Crime City

by Joseph O'Neill

'Crime City' is a story of a rogue's paradise, a metropolis of both vast wealth & the worst povery in England. The rookeries, the pub, the pawnshop, the lodging house & the workhouse were the breeding ground for crooks & villains of all kinds, from cracksmen to fences, pimps, prostitutes, conmen, & garroters.

Genres: History, Crime, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 20, 2008

Reviews

[Martine Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although researching a slightly earlier period, I was intrigued to read this account of Victorian Manchester - a 'city of two classes', a rogue's paradise where vast wealth sat beside grinding poverty.

On one level it does deliver rather undigested accounts of the era's crooks, cracksmen, pimps, prostitutes and conmen. But where are the sources of all this information? As a lover of the obscure footnote and peruser of bibliographies, it was incredibly disappointing.

[Trevor · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book promises so much and delivers less! I thought this was a book about crime in Manchester, that's what it purports to but it starts off so slow. You have to get 44 pages in before there's even a hint of crime and then it's just talking about categories of crime rather than the crimes themselves.

There's a few cases in there but overall it's disappointing.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bizarre book. Recounts endless stories and statistics with no sources, citing examples from Manchester, Greater Manchester, Liverpool, and London.

Presents a Victorian 'crime' lens of the poor, unemployment, criminals, women, and then doubles down by demonizing the poor, immigrants, the unemployed, the working class, women, and sex workers.

Don't waste your time.

[George Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative for research purposes.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

V good

[David Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting study of crime and society in Victorian Manchester.

[Tobias Schmidt-Gönner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hard Work to get through this book.
The Author tried to liven it up with examples, but somehow failed to make it better with this constant namedropping of people I have never heard about.