Peaky Blinders The Real Story & The Legacy by Carl Chinn - 2 Books Collection Set - True Crime - Paperback

Titles in This Set

Peaky Blinders: The Real Story
Peaky Blinders: The Legacy

Details
Condition: Brand New
Format: Paperback
ISBN (Set): 9789124063498
Publisher: John Blake
Age Range: Adult

Overview
Fans of the smash-hit BBC drama will love this gripping two-book true-crime collection from acclaimed Birmingham social historian Carl Chinn. Peaky Blinders: The Real Story and Peaky Blinders: The Legacy strip away the myth to reveal the genuine gangs, feuds and characters who inspired the Shelby family, tracing their rise from Victorian Birmingham streets through the racecourse wars of the 1920s and 30s. Meticulously researched and vividly told, this set is essential reading for anyone hooked on the show who wants the real history behind it.

About the Books
Peaky Blinders: The Real Story asks the question every fan wants answered - did the Peaky Blinders really exist? Carl Chinn, whose own great-grandfather was a peaky blinder, draws on decades of original research, rare photographs and interviews with descendants to uncover the true story of Birmingham's most notorious street gang, and how their world of razor blades, flat caps and gang warfare gave rise to the legend later dramatised on screen. The book explores the poverty, violence and desperation of working-class Birmingham before the First World War, and how real conflict with authority - including a Home Secretary determined to stamp them out - shaped the era.

Peaky Blinders: The Legacy picks up the story into the 1920s and 30s, following the real Billy Kimber's gang as their influence spread across Britain's booming racecourse circuit. It charts the infamous Racecourse War of 1921, the government's declared War on Gangs, and the shift from bookmaker intimidation to bolder criminal enterprise, bringing in rival figures such as Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomon who battled for control of the underworld. Together, the two books offer a complete, factual companion to the fictional saga, revealing just how much of the drama was rooted in real Birmingham history.

• Written by leading Birmingham social historian Carl Chinn, a descendant of a real peaky blinder
• Reveals the true history behind the hit BBC series, from gang origins to legacy
• Packed with rare photographs and first-hand family interviews
• Two full-length paperbacks in one great-value collection
• Perfect gift for true crime and social history fans
• Sunday Times bestselling author

About the Author
Professor Carl Chinn MBE Ph.D. is a social historian with a national profile, writer, public speaker, and teacher. An off-course bookmaker himself until 1984, he is the son and grandson of illegal bookmakers in Sparkbrook, and the great-grandson of a real peaky blinder, whilst his mother's family were factory workers in Aston. His writing is deeply shaped by his working-class Birmingham background, and he believes passionately that history belongs to everyone.

Why You'll Love This Collection
If you've devoured the TV series, this set delivers the real history behind it - authentic, well-researched and full of Birmingham grit. A brilliant, giftable true crime pairing for any Peaky Blinders fan.

Please Note: Cover shown is the UK edition; ISBN reflects the UK set barcode as supplied.