Product Description

In the early sixties, John Burke was running illegal gambling parties in Belgravia and his friend Bobby McKew was lieutenant to a notorious crime boss. Then, after the sensational court case in which their defence resulted in gambling being legalized, clubs sprang up everywhere, and both could see that there was money to be made.

Finally able to tell their story, John and Bobby describe the scam they called 'the big edge', an undetectable way to fix the cards. As John says, 'It was psychologically and mathematically brilliant. Einstein would have been proud of it.' It was the ultimate con, worth tens of millions of pounds. They stole from everyone - the rich and titled, movie moguls and the ordinary punter.

Evoking London society in the 1950s and 60s, with fantastic characters from legendary safecracker Eddie Chapman and Great Train Robber Bruce Reynolds to Ian Fleming and the Maharaja of Baroda, The Hustlers is a gripping account of one of the twentieth century's most outrageous scams.

‘What is so intriguing is how so many episodes, involving the rich, the dodgy, the outright criminal … fit so neatly together to make up this Hogarthian tableau of a generation gone by’ Daily Mail

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #255860 in Books
• Published on: 2007-07-20
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Review
Douglas Thompson has uncovered an intriguing con, but more than this, this book offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone world, a fleeting moment in the history of post-war Britain when chemmy parties took London by storm and toffs were often found to be rubbing shoulders with gangsters. --Daily Express

fascinating book...Thompson brings back to life that network of the rich, suave and well-bred who peopled the gossip columns for a generation...intriguing. --Daily Mail

Daily Express

`Douglas Thompson has uncovered an intriguing con, but more than this, this
book offers a fascinating glimpse into a bygone world, a fleeting moment in
the history of post-war Britain when chemmy parties took London by storm
and toffs were often found to be rubbing shoulders with gangsters.'

About the Author

Douglas Thompson is the bestselling author of more than twenty books. A biographer, broadcaster and international journalist, he is a regular contributor to newspapers and magazines worldwide.

Customer Reviews

A top holiday read!
It was fascinating to read how such an important change of law came about, which has subsequently affected the lives of tens of thousands of people. I wonder if the people involved in the case ever realised at the time how many billions of £'s were riding on the outcome of the case!? I was enthralled from beginning to end.

The Hustlers
I found the Hustlers book very entertaining. My father was a great gambler in London and many of the names in the book were familiar to me. Casinos are open in my own country, Bulgaria and I wonder if the same sort of cheating goes on there.
I really enjoyed reading the book.

DK

Toffs meet gangsters in a true caper story of 60s Mayfair
This an excellent read. An entertaining and evocative account of a colourful and fascinating period in recent history. I would not be at all surprised if its main allegations hit the headlines in the national papers.