Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It creates a very good spring board for the inquisitive but will unfortunately be missed by the general masses for any real impact.

However, I have to contradict a previous reviewer (or two) in that drugs is not the main driver/funder for criminal activity these days, nor does Glenny susbscribe to this misdirection. The various major criminal groupings are more than savvy enough to have long established their own intelligence and corporate networks; these devices shrewdly keep them one step ahead of the game and dictate which commodity, because yes dear reader it is big business we are talking about here, is likely to attract the least law-enforcement scrutiny, minimum sentencing if caught and, last but by no means least, the maximum profit in individual countries that they traffick to or through.

Currently, people trafficking and smuggling (there is a distinct difference!) is top of the charts; a "re-usable" commodity, easily dispatched with very low overheads and the bonus of minimal risk through comparatively minimal prosecutions.

Do my "fellow" reviewers therefore consider that we legalise slavery, of primarily women and children with smattering of menfolk, and all that this vile trade and it's sub-trades entail in the modern world quite so glibly as they do the legalisation of drugs from their false, and dare I say naive, deductions?

Scary but true..., 11 Jun 2008
This a frightening but fascinating book, which brings together the keen-eyed journalism Glenny displayed in the 1990s, with a tale of the kind of organised crime that touches us all, whether we know it or not.

Glenny tours the world, and wisely does not try his hand at thriller-writing as he does so. The stories, and their contexts, are fascinating enough to be simply laid out before us. In each case, the most compelling parts are the history and analysis of how that kind of crime took off, in that place and that time. While there are undercurrents that are common throughout, what stands out starkly are the location and era-specific details of the conditions that allow major crime to flourish. I would have liked to have seen something more about how these national and international crime groups link together; however, given the amount of detail at his disposal, perhaps the author is saving this for his next book.

The level of detail is impressive, and the sources authoritative. Glenny has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of information, without leaving the reader feeling swamped and overwhelmed. The book should be compulsory reading for anyone aspiring to senior levels of government. Because what strikes this reader, is how in each case the myopia, stupidity, connivance and outright greed of governments have created the conditions for organised crime to grow and thrive.

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It creates a very good spring board for the inquisitive but will unfortunately be missed by the general masses for any real impact.

However, I have to contradict a previous reviewer (or two) in that drugs is not the main driver/funder for criminal activity these days, nor does Glenny susbscribe to this misdirection. The various major criminal groupings are more than savvy enough to have long established their own intelligence and corporate networks; these devices shrewdly keep them one step ahead of the game and dictate which commodity, because yes dear reader it is big business we are talking about here, is likely to attract the least law-enforcement scrutiny, minimum sentencing if caught and, last but by no means least, the maximum profit in individual countries that they traffick to or through.

Currently, people trafficking and smuggling (there is a distinct difference!) is top of the charts; a "re-usable" commodity, easily dispatched with very low overheads and the bonus of minimal risk through comparatively minimal prosecutions.

Do my "fellow" reviewers therefore consider that we legalise slavery, of primarily women and children with smattering of menfolk, and all that this vile trade and it's sub-trades entail in the modern world quite so glibly as they do the legalisation of drugs from their false, and dare I say naive, deductions?

Scary but true..., 11 Jun 2008
This a frightening but fascinating book, which brings together the keen-eyed journalism Glenny displayed in the 1990s, with a tale of the kind of organised crime that touches us all, whether we know it or not.

Glenny tours the world, and wisely does not try his hand at thriller-writing as he does so. The stories, and their contexts, are fascinating enough to be simply laid out before us. In each case, the most compelling parts are the history and analysis of how that kind of crime took off, in that place and that time. While there are undercurrents that are common throughout, what stands out starkly are the location and era-specific details of the conditions that allow major crime to flourish. I would have liked to have seen something more about how these national and international crime groups link together; however, given the amount of detail at his disposal, perhaps the author is saving this for his next book.

The level of detail is impressive, and the sources authoritative. Glenny has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of information, without leaving the reader feeling swamped and overwhelmed. The book should be compulsory reading for anyone aspiring to senior levels of government. Because what strikes this reader, is how in each case the myopia, stupidity, connivance and outright greed of governments have created the conditions for organised crime to grow and thrive.


A masterpiece that stands the test of time, 10 Dec 2008
The first ever 'non-fiction novel', as its author proudly proclaimed, takes crime (and dare we say prose) writing to another level.

Brilliantly executed by Capote, the reconstruction of a gruesome multiple murder in an obscure Kansan town takes us deep into the criminal mind and showcases the degradation and corruption two sorry human beings store in the hardened hearts after a life of crime across the U.S.A. of the 1950's.

Capote avoids the usual moralizing and let us intimate not just with Perry and Dick (the murderers), but also with all those in one way or another touched by the murders in the sleepy town of Holcombe and thereabouts.

There is much to be praised in Capote's creation. An innovative masterpiece that stands the test of time. Upon publication, it made its author the most celebrated writer in America and beyond.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It creates a very good spring board for the inquisitive but will unfortunately be missed by the general masses for any real impact.

However, I have to contradict a previous reviewer (or two) in that drugs is not the main driver/funder for criminal activity these days, nor does Glenny susbscribe to this misdirection. The various major criminal groupings are more than savvy enough to have long established their own intelligence and corporate networks; these devices shrewdly keep them one step ahead of the game and dictate which commodity, because yes dear reader it is big business we are talking about here, is likely to attract the least law-enforcement scrutiny, minimum sentencing if caught and, last but by no means least, the maximum profit in individual countries that they traffick to or through.

Currently, people trafficking and smuggling (there is a distinct difference!) is top of the charts; a "re-usable" commodity, easily dispatched with very low overheads and the bonus of minimal risk through comparatively minimal prosecutions.

Do my "fellow" reviewers therefore consider that we legalise slavery, of primarily women and children with smattering of menfolk, and all that this vile trade and it's sub-trades entail in the modern world quite so glibly as they do the legalisation of drugs from their false, and dare I say naive, deductions?

Scary but true..., 11 Jun 2008
This a frightening but fascinating book, which brings together the keen-eyed journalism Glenny displayed in the 1990s, with a tale of the kind of organised crime that touches us all, whether we know it or not.

Glenny tours the world, and wisely does not try his hand at thriller-writing as he does so. The stories, and their contexts, are fascinating enough to be simply laid out before us. In each case, the most compelling parts are the history and analysis of how that kind of crime took off, in that place and that time. While there are undercurrents that are common throughout, what stands out starkly are the location and era-specific details of the conditions that allow major crime to flourish. I would have liked to have seen something more about how these national and international crime groups link together; however, given the amount of detail at his disposal, perhaps the author is saving this for his next book.

The level of detail is impressive, and the sources authoritative. Glenny has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of information, without leaving the reader feeling swamped and overwhelmed. The book should be compulsory reading for anyone aspiring to senior levels of government. Because what strikes this reader, is how in each case the myopia, stupidity, connivance and outright greed of governments have created the conditions for organised crime to grow and thrive.


A masterpiece that stands the test of time, 10 Dec 2008
The first ever 'non-fiction novel', as its author proudly proclaimed, takes crime (and dare we say prose) writing to another level.

Brilliantly executed by Capote, the reconstruction of a gruesome multiple murder in an obscure Kansan town takes us deep into the criminal mind and showcases the degradation and corruption two sorry human beings store in the hardened hearts after a life of crime across the U.S.A. of the 1950's.

Capote avoids the usual moralizing and let us intimate not just with Perry and Dick (the murderers), but also with all those in one way or another touched by the murders in the sleepy town of Holcombe and thereabouts.

There is much to be praised in Capote's creation. An innovative masterpiece that stands the test of time. Upon publication, it made its author the most celebrated writer in America and beyond.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Dismal rubbish, 16 Dec 2008
What a dismal little book this is. It reads like a disgruntled ten year olds' diary. From cover to cover, the anonymous State stooge relentlessly whines and whines, never once making any suggestion for viable improvement to the broken system that he actively supports every working day. It is truly pathetic. It isn't hard to understand that being lied to all of the time might make a policeman somewhat cynical but this pile of tripe is just beyond any reasonable justification. Yes, we know the system is broken and it isn't just the Police Force that is suffering, it's ALL of the major State institutions.

Not once in this book, does the author mention the possibility that his own actions (or rather, inactions) might just be contributing to the problem. But then, maybe he just wanted to make a few quid by jumping on a contemporary literary bandwagon.

All this book really does is epitomize the pathetic and utterly useless British habit of armchair protesting. The author is deeply embedded in (yet apparently completely ignorant of) a socio-political system that has no interest whatsoever in the wellbeing/safety of the public. But all of his rants and all of his whining won't achieve anything, except maybe a bigger bank balance for the author.

I won't go into the disgraceful stereotyping and institutionalized class prejudices contained in the book, suffice it to say, they're there.

All I can say to the author is this, If you don't approve of something, stop supporting it!


I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It creates a very good spring board for the inquisitive but will unfortunately be missed by the general masses for any real impact.

However, I have to contradict a previous reviewer (or two) in that drugs is not the main driver/funder for criminal activity these days, nor does Glenny susbscribe to this misdirection. The various major criminal groupings are more than savvy enough to have long established their own intelligence and corporate networks; these devices shrewdly keep them one step ahead of the game and dictate which commodity, because yes dear reader it is big business we are talking about here, is likely to attract the least law-enforcement scrutiny, minimum sentencing if caught and, last but by no means least, the maximum profit in individual countries that they traffick to or through.

Currently, people trafficking and smuggling (there is a distinct difference!) is top of the charts; a "re-usable" commodity, easily dispatched with very low overheads and the bonus of minimal risk through comparatively minimal prosecutions.

Do my "fellow" reviewers therefore consider that we legalise slavery, of primarily women and children with smattering of menfolk, and all that this vile trade and it's sub-trades entail in the modern world quite so glibly as they do the legalisation of drugs from their false, and dare I say naive, deductions?

Scary but true..., 11 Jun 2008
This a frightening but fascinating book, which brings together the keen-eyed journalism Glenny displayed in the 1990s, with a tale of the kind of organised crime that touches us all, whether we know it or not.

Glenny tours the world, and wisely does not try his hand at thriller-writing as he does so. The stories, and their contexts, are fascinating enough to be simply laid out before us. In each case, the most compelling parts are the history and analysis of how that kind of crime took off, in that place and that time. While there are undercurrents that are common throughout, what stands out starkly are the location and era-specific details of the conditions that allow major crime to flourish. I would have liked to have seen something more about how these national and international crime groups link together; however, given the amount of detail at his disposal, perhaps the author is saving this for his next book.

The level of detail is impressive, and the sources authoritative. Glenny has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of information, without leaving the reader feeling swamped and overwhelmed. The book should be compulsory reading for anyone aspiring to senior levels of government. Because what strikes this reader, is how in each case the myopia, stupidity, connivance and outright greed of governments have created the conditions for organised crime to grow and thrive.


A masterpiece that stands the test of time, 10 Dec 2008
The first ever 'non-fiction novel', as its author proudly proclaimed, takes crime (and dare we say prose) writing to another level.

Brilliantly executed by Capote, the reconstruction of a gruesome multiple murder in an obscure Kansan town takes us deep into the criminal mind and showcases the degradation and corruption two sorry human beings store in the hardened hearts after a life of crime across the U.S.A. of the 1950's.

Capote avoids the usual moralizing and let us intimate not just with Perry and Dick (the murderers), but also with all those in one way or another touched by the murders in the sleepy town of Holcombe and thereabouts.

There is much to be praised in Capote's creation. An innovative masterpiece that stands the test of time. Upon publication, it made its author the most celebrated writer in America and beyond.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Dismal rubbish, 16 Dec 2008
What a dismal little book this is. It reads like a disgruntled ten year olds' diary. From cover to cover, the anonymous State stooge relentlessly whines and whines, never once making any suggestion for viable improvement to the broken system that he actively supports every working day. It is truly pathetic. It isn't hard to understand that being lied to all of the time might make a policeman somewhat cynical but this pile of tripe is just beyond any reasonable justification. Yes, we know the system is broken and it isn't just the Police Force that is suffering, it's ALL of the major State institutions.

Not once in this book, does the author mention the possibility that his own actions (or rather, inactions) might just be contributing to the problem. But then, maybe he just wanted to make a few quid by jumping on a contemporary literary bandwagon.

All this book really does is epitomize the pathetic and utterly useless British habit of armchair protesting. The author is deeply embedded in (yet apparently completely ignorant of) a socio-political system that has no interest whatsoever in the wellbeing/safety of the public. But all of his rants and all of his whining won't achieve anything, except maybe a bigger bank balance for the author.

I won't go into the disgraceful stereotyping and institutionalized class prejudices contained in the book, suffice it to say, they're there.

All I can say to the author is this, If you don't approve of something, stop supporting it!


I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.


Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It creates a very good spring board for the inquisitive but will unfortunately be missed by the general masses for any real impact.

However, I have to contradict a previous reviewer (or two) in that drugs is not the main driver/funder for criminal activity these days, nor does Glenny susbscribe to this misdirection. The various major criminal groupings are more than savvy enough to have long established their own intelligence and corporate networks; these devices shrewdly keep them one step ahead of the game and dictate which commodity, because yes dear reader it is big business we are talking about here, is likely to attract the least law-enforcement scrutiny, minimum sentencing if caught and, last but by no means least, the maximum profit in individual countries that they traffick to or through.

Currently, people trafficking and smuggling (there is a distinct difference!) is top of the charts; a "re-usable" commodity, easily dispatched with very low overheads and the bonus of minimal risk through comparatively minimal prosecutions.

Do my "fellow" reviewers therefore consider that we legalise slavery, of primarily women and children with smattering of menfolk, and all that this vile trade and it's sub-trades entail in the modern world quite so glibly as they do the legalisation of drugs from their false, and dare I say naive, deductions?

Scary but true..., 11 Jun 2008
This a frightening but fascinating book, which brings together the keen-eyed journalism Glenny displayed in the 1990s, with a tale of the kind of organised crime that touches us all, whether we know it or not.

Glenny tours the world, and wisely does not try his hand at thriller-writing as he does so. The stories, and their contexts, are fascinating enough to be simply laid out before us. In each case, the most compelling parts are the history and analysis of how that kind of crime took off, in that place and that time. While there are undercurrents that are common throughout, what stands out starkly are the location and era-specific details of the conditions that allow major crime to flourish. I would have liked to have seen something more about how these national and international crime groups link together; however, given the amount of detail at his disposal, perhaps the author is saving this for his next book.

The level of detail is impressive, and the sources authoritative. Glenny has managed to bring in a tremendous amount of information, without leaving the reader feeling swamped and overwhelmed. The book should be compulsory reading for anyone aspiring to senior levels of government. Because what strikes this reader, is how in each case the myopia, stupidity, connivance and outright greed of governments have created the conditions for organised crime to grow and thrive.


A masterpiece that stands the test of time, 10 Dec 2008
The first ever 'non-fiction novel', as its author proudly proclaimed, takes crime (and dare we say prose) writing to another level.

Brilliantly executed by Capote, the reconstruction of a gruesome multiple murder in an obscure Kansan town takes us deep into the criminal mind and showcases the degradation and corruption two sorry human beings store in the hardened hearts after a life of crime across the U.S.A. of the 1950's.

Capote avoids the usual moralizing and let us intimate not just with Perry and Dick (the murderers), but also with all those in one way or another touched by the murders in the sleepy town of Holcombe and thereabouts.

There is much to be praised in Capote's creation. An innovative masterpiece that stands the test of time. Upon publication, it made its author the most celebrated writer in America and beyond.

I'm definitely not following the crowd, 14 Nov 2008
So the general consensus seems to be that In Cold Blood is a masterpiece and Capote is a genius. Well I am sorry but I do not agree. In fact I think this is absolutely preposterous. The only way I can use the word genius in the same sentence as Capote is if I conclude that it was complete genius of him to make anyone believe this book is anything other than a badly written web of lies trying to disguise itself as something other than an unrequited love letter to a cold blooded psycopathic killer.
Let's look at what the book actually is. Difficult I know to do this because there seems to have been a completely new genre invented for this book. Why? I do not know, because the book is simply a novel based on a true story. Loosely based at that. Capote conducted interviews with witnesses and people who's lives were affected by the murders at the centre of the book. Some 90 or more in fact. He did not make one single note during any of these interviews. Can you remember the last 90 conversations you had?
The book has many factual inaccuracies and events that simply did not happen, it's closing scene for one. So how anyone can describe this as "new journalism" is beyond me. Although given what passes for journalism in some circles today this could be true. Maybe Capote did invent something new with In Cold Blood; the idea for journalists to lie through their teeth in order to try and make their stories more interesting.
In my view though at the heart of this book is Capote's infatuation with one of its main protagonists. There were 2 people involved with the crime at the centre of the book. It turns out that only one of them actually committed the murders although it is this person who we are subjected to throught the book and asked to feel sorry for continously. It was after all never his fault but his fathers. The other criminal is rarely mentioned and when he is it is to show him as idiotic, psychopathic and a sex fiend.
If you want to read a good novel by all means do so, there are thousands better than this. If you want to read a good piece of investigative journalism again go ahead, there are many noble journalists who base their work entirely on facts and would not stoop to something so low as to embellish or flat out lie simply for effect.
If you want to read a badly written love letter masquerading as... well I am not sure what it is masquerading as because no one seems to be able to give an answer to that, maybe this is where it's genius lies.

Brutal Event in Journalistic Focus, 29 Oct 2008
This book is essentially a detailed and well-crafted piece of journalism with the level and quality of detail to bring it into horrific focus. One gets access to all sides of the murders of a family from the effect on the close relatives and friends to the emotional states of the murderers themselves and their final demise at the end of a rope. No one can escape this book without a large emotional wallop that will leave one's mind reverberating for some time. The book additionally invites questions concerning the limits and boundaries of journalistic integrity. When does the journalist step beyond his role as observer and become part of the story? And...Should the journalist do so and thus change outcomes? Disturbingly provocative in many ways.

Gorgeous prose, 23 Oct 2008
There is no doubt Capote was a man of rare ability. One of his contempories - Norman Mailer - described Truman as: "The most beautiful writer of my generation." Mailer had an impeccable ego (roughly, the size of Kansas), so any praise from him was to be taken seriously.

And Truman's book is a serious one; six years in the researching and writing, it was a labour of love; or, perhaps, obsession.

What is the point of talking about this book? It is a famous book, one that made Capote's name, and is an example of the writing style called "New Journalism", the creative style merged with factual reporting, but what makes it great, a classic?

The story is horrific: a multiple murder for no gain, no more than forty or fifty dollars, and the killers drove eight hundred miles overnight to perpetrate it; so why did they bother? That was one of two questions I had; the other was: how did they get caught?

What else is there? We know they murder the family and we know they get hanged for it, there's not a lot of mystery here.

The killers are wasters; just drifting bums with no morality glueing the seperate parts of their brain together, yet Capote paints one in a sympathetic light, and leaves the other to appear evil in his friends reflection.

Poor old Perry Smith; he had a crappy life and no-one loved him, so its no surprise he turned out like he did, is it?

But wild Dick Hickock, why, he was a murdering monster: a man vomited straight from the devil's gut onto the earth.

Capote tells us (more than once) how Smith stopped Hickock raping Nancy Clutter during the robbery. Smith was obviously a man of rare self-control.

It's a shame he didn't have the self-control to stop himself obliterating her head with a .12 gauge shotgun.

The imbalance in Capote's portraits is ridiculous.

And the killers are the author's main focus, they are what and who he was interested in, not the victims.

This is worth buying and worth reading, if nothing else, for the privilege of reading Truman's gorgeous prose.



Four shotgun blasts that changed a town forever!, 05 Oct 2008
Recently re-read this disturbing factional story of unspeakable horror after some thirty odd years, re-visiting the pain of Holcomb, the scene of the tragic, senseless snuffing out of the Clutters. Contoversial on its publication due to its blending of fact and fiction, a hybrid composite that had not been done before, Capote's "In Cold Blood" reconstucts, in all their brutal detail, the 1959 grisly, cold-blooded murder of the Clutter family on their farm in the plains of western Kansas when four shotgun blasts changed the town of Holcomb forever. This fictionalising of real events, coupled with imagined dialogue between real-life characters, broke new ground and established Capote as the inventor of True Crime 'non-fiction' novels.

Capote's meticulous reconstruction of the tragedy covers the lead-up to the gruesome murders and the aftermath. In the lead-up, Capote builds suspense and tension by cross-cutting intermittently between descriptions of the routine domestic life of the Clutters in their small farming community near Holcomb and the unstable lives of drifters Smith and Hickock - what's chilling is their humaness in the picture Capote draws - as they drift cross-country towards Holcomb. The aftermath comprehensively covers the search for and apprehension of the killers and their subsequent trial and incarceration on death row. WARNING - the amoral Perry Smith may make your blood run cold!

Capote's case-study is concerned not just with the who of the crime but the why, probing into every facet of the lives of the killers, the background influences that shaped them, taking us into their minds to give us the opportunity to get to know them, exploring the psyche of the criminal mind to discover the psychological motivation that can turn men into monsters. A forerunner of classic true-crime titles such as "Fatal Vision" by Joe McGinnis, "Blood and Money" by Thomas Thomson" and "Daddy's Girl" by Clifford Irvine, "In Cold Blood" is itself, an American classic and one of the best American books of the 20th Century.

Dismal rubbish, 16 Dec 2008
What a dismal little book this is. It reads like a disgruntled ten year olds' diary. From cover to cover, the anonymous State stooge relentlessly whines and whines, never once making any suggestion for viable improvement to the broken system that he actively supports every working day. It is truly pathetic. It isn't hard to understand that being lied to all of the time might make a policeman somewhat cynical but this pile of tripe is just beyond any reasonable justification. Yes, we know the system is broken and it isn't just the Police Force that is suffering, it's ALL of the major State institutions.

Not once in this book, does the author mention the possibility that his own actions (or rather, inactions) might just be contributing to the problem. But then, maybe he just wanted to make a few quid by jumping on a contemporary literary bandwagon.

All this book really does is epitomize the pathetic and utterly useless British habit of armchair protesting. The author is deeply embedded in (yet apparently completely ignorant of) a socio-political system that has no interest whatsoever in the wellbeing/safety of the public. But all of his rants and all of his whining won't achieve anything, except maybe a bigger bank balance for the author.

I won't go into the disgraceful stereotyping and institutionalized class prejudices contained in the book, suffice it to say, they're there.

All I can say to the author is this, If you don't approve of something, stop supporting it!


I never found it hilarious or shocking, 20 Nov 2008
I have given this a one star review as anything else would not have been correctly reflected among the previous reviews.

This book contains alot of hypocrisy. For example berating defence solictors for defending their clients against charges laid - whilst admitting that because of government targets alot of people are being charged with offences that once upon a time they would not have been.

It is rather like saying - we act in a way that is morally corrupt - but no one else can.

... awesome, 25 Oct 2008
As a front-line response inspector, like Mr GADGET, I read this book and both laughed and cried with equal measure, finishing it the day I bought it. I then immediately gave it to my Dad to let him read of my world and have already bought six copies for Christmas presents for other family / friends.

GADGET's insights sum up all that it has been my privilege to witness in over 10 years of operational policing at the sharp end and that this man does my specific job made it all the more engaging.

This is spot-on-the-money, intelligent, sufficiently angry, no-ranting exactitude. Your police force does not do what you think it does and does not fail you for the reasons you think: here's why.

Must read! For anyone even remotely intrested in the Police!, 22 Oct 2008
This is a great book! which to be honest is on one of those must read books for anyone who either has anything to do with or an intrest in the Police service!

Depressing but entertaining - yes, an odd combination, but true, 16 Oct 2008
I've never had any negative contact with the Police, or with the world described in the book. I don't (or didn't) think of myself as sheltered, but perhaps I should consider myself lucky?

This book, and the two other sources I've read recently (Diary of an On-call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line and the blog from which Wasting Police Time: The Crazy World of the War on Crime was developed), have been been eye opening and very entertaining.

Blogg's and Gadget's books complement each other well; the jobs of a response constable and response inspector give different views of a very similar sounding reality - I recommend them both. From what I've seen of Copperfield's blog I suspect that his book is also well worth a read.

Enjoyable (if somewhat disturbing) material. The humanity of the police staff shines through (without sounding like there're rose tinted spectacles involved), sadly the same can't be claimed of some of their 'customers'.


Gripping, 28 Sep 2008
This is a great book, so much more information than the series on sky1. opens your eyes to things you'd never normally see...now reading gangs2.

Fantastic!, 17 Sep 2008
If you have watched the series on Sky1 then you will know what this book is about!!
Its fantastic...Ross travels around the world meeting dangerous gangsters and gives a unique insight into their lives. Would highly reccomend! Can't wait for the next book!!

Not Quite What It Sets Out To Be, 13 Sep 2008
Well, I suppose the big beardy Anglophile yank had to do it sooner or later.

As Bryson himself says in his introduction, the world doesn't really need another book on Shakespeare. From the incredibly specific and obscure to the uselessly vague and general, from the trivially lightweight to the inaccessibly somber, the Bard of Stratford is the subject of literally dozens of new books of facts, biography, analysis, opinion, theory and conjecture, every damn year.

For all that, this was a worthwhile book to have written, which is more or less all we'd expect of Bryson, who is a clear, clever and witty writer who rarely fails to please.

Bryson has chosen biography as his goal. The book is written in more or less chronological order, with chapters covering distinct periods in Will's life. Bryson starts by characterising the period, analysing the (usually scant) evidence available, then raising and scrutinising the various popular interpretations about what is known. He detours occasionally into anecdotal discussion about his researches or funny or impressive stories about other people's attempts at research, which all over helps it from getting too dry and to remain a very Bryson book.

Throughout he's diligent about the distinction between evidence and interpretation. The problem is, we actually have pretty slender information about Shakespeare's life: a veritable wealth of data by the standards of Elizabethans in general, but still very little from which to derive any reliable idea of the facts of his life. Inevitably, this means foraying into conjecture from time to time; a practice at which Shakespearean academe excels, but a dangerous one. Bryson gives an example of the famous deer-poaching incident, a romantic guess made in the eighteenth century that was repeated as solid fact in Shakespeare scholarship for more than a hundred years after. Bryson, by contrast, while happy to include reasonable and useful guesses as to how to interpret what is known, is very careful to let you know what's fact - and where it's from - and what's conjecture and how it was arrived at.

If you're seriously into your Shakespeare scholarship, this book probably doesn't have anything new to tell you (although Bryson's research is up to date, and he has access to facts I didn't have at Uni), but if you're only likely to buy one Shakespeare biography in your life, this isn't a bad one to choose.

The Jigsaw man - buy it, 08 Jan 2009
Well this book is fab. It will satisfy the true crime book lovers, people working in the counselling/psychology/social work fields/prison officers etc and those with a passing interest in the criminal mind and those who delve into it.

Well written, Paul Britton is a talented writer and comes across as a really nice chap. I do wonder if there were cases he got it majorly wrong on a didn't discuss - we all make mistakes hey.. and I also wonder if he felt as positive towards the police as he said he did - they must have seriously hacked him off at times.. any institution will...

That said though it is good to read a autobiography type book were the writer doesn't depress you with a sad and sorry tale. That said though this book could give you nightmares and has definitely stopped me waltzing round with my curtains open in the night time (check the book out and you will see why).

This is a chunky book so for us faster readers its not over too quick. I will definitely buy his other book.

This book is well worth its list price so if you cant get it at a knockdown price pay full price cos you shouldn't be disappointed.

Brilliant read, 08 Jun 2008
I for one loved this book and it gives a very clear insight into what is needed to convict these scum that are in our and everyones society, I for one thank people like Paul Britton and am Glad he is there.

In reference to Stagg, yes it is regrettable that an innocent man went to jail but even a layperson can see the how he could be the killer. Britton gives advice to the court if the Judge or jury agrees than that is that. If I was on the Jury I would of convicted him but does that make Britton a fraud? No of course not.

In this line of work wrong assumptions are always the danger but look how much he did get right. These people need help and taking off the street and I would add Stagg to that. Look what he did in that Jamie Bulger case, As a society we need people like Britton more than he needs us especialy if you have children.

Very good read but...., 28 Jan 2008
This was certainly a very good read and certainly one you don't want to put down. It gives you a fascinating insight in to the beginnings of criminal profiling and in to some of the high profile cases of the last 20 odd years. It gives you a lot to think about and raises some real concerns about how easy it can be for suspects to fall through the net and for serial offenders to remain undetected. My only unease with the book is that I sometimes felt that the author stroked his own ego a little too much - realising the human frailties of the police force yet rarely acknowledging any of his own. That is of course just a personal opinion and did not significantly detract from what is an excellent and compelling, if not always enjoyable, read.

Something you should know...., 21 Aug 2007
While this book is a highly interesting look into the world of a criminal profiler, i think that before buying this book, people should know that since publication, Paul Britton's profile led to the conviction of a man who was indeed innocent of a crime, the wimbeldon common murder. What needs to be understood is that profiles alone do not lead to the convictions of criminal as is portrated in the media. it is marely a tool to aid police officers and detectives. They may sometimes be wrong profiles!!!!!

However, the book is interesting but do not fall for the misguided facts that the media give the public!!

Contradictions..., 10 Apr 2007
Reading this book, I noticed two things. The first is that Britton is willing to hog the credit for cases in which he had very little involvement. The second is that his versions of events tend to clash with those of others - even people that he professes to admire. For example he tries to show that he had an open mind in the Colin Stagg case by claiming that he didn't know anything about Stagg's interrogation at the time of his first arrest until after Stagg was released from that arrest. But Inspector Keith Pedder (whom Britton praises!) claims in his book (The Rachel Files) that Britton was advising the police DURING THAT INTERROGATION! Clearly they cannot both be right.

I suspect that the Pedder version is nearer to the truth and that Britton is trying to distance himself from the first Stagg interrogation because to say otherwise would blast his claim that he approached that case objectively into oblivion!

He also failed to pick up on the obvious similarities between the Rachel Nickel murder and the case of Samantha and Jasmine Bisset - a surprising mistake from this self-styled "expert"!

Andy ex resident of Nottingham, 10 Dec 2008
I suppose I am in a slightly more fortunate position to most as I can relate to the majority of the content of this book, being a retired Detective in the Nottinghamshire Force. The book itself is a detailed and informative history of the crime gangs that have plagued the City over the years. As a read, I found it controversial, and suprisingly accurate. My congratulations to the author for having the guts to be as honest as possible, and for laying bare the sometimes frightening truth about Nottingham's underworld. A compulsive read.

hoods, 27 Nov 2008
i thought this was a great read...controversial but nevertheless thought-provoking.You may not agree with all the content of it but it does make you think about what is going on in our cities. I know a few people have read it already so it would be interesting to hear some feedback from you. Get your reviews out there even if you are critical of the book. I am really interested in getting a debate going here.

Complex, Compelling and Horrifying, Not to be Missed, 13 Dec 2008
In the form of "McMafia", Misha Glenny has written a first-rate book on the world of organised crime. The book opens with the narration of a brutal shooting in the UK, then discusses the fall of communism and the rise of globalisation, to take us into a world of smuggling, prostitution, gun-running, drug syndicates, drug cartels, protection rackets, money laundering, cybercrime, white collar crime, gang warfare and the manufacture of fake goods, and the connections between these, the economy, the world of business and the world of politics.

The chapters I enjoyed most were the one on Brazil, discussing cybercrime, and on Nigeria, on the subject of white-collar crime. Some of the dirty deeds committed on the orders of the Ukrainian Government, horrifying as they were, also made for an interesting read. My least favourite chapter was the one on South Africa because, of course, the subject of apartheid comes up and racial issues are a hot potato that I prefer to stay well away from.

When I first started reading "McMafia" I found the book quite hard to follow because there were so many different foreign names to remember. This made it fairly easy to put down. But as I read on, it became more and more absorbing and I'm really glad I stuck with it now. "McMafia" is a great piece of journalism and is well worth reading if you're into books on crime but are looking for something a little different.


Gripping thoughtful read, 31 Oct 2008
An eye-opening look at how the globalisation of organised crime effects day-to-day life-whether we like it or not.

The timing of the liberalistion of the international financial markets and the coincidental collapse of communism in central and eastern Europe and the USSR means that the face of crime has changed for ever.

And as the author points out, so long as the profits are so big and demands for illegal products so high, no amount of policing can ever stamp it out. In fact, the more resources poured in to the "War on Crime", the bigger organised crime becomes......

Very readable and jampacked full of interesting facts!, 28 Sep 2008
I bought this book after reading a serialisation in a paper, and found it a really fascinating read. Everything from prostitution to guns to drugs to cyber crime to diamonds to people trafficking is covered in a wide ranging examination of the globalised nature of the black market, and its enormous influence on society and politics.

Not just about the drugs!!, 12 Sep 2008
Ok so, like many before me, I guess I have to establish some credentials before I review.......... I have worked both inside and against (at the same time!) much of the murky world chronicled by Glenny and would consider it a pretty good outsiders account of most aspects. It create