Amazon.co.uk: London low life between the wars

London low life between the wars
A Listmania! list by Larry Heliotrope (London)

1. The Gilt Kid by James Curtis

The list author says:
	"1936. A breathtaking ride through underworld Soho in the 1930s, written in the arcane vernacular of the day by one of the great forgotten 20th Century English writers."

�8.39 Used & New from: �4.48

(3 customer reviews)

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2. Wide Boys Never Work by Robert Westerby

The list author says:
	"1937. Dog track gangs, gay tough guys, seedy clubs, used car dealers� what's not to love? Up there with the best of James Curtis in its depiction of London's seamy underbelly."

�8.39 Used & New from: �5.19

(1 customer review)

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3. Night and the City by Gerald Kersh

The list author says:
	"1937. Flawed but with some real high points, and a classic low-life icon in the shape of Harry Fabian. Good scenes set in Soho clip joints that probably aren't much different today."

�8.39 Used & New from: �4.20

(4 customer reviews)

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4. Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky (Vintage Classics) by Patrick Hamilton

The list author says:
	"1929-35. Hamilton's first real masterpiece (although Craven House is excellent too). As all his best work, it's both hilarious and heartbreaking."

�6.29 Used & New from: �0.01

(19 customer reviews)

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5. Hangover Square: A Story of Darkest Earl's Court (Penguin Modern Classics) by Patrick Hamilton

The list author says:
	"1941. George Bone's desparate, pathetic and sometimes homicidal pursuit of the heartless Netta."

�6.79 Used & New from: �3.30

(37 customer reviews)

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6. Angel Pavement by John Boynton Priestley

The list author says:
	"1930. Brilliant! More working life than low-life; epic but utterly absorbing, if you want a true picture of London life at that time, this is it."

Used & New from: �5.38

(8 customer reviews)

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7. London Belongs to Me (Penguin Modern Classics) by Norman Collins

The list author says:
	"1947. Not unlike Angel Pavement in its aims, it's not quite as good and feels overlong - but still highly recommended."

�7.69 Used & New from: �3.73

(24 customer reviews)

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8. There ain't no justice by James Curtis

The list author says:
	"1937. If you can find a copy� Curtis's hard-hitting story of a young boxer, set in the notorious slum district of Notting Dale."

Out of stock

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9. You're in the racket, too, by James Curtis

The list author says:
	"1938. Also hard to find, but a riotous, cynical depiction of a London in which everyone is out for themselves and themselves alone. Begins in Bruce House - then, as now, a hostel for the homeless."

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10. Keep the Aspidistra Flying (Penguin Modern Classics) by George Orwell

The list author says:
	"1936. Would-be poet Gordon Comstock quits his safe job and descends into paralysing poverty."

�6.99 Used & New from: �2.23

(26 customer reviews)

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11. The Scapegoat Dances

The list author says:
	"1938. A only-partially successful and self-conscious attempt by an actual ex-burglar to create something 'literary' within the low-life genre."

Used & New from: �7.47

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12. They Drive by Night (London Books) by James Curtis

The list author says:
	"1938. Not exclusively London-set, but another Curtis classic encompassing a runaway ex-con, long-distance lorry drivers and a chillingly believable serial killer."