John Blake: 861 books

For many, gambling is a roller coaster of wins and losses, but for some, it's the successful way to a life of untold wealth and luxury. Contained in this utterly gripping book are the secrets of a handful of people who have repeatedly managed to beat casinos and bookies at their own game, carrying...

Written by an investigative journalist, this book looks at professional killers, the people who hire them, and those who die at their hands. Among the true stories described are the story of the ultimate hitman, Carlos the Jackal, and how he was eventually brought to justice; the mother who hired...

TV's top fugitive hunter investigates the UK's worst unsolved murders. Roughly ten per cent of all murders in the UK go unsolved. Here, Britain's top ex-undercover cop shines new light on cases up and down the country in search of answers. Peter Bleksley's life has been devoted to investigating....

Over the Easter weekend in 2015, an audacious gang of criminals robbed a safe depository in London's Hatton Garden, the center of the UK's diamond trade. Shortly before, electrical cables under nearby Kingsway had caught on fire, disrupting the emergency services in the area. Coincidence? Alarms at...

"So there I am, still not 13 years old, seeing everything the underground has to offer. I remember my dad pouring carrier bags of cash onto the bed -- I wanted that life. He was a real gentleman and I wanted to follow in his well-heeled footsteps…"Jimmy Tippet Jnr was born into gangster...

After the runaway success of You Couldn't Make It Up, Jack Crossley has compiled a second selection of anecdotes from around the British Isles. In his many years as a newspaper journalist, Jack Crossley has collected literally thousands of these strange-but-true newspaper items. They are stories that...

This is the true story of Jimmy Cryans. A story of growing up in Glasgow's east end during the fifties and sixties and how he became involved in a life of crime. Jimmy speaks about the various characters he met and his dealings with some of Britain's major criminals. He reveals how petty theft and...

Meet Micky Gluckstad. You'll like him. Bare-knuckle boxer, East End face, playboy, and underworld "corner merchant," Micky's conned money off the best of them - and he's got the scars to prove it. A happy-go-lucky conman who fleeced hundreds of thousands of pounds from the rich, the stupid,...

The final confessions of the senior Kray brother. Only one man knew everything about Ronnie and Reggie Kray and that was their brother Charlie. Until now nobody has ever revealed the truth about the Firm.• Gossip and rumor have been rife, fact has blended into fiction and the unwritten law of the...

To Britain's criminal underworld, Freddie Foreman is the Godfather. Held responsible for the gangland killings of Ginger Marks and Frank 'The Mad Axeman' Mitchell, he was the punisher to those who broke the underworld's strict code of conduct.Foreman's dramatic kidnap and arrest for Britain's biggest...

Strong, reliable and known for his ability to work in pinpoint crosses from the left, Kenny was a firm fixture in the cup-winning Arsenal and England defences for most of the 1980s. He won a record-breaking 86 international caps and featured in many of the most exciting England matches of the era....

Mark Ward enjoyed all the trappings of success as one of the most popular and highly-rated right wingers in football. "Wardy" proved an overnight sensation at Oldham and continued to be a star at West Ham, Man City, and Everton before inspiring Birmingham City to Wembley glory. But when...

When Brendan O’Carroll, creator and star of Mrs Brown’s Boys, stood on stage to collect his first BAFTA for the phenomenally successful comedy series in 2012, it marked a new milestone in his incredible career. Finally, he was being acknowledged as a worldwide sensation in his role as the irrepressible...

...Within half an hour, the place was buzzing. 'The airport's been shut down.' 'Bank robbers have dumped a car.' 'They've taken hostages.' 'They're tying to get out of the country.' The gossip ranged wide and wild as rumours spread. I got a lift back to the main terminal buildings and spotted our...