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Gerald Howson 1st edit/1 print Thief Taker General The Rise and Fall of Jonathan Wild 1970 [Hardcover] Howson, Gerald [Hardcover] Howson, Gerald
This rare and vintage book is a perfect addition to any bibliophile's collection
- GenresHistoryNonfiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 17, 2012
If only I'd found this book when I was taking legal history! Jonathan Wild was the world's first supercriminal. He had the public snowed into thinking he was a master detective and restorer of stolen items, but all the while he was engineering the thefts himself and sending rival thieves to the gallows.
Howson's book exposes the mind-bogglingly corrupt criminal justice "system" in place in early 18th century London. And it is staggering. That this was the foundation of Anglo-American justice continues to amaze me.
Wild doesn't make for a very romantic villain (he was despicable). It is all rather bleak, but at the same time, riveting reading. His was a train wreck of a life, from start to finish, but for a brief period of time, he managed to exploit just about everyone, to his great financial gain.
I rarely criticize a book for being dense or too detailed -- and I'm hesitant to do it here, because I liked the detail -- but I think most people would want more of a primer on the system as it was in order to understand how Wild exploited it.
Whatever you do, try to find an e-version or a modern printing. I have the 1971 St. Martin's Press hardback (with dust jacket) and kept having allergic reactions to the thing. I don't know if it was how the paper aged or if it has some weird mold going on, but it's something to watch for.
Howson's book exposes the mind-bogglingly corrupt criminal justice "system" in place in early 18th century London. And it is staggering. That this was the foundation of Anglo-American justice continues to amaze me.
Wild doesn't make for a very romantic villain (he was despicable). It is all rather bleak, but at the same time, riveting reading. His was a train wreck of a life, from start to finish, but for a brief period of time, he managed to exploit just about everyone, to his great financial gain.
I rarely criticize a book for being dense or too detailed -- and I'm hesitant to do it here, because I liked the detail -- but I think most people would want more of a primer on the system as it was in order to understand how Wild exploited it.
Whatever you do, try to find an e-version or a modern printing. I have the 1971 St. Martin's Press hardback (with dust jacket) and kept having allergic reactions to the thing. I don't know if it was how the paper aged or if it has some weird mold going on, but it's something to watch for.
February 13, 2009
This is a biography of one of the first modern gangsters, Jonathan Wild, who lived in London in the 1700s. He was definitely an extraordinary man. The book is well researched and very detailed, to the point of tediousness -- all the names started to run together after awhile.
April 24, 2015
A great tale of a man who came from My city..
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews