for Wild as it had for Sheppard. Instead, they hurled stones, rotten food, and even dead animals at him. Defoe once again got the scoop, and tabloid journalism as we know it had begun.
Download or read book Thief Taker General written by Gerald Howson and published by Transaction Publishers. This book was released on 1985-01-01 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The historical literature of political deviance is sparse. This unusual work, chronicling the history of Jonathan Wild, represents an effort to come to terms with one of the more amazing characters of English social history. Wild was both part of the policy system in eighteenth-century England, and also one of the most adroit criminals of the age. In the 1720s, London suffered the worst crime waves in its history. Civic corruption took place on a staggering scale. The government's answer was to pay a bounty for the capture of robbers, thus creating a class of professional informers. Wild was applauded as the most efficient thief hunter and gang breaker in British society; but his own posse of thief catchers was basically a front behind which he was able to control the underground world, through a complex system of blackmail, perjury, and terror which the book details. All who opposed him were betrayed to the law, and in the struggle for power Wild sacrificed several hundred of his own people to the hangman. No one since his time, with the exception of Lavrenti Beria of the late Stalin era GPU so nearly succeeded in bringing the underworld under the control of one system of power. At one level, this is a biography of the world's first supercriminal. At another, it is a sociology of criminal behavior and its political consequences. Howson sheds fresh light, not only on a figure who has become famous in literature, but more important, on the entire structure of gang life. The book is written as a terrifying and fascinating study of a historical epoch; it also offers a completely fresh picture of the birth of modern organized-crime families as part of modern organized political systems.
Download or read book Thieftaker written by D. B. Jackson and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2013-07-02 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Boston, 1767: Revolution is brewing and intrigue swirls around firebrands. But for a thieftaker who makes his living by conjuring spells that help him solve crimes, politics is for others until he is asked to recover a necklace worn by the murdered daughter of a prominent family.
Download or read book The Thieves Opera written by Lucy Moore and published by Mariner Books. This book was released on 2000 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Georgian London was a city of extraordinary contrast: its elegance and refinement thrived amid appalling filth and foul smells, decadence and depravity. Crime was everywhere, from pickpockets and prostitutes to murderous highwaymen, as London bulged with riches from its overseas colonies. The Thieves' Opera is the story of the city, and of its two greatest criminals, Jonathan Wild and Jack Sheppard. Wild, whose excesses led to his being known as "Thief-taker General," dominated London's criminal world. And Sheppard spent his time drinking, gambling, housebreaking, and whoring. When Sheppard refused to bow to Wild's authority, Wild had him arrested. But Sheppard's extraordinary ability to escape from prison-repeatedly-made him a celebrated folk hero. Eventually the rivalry spiraled to a dramatic climax involving the entire city. An eminently readable blend of popular history and scholarship, this book is a fascinating window into a world that confounds the modern imagination.
Download or read book Thief Taker General written by Gerald Howson and published by . This book was released on 1971 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book A Spectacle of Corruption written by David Liss and published by Random House. This book was released on 2004-03-16 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Benjamin Weaver, the quick-witted pugilist turned private investigator, returns in David Liss’s sequel to the Edgar Award–winning novel, A Conspiracy of Paper. “[A] wonderful book . . . every bit as good as [Liss’s] remarkable debut . . . easily one of the year’s best.”—The Boston Globe Moments after his conviction for a murder he did not commit, at a trial presided over by a judge determined to find him guilty, Benjamin Weaver is accosted by a stranger who cunningly slips a lockpick and a file into his hands. In an instant he understands two things: Someone wants him to hang—and another equally mysterious agent is determined to see him free. After a daring escape from eighteenth-century London’s most notorious prison, Weaver must face another challenge: to prove himself innocent when the corrupt courts have shown they care nothing for justice. Unable to show his face in public, Weaver pursues his inquiry disguised as a wealthy merchant seeking to involve himself in the contentious world of politics. Desperately navigating a labyrinth of schemers, crime lords, assassins, and spies, Weaver learns that in an election year, little is what it seems and the truth comes at a staggeringly high cost. Praise for A Spectacle of Corruption “[A] rousing sequel of historical, intellectual suspense. ”—San Antonio Express-News “Liss is a superb writer who evokes the squalor of London with Hogarthian gusto.”—People “In Benjamin Weaver, Mr. Liss has created a multifaceted character and a wonderful narrator.”—The New York Sun
Download or read book The Fatal Tree written by Jake Arnott and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 408 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: London, the 1720s. Welcome to 'Romeville', the underworld of that great city. The financial crash caused by the South Sea Bubble sees the rise of Jonathan Wild, self-styled 'Thief-taker General' who purports to keep the peace while brutally controlling organised crime. Only two people truly defy him: Jack Sheppard, apprentice turned house-breaker, and his lover, the notorious whore and pickpocket Edgworth Bess. From the condemned cell at Newgate, Bess gives her account of how she and Jack formed the most famous criminal partnership of their age: a tale of lost innocence and harsh survival, passion and danger, bold exploits and spectacular gaol-breaks - and of the price they paid for rousing the mob of Romeville against its corrupt master.
Download or read book The Road to Tyburn written by Christopher Hibbert and published by . This book was released on 2001-09-27 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jack Sheppard, glamorous rebel, daring escapee and idol of the London mob, was one of the most legendary criminals of eighteenth-century England. When he finally met his end and was hanged in 1724, weeping girls and thronging crowds lined the road to the gallows at Tyburn. In uncovering Jack Sheppard's enthralling story, lively and prolific historian Christopher Hibbert has drawn on contemporary newspapers, pamphlets and trial reports. He reveals a wild, dissolute, extravagant character, who, although he drank to excess, frequented the beds of prostitutes and was the 'greatest prison breaker in the annals of this country', also proved to be a man of great intelligence and wit. Yet this is more than the story of one individual. It also takes us on a fascinating tour through the murky underworld of eighteenth-century London.
Download or read book Secret Societies written by William Holden and published by Bold Strokes Books Inc. This book was released on 2012-10-01 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1724, Thomas Newton is cast out of his home by his aristocratic father. Desperate to make a new life for himself, he heads to London. Through a string of intimate encounters, he enters the underground world of male-male desire.Soon enough, Thomas meets Margaret Clap, who runs one of the male brothels. Without a child of her own, "Mother Clap" finds herself drawn to Thomas. She offers him a place in her house, but also a place in her heart. Thomas's homecoming is too brief. The Society for the Reformation of Manners, a group of Christian zealots, begins raiding the Molly houses. They plan to force the arrest, conviction, and execution of any man guilty of "crimes against nature." When Margaret Clap's house is raided and Margaret herself is arrested, Thomas has to make the most difficult decision of his still young life, one that could destroy everyone around him in a desperate effort to save them.
Download or read book Jack Sheppard written by William Harrison Ainsworth and published by . This book was released on 1870 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Map Thief written by Heather Terrell and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2009-04-28 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Republican kingmaker Richard Tobias has hired attorney Mara Coyne, he says, because of her skill in recovering stolen art, but Mara senses that he is not telling her everything. Tobias reveals that a centuries-old map was stolen from an archaeological dig he is sponsoring in China, and he wants her to get it back. But as Mara begins her investigation, she uncovers the shocking truth: The map is more valuable than anyone has even imagined, and her client’s motives are more sinister than she suspected. From Hong Kong to the Italian countryside, from Lisbon to the remote reaches of Communist China, and literally around the world on the ships of fifteenth-century explorers, Heather Terrell takes readers on an adventure of epic proportions.
Download or read book Murder at Mansfield Park written by Lynn Shepherd and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-03-04 with total page 402 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Murder at Mansfield Park is a witty and clever reimagining of Jane Austen's much-loved novel Mansfield Park. But in this Mansfield Park, things have changed ... Formerly Austen's meekest heroine, Fanny Price has become not only an heiress to an extensive fortune but also a heartless, scheming minx. Hiding her true character behind a demure facade, Fanny is indeed betrothed to Edmund, now Mrs Norris's stepson; but do the couple really love each other? Henry and Mary Crawford arrive in the country ready to wreak havoc with their fast city ways, but this time Henry Crawford is troubled by a suspicious past while his sister, Mary, steps forward in the best Austen style to become an unexpected heroine. Meanwhile, tragedy strikes the safe and solid grand house as it becomes the scene of violence. Every member of the family falls under suspicion and the race begins to halt a ruthless murderer. Funny and sharp, Murder at Mansfield Park is simply a delight to read.
Download or read book Undercover Thief written by H T King and published by . This book was released on 2018-04-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This YA novel is the enthralling story of a teenage spy with a twist! A charming, sassy teenage thief finds out that her parents are spies. She ends up sent to a spy school in America where she has to keep her secret in order to protect herself and her family. So far this book has been met with many fantastic and enthusiastic reviews.
Download or read book Thief Taker General written by Gerald Howson and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Thief Taker written by C. S. Quinn and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The year is 1665. Black Death ravages London. A killer stalks the streets in a plague doctor's hood and mask... When a girl is gruesomely murdered, thief taker Charlie Tuesday reluctantly agrees to take on the case. But the horrific remains tell him this is no isolated death. The killer's mad appetites are part of a master plan that could destroy London - and reveal the dark secrets of Charlie's own past. Now the thief taker must find this murderous mastermind before the plague obliterates the evidence street by street. This terrifying pursuit will take Charlie deep into the black underbelly of old London, where alchemy, witchcraft and blood-spells collide. In a city drowned in darkness, death could be the most powerful magic of all.
Download or read book Wild written by Nathan Besser and published by Random House Australia. This book was released on 2019-09-03 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jonathan Wild knows power like no one else in London. He arrived as a wide-eyed young man in 1703, dazzled by a metropolis brimming with trade, immigration and crime. With a combination of greed, arrogance and ambition, Wild stopped at nothing to secure his place in this great and monstrous London and within a few years, he became the city’s Thief-Taker General, one of the most feared and wealthy officials in town, charged with the capture and arrest of felons for reward. But his power is matched only by the number of enemies he’s made along the way, and his star is burning rather too brightly for the likings of some. Daniel Defoe is in trouble. Following a series of failed business ventures, the renowned pamphleteer, fiction writer and political operative is dead broke. With his creditors at his heels, and facing debtors’ prison, Defoe is too crippled with anxiety to write. That is, until he visits Newgate Prison with the intention of chronicling the stories of its inmates, and meets a young man with a deep hatred for Jonathan Wild and a story to tell. WILD is a delightfully outrageous period drama that charts the rise and fall and rise again of two men whose lives become intertwined in the most surprising of ways.
