Taming of a Villain: A message of hope

by Allen Langham

This is the story of Allen Langham, a former professional rugby league player with a promising future, who threw it all away on the path of drinks, drugs and organized crime. Struggling with the legacy of a broken family, a troubled past, Allen soon fell into the arms of addiction, playing out his frustrations and anger in an arena of violence. In and out of prison, something had to change, and in 2013 Allen has a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ and became Born Again. This is the true story of the journey from darkness into light, a testament to the power of God to change us and send us out as his servants and bring the Good News and the story of hope to those who need it the most.

256 pages, Paperback

Published June 21, 2019

About the author

Allen Langham is the author of Taming of a Villain: A Message of Hope — one of the most compelling redemption stories in contemporary Christian writing.
Born in Doncaster in 1978, Allen grew up fatherless on a council estate, losing his mother to a sudden cerebral haemorrhage when he was just fourteen. That grief, left unprocessed, became rage. By sixteen he had signed a professional rugby league contract with Sheffield Eagles — and within two years had thrown it all away.
What followed was nearly two decades of violence, heroin and crack cocaine addiction, organised crime, homelessness on the streets of London, and seven prison sentences. At his lowest point — alone in a cell at HMP Doncaster in January 2013, planning to end his life — Allen prayed one desperate prayer, asking God to replace the pigeons on the ledge outside his window with a white bird.
A dove landed.
That moment marked the beginning of a sustained and hard-won transformation. Allen's journey since has not been a straight line — his book documents both the freedom and the ongoing struggle of rebuilding a life from the ground up: restoring relationships with his three children, having his life ban from rugby league overturned, learning to forgive his father, and finding healing from decades of trauma.
Taming of a Villain was first published by Lion Hudson in 2019, reaching the final of the People's Book Prize and being named a runner-up for the Sanford St Martin's Trust Religious Book of the Year. The revised and expanded 2024 edition, published by KDP, includes eleven additional chapters covering Allen's ongoing journey through fatherhood, ADHD diagnosis, and final healing.
Today Allen speaks across the UK in prisons, churches, schools, and community settings. He is a Sports Chaplaincy UK chaplain, founder of Steps to Freedom, and a former club ambassador for Doncaster RLFC. His testimony has been featured on Revelation TV, in Christianity Today, Church Times, Sorted Magazine, and on UCB Radio. In 2014 he won the Most Inspirational Individual award at the CVS Awards — nominated by the same community he once harmed.
He lives in Yorkshire. He still fishes and drinks coffee.
allenlangham.com · al.appointedd.com

Reviews

[Nicola · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly personal account of Allen Langham’s darkest days through to him turning his life around after discovering spirituality and becoming a born again Christian. The writing is honest and real and Langham writes about a troubled childhood, and getting into a life of drugs, crime and violent as a teenager despite showing promise at school and rising in the world of professional rugby league. He ended up trapped in a spiral of addiction, crime and prison before finding salvation in his newly found faith.

It’s an engaging read, if at times a little uncomfortable to read about the violence and misery suffered by Langham and that he inflicted on others. It’s also a reflection on society, especially the damage that prisons can do to people. The religious aspect may not resonate with everyone, but ultimately this is a story about hope and survival and how someone overcame the lowest points of their life and turned things around.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my personal review. #TamingOfAvillain #NetGalley

[Amber Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently became friends with Allen, the author and had the privilege of reading his book. I read it in 2 days, I couldn't put it down. Even though I knew the ending, as I know Allen, I still needed to read how he got to this point. Well done Allen, for being so honest, it's a hard thing to do but important in helping other people be set free. This is a story of how one man's life has been turned completely around from a living hell, which is basically what it reads like, to being set free by a relationship with Jesus. Praise God for this testimony as I know it will touch people who need to hear it. People like Allen, who looked like a hard man, lived like a hard man but inside was a hurting, lost, little boy who just wanted to be accepted. I will be encouraging other people to read this book, it's real, it's raw, it will offend, it will shock but it will encourage you to hold on, that there is a way out, that life does not have to be like that!

[Marcus haigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great testimony

What a read . This is only the second book I have completed in my 25 years of life and I was glued. Great to read that Allen also lived in Barnsley where I was raised . God bless

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author wrote a memoir that perfectly captured the triumphs and setbacks of their life. It was easy to empathize with the author due to the raw writing.

[Jane French · Rating 5 out of 5]

This man changed his life around an amazing story and is well worth a read

[Chrissi Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read it in 3 days now husband reading it, when you can sit vision your town and know what it was like and who some of the people are, I got upset at his downs the homelessness, smiled when his life got better, nice to read his side of the addiction 👍 good job Allen amazing man so humble and caring.

[David Gethin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! You have come so far Allen, so proud of you & proud to call you my friend. Recommend this book to anybody