A Rusty Gun

by Noel 'Razor' Smith

As a gun-wielding bank robber, Noel 'Razor' Smith was top of the criminal tree, enjoying the excitement and benefits of a dangerous and adrenalin-filled career. But he'd also spent the greater part of his adult life in prison, an environment where respect and basic survival were guaranteed only to those prepared to use the most brutal violence. In his new book, Smith takes the story on from his highly acclaimed memoir A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun, and describes how he came to realize that the game wasn't worth the candle. In his mid-forties he applied to enter Grendon, then the only prison in Britain offering intense therapeutic treatment to hardened criminals. He went from a brutal high-security prison, HMP Whitemoor, to an institution where he was encouraged to investigate just why his life had been given over to violence and crime. Smith paints an unforgettable portrait of the hardened and severely damaged inmates of Grendon, many of them guilty of famous crimes, and their attempts to turn round their lives. And in particular his own arduous five-year journey to re-enter society as a straight citizen.

Genres: Crime, Nonfiction

400 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2010

Reviews

[Thea Pavlou]

I love Razor's sharp edged wit and matter of fact storytelling. That he injects humour into often harrowing tales of criminality, and of being impoverished and forgotten is a testament to his spirit.

I can't wait for him to pen a fiction novel as I'm sure he has another 1001 stories inside him to tell. Lest we forget his offerings have so far been based on true stories.

[Tracey Wilde]

This was fascinating. Having not been there I had no idea what prison was like.
I'm so glad that Noel made it through Grendon

[Aimee loosemore]

enjoyed very much.

[R Smith]

As all of his books, Noel's writing is excellent and the stories he tells are amazing

[Clare McIntyre]

amazing, such an honest writer