Product Description

The compelling story of the man who masterminded the Great Train Robbery

'His story stands apart ... skilful enough to capture both the immediate excitement of crime and the dull price it so often extracts' Laurie Taylor, The Times

8 August, 1963; a railway track in Buckinghamshire. The moon shines clearly over Bruce Reynolds and sixteen other men robbing a train of its sacks of money. The Great Train Robbery has entered British folklore as one of the most audacious, and extraordinary, crimes of the twentieth century. The haul - #2,631,684 - is, in today's money, a staggering #26 million. Bruce Reynolds, the leader of the gang, was sentenced to 25 years in prison; even the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Robert Mark, thought that excessive.

Since leaving school in 1946, Bruce Reynolds dreamt of adventure: minor crimes at first, small-scale smash-and-grabs, but soon he was running a top-class firm. Although they committed a succession of lucrative, high-profile robberies, it wasn't nearly enough. Bruce Reynolds wanted more.

The Autobiography of a Thief is the story of a professional criminal, and the murky world around him - it's funny, touching, illuminating, and shocking.

'Far superior in style and narrative to the standard self-serving criminal memoir' Duncan Campbell, Guardian

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #759376 in Books
• Published on: 2000-11-09
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 432 pages

Customer Reviews

A brilliant book!
Once I picked this book up I couldn't put it down! I have read many true crime autobiographies, but this is by far the best.It tells us all about the life of the man that masterminded one of the most daring robberies britain has ever seen. Taking you from his childhood, to his teenage years and not forgetting the Great Train Robbery . Buy this book now!

A life laid bare
Bruce Reynolds demonstrates a talent for writing equal to his ability to plan a robbery. From childhood to the misery of years in prison. The robbery and consequent time on the run, it is all explained in gripping and, at times, emotional detail. I couldn't put it down.

this is the best criminal memoir that I have read to date
Bruce Reynolds captures the imagination of how every true master of crime should appear he has that 'David Niven' style of brain vs brawn plus panache. a great insight to a great crime that has captured the british public's immagination for over thirty years.