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One of the Family: 40 Years with the Krays
40 YEARS WITH THE KRAYS is the untold, intimate history of the twins and the woman who raised them. Told with humour and insight, it looks back across the decades at the life of this close knit, notorious East End family. Maureen Flanagan, a then 20 year old hairdresser started visiting the Kray family home in Vallance Road each week to give the twins’ mother, Violet, her weekly shampoo and set. Over the cups of tea and the rollers and hairpins, Violet began to confide in ‘Flan’ about her life, her incredible pride in her twins, the celebrities who visited her at their humble East End home - and her troubled relationship with her husband.
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2015
16 people are currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
Maureen Flanagan
9 booksMaureen Flanagan, best known by her stage name, Flanagan, was an early nude magazine model.
Flanagan was recruited into modelling by photographer Don McCullin, who took her first modelling shots. She went on to have an acting career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, mainly in bit parts on The Benny Hill Show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and several British sex comedies. After her acting career ended, she was friends with the notorious gangsters the Kray Twins.
Flanagan's first book, "Intimate Secrets of an Escort Girl," was published in 1974. She wrote several other titillating books, before publishing the more serious memoir, "One of the Family," in 2015.
Flanagan was recruited into modelling by photographer Don McCullin, who took her first modelling shots. She went on to have an acting career in the late 1960s and early 1970s, mainly in bit parts on The Benny Hill Show, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and several British sex comedies. After her acting career ended, she was friends with the notorious gangsters the Kray Twins.
Flanagan's first book, "Intimate Secrets of an Escort Girl," was published in 1974. She wrote several other titillating books, before publishing the more serious memoir, "One of the Family," in 2015.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 14, 2018
A great insight into the family side rather than the violence side and told in such a way I felt like it was a friend chatting away. Interesting.
July 22, 2020
An easy read but really interesting and fun
October 15, 2025
A story of a lifetime in the maelstrom that was the time of the Krays.
Went round to do their mums hair and became a confident for mum and sons throughout 40 odd years. Many people would have walked away but not the author.
Highly interesting insight to the daily lives of a notorious criminal family. In the background they committed their reign of fear and violence. Then at home in the small east end home they doted on their mum and entrusted her to run their every day life.
Went round to do their mums hair and became a confident for mum and sons throughout 40 odd years. Many people would have walked away but not the author.
Highly interesting insight to the daily lives of a notorious criminal family. In the background they committed their reign of fear and violence. Then at home in the small east end home they doted on their mum and entrusted her to run their every day life.
June 8, 2019
Honest account
Pleasantly surprised by this book i did think it was going to be another " I knew the Krays account all flowers and glamour "but Maureen told it as it was good and bad right to the end enjoyed reading this book ..so different to the film version ....if you only read one book about the Kray family make it this one. X
Pleasantly surprised by this book i did think it was going to be another " I knew the Krays account all flowers and glamour "but Maureen told it as it was good and bad right to the end enjoyed reading this book ..so different to the film version ....if you only read one book about the Kray family make it this one. X
December 16, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. After reading several books about the Krays, this one was a little different to all of the others. A real insiders view. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Krays.
RIP Ron,Reg, Charlie and of course Mrs Kray.
RIP Ron,Reg, Charlie and of course Mrs Kray.
September 5, 2021
A different outlook on the Krays
What a fantastic read. Flan tells it from the Kray family point of view, especially Violet's.
There are not many books that cover Violet's story
I cannot recommend it high enough what an insight this book is to Violet's life
What a fantastic read. Flan tells it from the Kray family point of view, especially Violet's.
There are not many books that cover Violet's story
I cannot recommend it high enough what an insight this book is to Violet's life
November 23, 2017
another really enjoyable read. good honest opinion from somebody who was involved with the family not the firm
February 21, 2018
Awesome insight into the family
June 16, 2018
Gripping stuff!
Read this in one sitting, fascinating, loved it. Great pics at the end. Lots of unknown facts too. Definitely worth five stars!
Read this in one sitting, fascinating, loved it. Great pics at the end. Lots of unknown facts too. Definitely worth five stars!
October 27, 2019
Fantastic insight into the life of the Krays family from a close family friend. Great read, well written....worth the read
December 16, 2019
Nice to read an insider's account of life with and around the Krays. An insight into old 1960s East End too.
May 27, 2020
Such a different insight to the kray from other books from a woman who was/is "one of the family.
June 22, 2021
INTERESTING
Really interesting book. There's no major revelations but it gives you a good understanding of what The Krays were like.
Really interesting book. There's no major revelations but it gives you a good understanding of what The Krays were like.
January 27, 2024
Brilliantly honest and a great insight into life at that time
March 14, 2017
"Knowing the Kray family for all those years, watching their story unfold from what was essentially superficial glamour shielding criminal activity to what ultimately became human tragedy..."
I really loved this book, everything about the Krays and their home life drew me in. This book just had an aura about it, something that dragged me in and was a pain to put down. It was super interesting. I thought I would hate when Maureen mentioned her personal life, but I didn't. I loved it and enjoyed it just as much as I did with the Krays. She really gave an adorable insight into Violet Kray, and I think that's wonderful.
Despite it being about the Krays, you don't really know much about them until the end chapters. When the Krays are imprisoned and you can't blame Maureen for that, she wrote the book as a life story. She knew them best when she was running back and forth, but it's not a book I'd recommend if you wanted to really understand the Krays. It focuses more on their mother, father and older brother. Still, a super interesting book that I absolutely loved!
I really loved this book, everything about the Krays and their home life drew me in. This book just had an aura about it, something that dragged me in and was a pain to put down. It was super interesting. I thought I would hate when Maureen mentioned her personal life, but I didn't. I loved it and enjoyed it just as much as I did with the Krays. She really gave an adorable insight into Violet Kray, and I think that's wonderful.
Despite it being about the Krays, you don't really know much about them until the end chapters. When the Krays are imprisoned and you can't blame Maureen for that, she wrote the book as a life story. She knew them best when she was running back and forth, but it's not a book I'd recommend if you wanted to really understand the Krays. It focuses more on their mother, father and older brother. Still, a super interesting book that I absolutely loved!
April 29, 2016
This was certainly an alternative and in depth view of the Krays. surprisingly well written by someone who I assume had no previous writing experience.
Maureen, the writer of the book, was around enough at least to give a reasonable account, but as much as I loved the book (hard to put down) I couldn't help but feel that Maureen wasn't as close to the Krays as the book portrayed. I could be wrong, but her thirst for fame, glitz and glamour was evident throughout the start of the book, so much so that she and her husband fought a lot over it and the very fact that the Krays 'night time' lifestyle was fame, glitz and glamour, I can certainly see Maureen (author) only too eager to use Vi (Krays mother) as a way in which to get close enough, to the fame, glitz and glamour.
in spite of that, it's still a very good read, and very close to 5 stars
Maureen, the writer of the book, was around enough at least to give a reasonable account, but as much as I loved the book (hard to put down) I couldn't help but feel that Maureen wasn't as close to the Krays as the book portrayed. I could be wrong, but her thirst for fame, glitz and glamour was evident throughout the start of the book, so much so that she and her husband fought a lot over it and the very fact that the Krays 'night time' lifestyle was fame, glitz and glamour, I can certainly see Maureen (author) only too eager to use Vi (Krays mother) as a way in which to get close enough, to the fame, glitz and glamour.
in spite of that, it's still a very good read, and very close to 5 stars
June 1, 2016
Love how candid Flanagan is about her relationship with the Kray family. It gives you a fabulous insight into how Violet refused to ever see any wrong in her twins and how she coped with their sentences. I actually felt like I got a whole new perspective on how the family functioned. Immensely enjoyed this book & would recommend it.
August 14, 2015
Fantastic book
November 11, 2015
A very interesting insight of the kray twins incarceration and all the family . I give this book 5 stars
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews