Ronnie Kray : A Man Among Men

by Laurie O'Leary

Ronnie Kray was one half of London's most notorious gangster duo. He and his brother Reggie ruled the East End of the 1950s, and the duo's crimes and vendettas, showdowns and rivalries, have become the stuff of legend. Here, natural raconteur and childhood friend, Laurie O'Leary, recalls his wild times in the Kray gang and describes the colourful characters who made up the Krays' ever-changing circle of friends and enemies. He also reveals the private side of this complex and troubled man - how he reacted to being certified insane after a nervous breakdown in 1958, and how he coped with being a homosexual in a hard man's world.

Mass Market Paperback

First published February 4, 2002

Reviews

[Jane Armour · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting insight into Ronnie Kray plus Reg and the rest of the family. Nice to get insight from a friend of the family, to see things from his perspective, and great to see all the old photos. The letters at the end of the book were interesting especially after reading that the author had got a handwriting specialist to look at their letters - that was fascinating!

[Wyktor Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really well-written biography by an actual life-long friend of the Kray brothers, and their family. Debunks a few of the myths, and shows both the twins as everyday people, albeit normally on the wrong side of the law.
Well worth the read.

[Jo Cleobury · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best Kray books that I have read so far. Highly recommend.
RIP Ron , Reg and Laurie xxx

[Ian Hallam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't find this book went into very much detail as to how the Kray's became the powerful villains they were to come.
It seemed as if there was very little substance to the book in my opinion.

[Tosh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should save this review for my trip to London next week, but alas my impulse and need to acknowledge the kings of East London is beyond my control. Ronnie Kray is part of the Kray Twins - the other is Reg. If you go to any decent true crime section in the U.K. (especially in London) you have to come across the legends and deeds of the Kray Twins.

Psychotic, dangerous, glamourous, chic, and someone you want to know from a great distance. You don't want to owe them a favor. Their time period was the 60's and they were very much part of the Swinging 60's as the Beatles, David Bailey, etc. But the dark side of that world. If you have seen the film "Performance" with James Fox and Mick Jagger you will get at the very least the 'feel' of those times.

[Jevron McCrory · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering this was written by Ronnie Kray's apparent best friend, it's surprisingly thin on insights.

The book starts by proclaiming that this won't just be tales spun around the legend but it swiftly descends into that.

O'Leary makes no apologies for his friend's actions yet doesn't decry them either. It's literally a blow by blow event account, told by someone who was close yet SO FAR away from the real story that just bubbles beneath the surface.

It's O'Leary's memories poured out on paper and while, from concept alone, that should be enough, it woefully isn't. There's no real flow, structure or pace to the book and it's dreadfully thin on specifics.

It's added another layer to the Kray onion of myth and legend but it's veneer is oh so thin.