Villains: It Takes One to Know One

by Paul Ferris, Reg McKay

This is the real inside story of notorious villains, by one of their own. Murder, gunrunning, drug trafficking, kneecappings - Paul Ferris has been accused of many things in his life, some true, some not. What's not in dispute is that he spent twenty-five years as one of Britain's most feared gangsters. Out of prison and straight for five years, Paul still hasn't forgotten the common thugs and big-time players that surrounded him or the world of violence, fear and uneasy alliances that he inhabited with them. Now Paul Ferris recounts the stories of a tough existence that nobody knows better. The brutality you'd expect, the strangeness you might not. There's the man wanted by everyone from the Old Bailey to Glasgow High Court but who might just be a figment of the cops' imagination; the rise of women in the underworld, with unheard-of power and loaded pistols in thigh holsters; or the betrayed Manchester face who visited a gang's club and sprayed it with bullets, only to become the gang's hero overnight. The stories cover the underbellies of London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester and beyond, but the material couldn't be closer to home - from the job Paul's father, Willie Ferris, pulled with a school bus full of kids as the getaway vehicle, to the war Paul got caught up in between two of London's biggest teams. And, as you'll discover, when it comes to villains, it takes one to know one.

Genres: True Crime

Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Rees Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good villain book.

Cannot remember much but he was affiliated with some Scottish vagabonds.

He said when he was taking crack cocaine he would sit in his penthouse of flat and think he is seeing people outside.

He said he beat the habbit but he had an interested qoutation that i liked and i believe it was the highlight of hiss book

"anybody with a habit or addiction will have to ride the waves of his soul until he is ready to quit and once his soul has decided, the choice will be made"

I've done it with Cigs twice and with cannabis.


Crap Wetherspoons coffee should be the next wave my soul rides, Horrific coffee but convenient.

But this book itself, Worth reading for that quotation, Great quote. made the book.

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not for me . Very immature writing style and not very exciting stories

[Lukas Lovas · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was definitely interesting. As it's very far from my own way of life, it didn't quite strike the note I might have hoped for. That said, it definitely brought the authors viewpoint closer to me, and made this other world more real. The stories were funny, sad, illuminating and sometimes frightening. Worth reading, as biographies often are, if you find humans to be a fascinating species and even more intriguing individuals.