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Hard Bastards [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

by Kate Kray (Author)
3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 288 pages
  • Publisher: Blake Publishing; illustrated edition edition (3 Jul 2000)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 185782329X
  • ISBN-13: 978-1857823295
  • Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 292,660 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
When Ronnie Kray was sent to Broadmoor, his wife Kate kept a copy of his little black address book full with telephone numbers of con men, murderers and tough guys from all over the country. A useful thing to do as it turned out, because occasionally she had to telephone them for various "bits of work". She befriended many and through them was introduced to more. The more she got to know them, the more they intrigued her. She wanted to know what made a hard man. Ronnie's little black book came through with a right result: Hard Bastards--a Who's Who of the toughest men in Britain.

All the two dozen faces in this select club share three criteria, the so-called three Rs: Respect, Reputation and they can have a "Row". These are men who eat, sleep and breathe violence. Roy Shaw discovered God had given him a gift--the power of punch; Johnny "Mad Dog" Adair, the Unionist terrorist released from the Maze in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement has survived 10 assassination attempts; Charlie Bronson, the longest-serving prisoner in solitary confinement was kept naked in a cage and fed through a cat flap. SAS, murderers, gangsters, strongmen, terrorists and street fighters--the most chilling fact is how without exception they insist they're nice blokes at heart. Kray draws out the humanity from even the toughest nuts, although sometimes the lack of detail renders even the most potentially interesting characters a little thin. Her method of asking them the same questions allows readers to judge them against each other to decide who really is the hardest of them all, while their views on hanging, the effectiveness of prison as a deterrent, what might have deterred them from a life of crime and what makes a tough guy are refreshing and pointed.

Kray says that the purpose of writing the book was to help people understand these men and thus fear them less. But the set up and execution of this subject can't help but celebrate these men and their sense of honour to a certain extent.--Christine Buttery

Product Description
They live their life by a merciless code and the name of their game is respect. In this book, Kate Kray, ex-wife of Ronnie, and top war photographer, Don Barrett have interviewed and photographed the 30 "hardest" men in the British Isles.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.4 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars A thinly veiled attempt at making villains look respectable., 5 Sep 2007
By I. P. G. Steele "IS Review" (UK) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Hard Bastards (Paperback)
This book is a collection of "mini-biographies" of some of the nation's "hard bastards". In actual fact most the people in it are nasty hardcore criminals, although there are a couple of biographies about respectable people who are not thieves, armed robbers, or murderers. I can only assume that this is to lend it some credibility and avoid accusations that the book is an attempt at giving a slap on the back a bunch of bullies and thugs.

As you read through each biography a very simple pattern emerges that rapidly becomes predictable and tedious:

1. They started their lives "on the pavement", which is a quaint phrase used several times in the book that basically means that they started off thieving from the hard working honest people in their community because they were too lazy to work themselves.
2. They then proceed to blame some or all of the following for the path they chose: (a) the war; (b) society; (c) lack of money/hard life as a child; (d) poor education. Funny that, because so far as I can tell there were 100's of 1000's of people who all suffered the same but who didn't choose a life of crime. The only people to blame for what they did is themselves.
3. Finally they try to pass themselves off as "respectable". The most common way they do this is the usual way criminals try to make themselves look respectable: they make comments about paedophiles and rapists and go to great lengths to say that such people deserve the death penalty and should never be let out etc. Well, yes, a laudable sentiment, but the existence of such people does not make these murderers, armed robbers, bullies, and thieves in anyway respectable. One of them even has the audacity to put his occupation as "Gentlemen"! These people are just one rung above the rapists etc. and a great many rungs below the honest hard-working men and women in this country.

If you fancy a quick easy read about the lives of some of the people who are a blight on our society then buy this book... and as you read it think about all their victims as they certainly don't.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars on the whole disappointing, 7 April 2001
By A Customer
the book sets out with good intentions to chronicle some well known hardmen, where it falls down is the very sketchy and bare portraits that the author gives on each.it would have been better to cut half the people out and give more space to the remainder and then do a follow up book on the ones omitted.
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2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad read, 13 Jul 2000
By A Customer
This book is not about gangsters or villians. It is not a story book and doesn't pull any punches. Without doubt you can find the information contained within if you looked around.

Many of us are intrigued by the unknown be it unexplained or the villian side of life. We like to read about villians and their lifestlyes and stories and this is what this book is about.

It tells things the way they are. I personally know some of the people in this book and must say that the way Kate has written this book is as if you are sitting there in the same room listening to what each man has to say. None have had anything to gain. Their reputations speak for themselves and they certainly don't need upholding or enforcing in any way.

The people within this book are from different backgrounds, upbringings and lives but the one thing that links them all is that society, in the past, now and beyond will always need the "HARD BASTARDS" to protect the weak vunerable and innocent.

Take the book for what it is an insight into the type of people who are regarded as "Hard Bastards".

You may know of men better but they did'nt make it into this book but who knows perhaps they will in Hard Bastards 2.

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 		 Most Recent Customer Reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars An assault on civilised life
I flicked through this in Zavvi yesterday for a laugh. They are murderers, they maim people, they blight peoples lives. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Pezza

4.0 out of 5 stars one of the better ones
I have read a few books about fighters, gangsters and football hooligans, but I have to say this is definately one of the better ones although it could have done with a bit more... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Alyn

3.0 out of 5 stars Hard Bastards
Having read a variety of different books from football hooligans to gangsters of the England to Scotland and abroad i fing this book easy to read. Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2004 by Angelmatty

5.0 out of 5 stars a real stomping read
Iliked the book, it was so much better then some of Kays other stuff, the pictures worked well with the storys of the chaps, reminded me of the sort of books written by dougie... Read more
Published on 6 Mar 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars More Please!
This book was fascinating & gripping from cover to cover. The format of the book was excellent, allowing for comparisons to be made between the "hard bastards" in... Read more
Published on 25 Sep 2000 by sharen@phillipss22.freeserve.co.uk

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! I would give it 9 stars if I could :)
What a book, the who's who of the "Hard Bastard" world today. I couldn't put it down till I read it cover to cover. Excellent I want more! Read more
Published on 9 Aug 2000 by wesley.mulhern@ntlworld.com

5.0 out of 5 stars I couldn't put the book down and that is rare for me.
The foreword of 'Hard Bastards' made think it would be like the other books I've read in this category.I love it and would recommend it to anyone with a curious side to them. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2000

5.0 out of 5 stars A interesting peek into the criminal world
I really enjoyed this book. Each "Hard Man" is given the same questionnaire and it is really interesting to see the similarities between them all and what makes them... Read more
Published on 14 Jul 2000

3.0 out of 5 stars A good insight into the grim underworld of Britain.
This was the first book ive read on british gangsters and i found it very entertaining to read. The Facts written arent the most detailed but still an excellant insight into... Read more
Published on 10 Jul 2000

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing special
I've read this whole book, and it is disappointing. I have never met Kate Kray but I have met a few of the hard bastards she refers to and there is nothing new in this book that... Read more
Published on 7 Jul 2000

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