Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17134 in Books
• Published on: 2007-09-06
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

Synopsis
Across the world, millions of people are members of street gangs. In groups, they fight, stab, rob, rape and murder anyone who isn't one of their own. And when rival gangs meet - what you get is warfare. Ross Kemp infiltrates these groups of criminals to discover who they are, what makes them tick and what the law is doing to curb their criminal activity. On his harrowing journey he: meets murderous members of the Number gang in Pollsmoor Prison in Cape Town; crosses paths with Maori criminals in New Zealand; gets shot at in Rio; and, is set on fire as an initiation test for Russian Neo-Nazis Ross Kemp manages to get close to the world's most violent street gangs: he's streetwise enough to earn their trust and get them to confide their innermost secrets. It's a wild ride - and not for the faint hearted.

Customer Reviews

Rivetting and educational
Ross Kemp has written a very absorbing study of gangs around the word. So he goes to places like Jamaica, Cape Town, New Zealand, Russia and meets members of these gangs. These gangs have few, if any, redeeming features. You won't feel uplifted by these characters at all. The author's participation in this study is why it is so immediate and interesting. He does so at quite great risk to his own person: wisely he concentrates on the gangsters rather than himself, but throughout the book, he does add the odd telling comment. Ross Kemp has done the public a great service by writing this book. Its not pleasant reading, but it is certainly educational.
The chapters on each gang are the right length: Ross Kemp's style of writing is easy to read: the conversations with gangsters are well edited.

Awesome
I don't typically write reviews, but this book deserved praise. This book is awesome. I bought it on a friday afternoon and as good as finished it by monday; with every spare moment I had (even in the bath...!) I consumed it's inticing pages.

I saw the TV series and worried there wouldn't be anything new in the book, but the change of medium is nothing but a compliment. As a Criminology student I can see myself dipping into it time after time in the future.

One of the delights is the simplicity of the book; a biographical account of some of the most dangerous people on earth written in an interesting format by someone who genuinely feels (but does not, in must be emphasised, condone) the plight of the people. Ross doesn't litter his writing with theories by acemdemics and reference after reference to other books, but he does include the quotes and thoughts of the victims, perpetrators and those who try and prevent the gangs awful actions.

If you have any interest in crime, culture or even travel, buy this book. You will not be disappointed.

BUY IT NOW
I was not that taken by the tv show, but my son got me the book for christmas so I did what I had to do.................. I could not put it down. Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant.