Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6896 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-30
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Synopsis
An investigation into poverty, corruption, crime and related issues in Britain including drugs and prostitution amongst children. The investigation moves from the slums and ghettos of our cities, to crack houses and brothels, contacts with street gangs and drug dealers uncovering secret rites and a bizarre and cruel world.

Customer Reviews

we all need to read this book
It will open your eyes to the hidden deprivation in this country and change your perspective on things. poverty is not the fault of the poor.

a tour of what you don't notice or don't want to see
This is very readable, and very important - a Dickensian look at modern Britain's 'underclass', though thankfully not as long-winded. The part I found most fascinating was about the estates in Birmingham that had become no-go areas for the police; I had heard some snippets on the radio and tv, wondered briefly how that worked, then put it to the back of my mind - it's fascinating to have the story fleshed out, and it's a great piece of research, as is the whole book.
I was tickled pink to find someone I know slightly in the book - the guy who toured him round London's King's X, a friend of a friend, a likeable moocher and unusually peaceful. That's another story, but suffice to say that I found a world under my nose that I had never suspected and, from what I know of it, it's actually much worse than Davies describes or possibly imagines. So I would suggest to any readers that think he may be sensationalising that, in fact, he has only seen the tip of the iceberg.

All in all a magnificent piece of research, vital reading, especially for those who have no contact with this world - you'll see things differently when you pass through a city centre, or railway station. Can't recommend this enough.

fascinating if depressing read
As a social work student, I found this book by accident in my uni. library and thought it would be relevant to my course. It is a fascniating, if thoroguhly depressing read as it dwells one hundred percent on the darkest side of Britain - hence its title. Although he goes in depth into the background of the problems (I found the chapters on the Jamacains the most interesting as it helps to build a background as to why so many are involved in crime) I do not agree with his simplistic view that all these problems are caused purely by poverty. Being poor alone does not make you become a criminal, an abuser, a rent boy and so on - people have been (and in many contries still are) much poorer than the poor of UK today, without going to those depths. A bit more enquiry into WHY these people have no self worth or morals whatsover would have been interesting.