Crime DOES pay. There's no denying it. And in pursuit of riches and power, those outside the law have always tended to band together - spawning today's murky, brutal world of organised crime.The origins of the archetypical gangster can be traced to 1920s America, when Prohibition turned street-corner hoodlums into rich and powerful businessmen. But today highly organised ferociously protective gangs are prevalent throughout the world. Despite their despicable methods, we are still fascinated by their labyrinthe networks. How did these gangs form? How do they wield their power? How do they maintain their secretive societies? And how do they evade the massive forces of law and order arrayed against them? Nigel Blundell, who is author of more than a dozen factual crime books, reveals the answers in The World's Most Evil Gangs.This book delves into the darkest depths of the underworld, from mobsters in America to Hells Angels in Germany to child armies in Africa...not forgetting the monsters on our own doorstep.

Fourteen stories from New York's criminal past cover the field, from draft riots during the Civil War to prohibition, modern-day gang violence, and murder.

A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER PRESENTER OF THE BBC RADIO 4 SERIES 'HOW TO STEAL A TRILLION' SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE 2019 SUNDAY TIMES BUSINESS BOOK OF THE YEAR AN ECONOMIST POLITICS AND CURRENT AFFAIRS BOOK OF THE YEAR A DAILY MAIL AND TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'You cannot understand power, wealth and poverty without knowing about Moneyland.' Simon Kuper, New Statesman 2019: democracy is eating itself, inequality is skyrocketing, the system is breaking apart. Why? Because in 1962, some bankers in London had an idea that changed the world. That idea was called 'offshore'. It meant that, for the first time, thieves could dream big. They could take everything. Join investigative journalist Oliver Bullough on a journey into the hidden world of the new global kleptocrats. See the poor countries where public money is stolen and the rich ones where it is laundered and invested. Watch the crooks at work and at play, and meet their respectable, white-collar enablers. Learn how the new system works and begin to see how we can tackle it.

Contains a line-up of notorious crooks and criminals, villans, thieves and swindlers, from the Moors murderers and Charles Manson to Al Capone and the man who sold the Eiffel Tower - twice.