{"title":"Books by Carl Chinn","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9781789467291","title":"Peaky Blinders - The Real Gangs and Gangsters","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAS FEATURED ON ORIGINAL GANGSTERS WITH SEAN BEAN\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'The world's leading expert on Birmingham crime and the Peaky Blinders'\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYou know who the Peaky Blinders are ... It's time to see where they began.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the turn of the twentieth century, Birmingham was seemingly transforming into a wealthy, bustling metropolis, celebrated for its manufacturing and local government. Yet behind this optimistic facade,  the poorest and most vulnerable in society were abandoned. This longstanding inequality aroused unrest, sparking violence and terror from backstreet gangsters who'd become known as peaky blinders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this fourth instalment of the bestselling series, historian Carl Chinn draws upon his decades of expertise and his own family history to reveal even more about these notorious gangs, going back to where it all began. Chinn exposes the real people whose bloody feuds, murders and maiming, baiting of police officers, bullying of the decent poor, gendered violence, blackmailing, and disturbing roles in political riots and racist attacks made Birmingham infamous as the city of the Peaky Blinders.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePeaky Blinders: The Real Gangs and Gangsters \u003c\/i\u003eis a vivid and shocking portrait of Birmingham through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, unpicking the storied history of its vicious gangs to reveal how they forced themselves into notoriety.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55897532498293,"sku":"9781789467291","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789467291_f13e7033-36f7-4cd4-8c20-8a6ab55f27c4.jpg?v=1786026826"},{"product_id":"9781789462937","title":"Peaky Blinders: The Legacy - The real story of Britain's most notorious 1920s gangs","description":"From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Carl ChinnThe Peaky Blinders as we know them, thanks to the hit TV series, are infused with drama and dread. Fashionably dressed, the charismatic but deeply flawed Shelby family have become cult anti-heroes. Well-known social historian, broadcaster and author, Carl Chinn, revealed the true story of the notorious gang in his bestselling Peaky Blinders: The Real Story and now in this follow-up book, he explores the legacy they created in Birmingham and beyond. What happened to them and their gangland rivals?In Peaky Blinders: The Legacy we revisit the world of Billy Kimber's Peaky Blinders, exploring their legacy throughout the 1920s and 30s, and how their burgeoning empires spread across the UK. Delve into the street wars across the country, the impact of the declaration of War on Gangs by the Home Secretary after The Racecourse War in 1921, and how the blackmailing of bookmakers gave way to new and daring opportunities for the likes of Sabini, Alfie Solomon and some new faces in the murky gangland underworld.   Drawing on Carl's inimitable research, interviews and original sources, find out just what happened to this incredible cast of characters, revealing the true legacy of the Peaky Blinders.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56306855805301,"sku":"9781789462937","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789462937_ae2b42e8-aaa8-4d27-8b1e-be7b6fbe83fe.jpg?v=1786026694"},{"product_id":"9781789464511","title":"Peaky Blinders: The Aftermath: The real story behind the next generation of British gangsters","description":"From the Sunday Times bestselling author, Carl ChinnAs Britain emerges into the mid-twentieth century, change is afoot. Cities are beginning to shift from smog-filled industrial hubs to more efficient metropolitan centres of commerce and, despite the country once again being blighted by war, society is beginning to shift towards a more modern, forward-thinking era. But change is not only limited to regular men and women; under the shifting tides of development, the criminal underbelly, too, is evolving, anxious for new avenues of exploitation and expansion . . .   And so, in the third instalment of his best-selling series, historian Carl Chinn examines this new era in the landscape of Britain's gangs. After the violent reign of the Peaky Blinders, the intimidation of the Birmingham gang and frequent gang wars up and down the country, from the wreckage new groups are emerging with new ways of making money and causing trouble, and, like those who came before them, they leave havoc and destruction in their wake.   Peaky Blinders: The Aftermath will bring this new generation of criminals into focus. And up and down the length of the country, from the dog tracks to the pubs of the East End, it delves into the murky world of the country's most villainous criminals.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56306938184053,"sku":"9781789464511","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789464511_68ba59a0-a73f-4ef5-b838-733c3920c8c4.jpg?v=1786026733"},{"product_id":"9781858585307","title":"The Real Peaky Blinders","description":"Stylish and dark, the BBC series the 'Peaky Blinders' is set in the backstreets of Birmingham after the First World War and tells of the rise to power of Thomas Shelby and his criminal gang. Yet the real stories behind these fictional characters are just as dramatic, bloody and compelling as the TV series. Thomas Shelby's arch enemy Billy Kimber was in real life a Brummie from Summer Lane. He was a feared fighter with an astute mind and magnetic personality which earned him the leadership of the Birmingham Gang that dominated the highly profitable protection rackets of the racecourses of England. The members of this gang had once been 'sloggers' or 'peaky blinders' and their rise to supremacy was attributable to their viciousness and to Kimber's shrewd alliances with other gangs. But they soon incurred the envy of the Sabini Gang of London who fought violently to oust Kimber and his men and take over their rackets. The Birmingham Gang battled back fiercely in the infamous and blood-stained racecourse wars of the 1920s. This Birmingham Gang led by Billy Kimber were the Real Peaky Blinders and this is their story.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308216660341,"sku":"9781858585307","price":12.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781858585307_df6bfb17-f4a7-4d71-85c6-0b24aa5b2ece.jpg?v=1786029102"},{"product_id":"9781858582665","title":"Black Country Memories","description":"It is a thrill to have written a local history book in conjunction with the Express and Star. The paper is not only the biggest-selling evening newspaper in the country outside London, but also it is marked out by its commitment to its region and the people of that region. There can be few papers that are as local as the Express and Star and that commitment to localness affects positively every aspect of its reporting and coverage. The Black Country is fortunate to have a paper so dedicated to the well being of Black Country folk. I thank the editor of the Express and Star, Adrian Faber, and its management for giving me the opportunity to write so extensively about the Black Country.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308558594421,"sku":"9781858582665","price":13.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781858582665_5281a22b-1e48-46d1-a568-4768588caf3c.jpg?v=1786029087"},{"product_id":"9781858581057","title":"The Cadbury Story","description":"With full access to the Bournville archives, Dr. Chinn has traced the history of this distinguished family and its long established business.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308558791029,"sku":"9781858581057","price":9.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781858581057_66c2aacf-36d8-4ee5-9183-19110b5fd309.jpg?v=1786029083"},{"product_id":"9781858587813","title":"Lench's Trust","description":"Lench's Trust is a remarkable and positive symbol of continuity in a city of seemingly perpetual transformation. In 1525 in Tudor Birmingham, the wealthy and childless William Lenche decided that the income from his estates should be distributed in \"warke of charyte\". Since then, generations of Trustees and officials have carried out his wishes diligently, faithfully, and thoughtfully. Originally acting as an important aspect of local government through repairing roads and bridges, they gradually became more active in the provision of almshouses for those in need, and now Lench's Trust provides a host of later living services for people living in Birmingham. Five hundred years on and having successfully adapted to changing needs, Lench's Trust continues its valuable charitable work in Birmingham.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308606108021,"sku":"9781858587813","price":13.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]},{"product_id":"9781858582450","title":"The Streets of Brum","description":"Birmingham's streets, roads and lanes are an absorbing aspect of our history. They call out to us about long dead landowners, notable figures from the history of England, Brummies long forgotten, farms that have been swept away by the outpouring of our city, remarkable physical features, distant battles, intriguing foreign places and mysterious happenings. Such names almost demand of us that we ask questions of them. Why is Conybere Street so called? Where is the Fashoda that is highlighted in a Stirchley road? How did AB Row gain its name? For what reason are the Adderleys brought to mind in Saltley? Did people wash themselves in Bath Row? Were cherries once picked in Cherry Street? And where were Fisherman's Hut Lane, Noah's Ark Passage, Devil's Tooth Hollow Yard and The Froggery. In this deeply researched book, Carl Chinn looks at scores of street names, bringing to life their meaning and those people who belonged to them. Carl Chinn MBE is Director of the BirminghamLives multimedia project at South Birmingham College, Professor of Community History at The University of Birmingham, a broadcaster with BBC WM and a columnist with the Birmingham Evening Mail.   The Streets of Brum: Part One is his 21st book.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308702806389,"sku":"9781858582450","price":13.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781858582450_6123a072-3167-4e6c-afd2-9b4e8521ea31.jpg?v=1786029087"},{"product_id":"9781858582276","title":"Proper Brummie","description":"\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56308865991029,"sku":"9781858582276","price":10.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781858582276_dccc6769-ae90-46b7-8ed4-674108dfbfec.jpg?v=1786029084"},{"product_id":"9781789461725","title":"Peaky Blinders - The Real Story of Birmingham's most notorious gangs","description":"THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe Peaky Blinders as we know them, thanks to the hit TV series, are infused with drama and dread. Fashionably dressed, the charismatic but deeply flawed Shelby family blind enemies by slashing them with the disposable safety razor blades stitched in to the peaks of their flat caps, as they fight bloody gangland wars involving Irish terrorists and the authorities led by a devious Home Secretary, Winston Churchill.   But who were the real Peaky Blinders? Did they really exist? Well-known social historian, broadcaster and author, Carl Chinn, has spent decades searching them out. Now he reveals the true story of the notorious Peaky Blinders, one of whom was his own great grandfather and, like the Shelbys, his grandfather was an illegal bookmaker in back-street Birmingham. In this gripping social history, Chinn shines a light on the rarely reported struggles of the working class in one of the great cities of the British Empire before the First World War. The story continues after 1918 as some Peaky Blinders transformed into the infamous Birmingham Gang. Led by the real Billy Kimber, they fought a bloody war with the London gangsters Darby Sabini and Alfie Solomon over valuable protection rackets extorting money from bookmakers across the booming postwar racecourses of Britain.   Drawing together a remarkably wide-range of original sources, including rarely seen images of real Peaky Blinders and interviews with relatives of the 1920s gangsters, Peaky Blinders: The Real Story adds a new dimension to the true history of Birmingham's underworld and fact behind its fiction.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56312917983605,"sku":"9781789461725","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781789461725_b5ff7420-8546-4cdd-9b7c-d642cd157c7d.jpg?v=1786026663"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-carl-chinn.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}