Viv (Graham)

This book is a must read in the life of Viv the Author has captured every aspect of Viv Grahams life from childhood to running doors around Newcastle pubs and clubs.
The series of books is a must for all people who would like a insight into the kind of world people life and what they do.
From relationships to fights these books have it all.

Another gem full of revelations (42/42 people found this helpful)

Here's another northern crime book given the cold shoulder by the southern press in favour of southern books and southern loyalties. This book, in my opinion, more than matches up to what's on offer in the true crime area of books. I mean Dave Courtney spills the beans on informants being used by the police and what a chapter that was and yet its full of northern gangsters. How many books combine the north/south world of gangsters, none! This book has filled that gap. I've not seen a single thing in the press about this startling piece of work. I think we need a change of ideas to turn peoples attitudes around to what's good and what's rubbish when it comes to these books and this book makes top marks for its daring attitude in confronting taboo subjects like bent coppers and the likes of. All what I can say in a nutshell is that this book is a gem of a read.

THE BUSINESS (34/34 people found this helpful)

More! I have to admit I ordered this book last year, 2000, when it was supposed to be released and when it landed on my mat I couldn't wait to get the time to read it. First of all I tried to read it on the way to work, but I was driving. When I got in the office I made my excuses and went to the little room and took the book with me. All day long I was looking for excuses to be able to delve into it and I can tell you now that when I did get the opportunity to read it fully that it was worth waiting for.

This book should be up there with the best of them because we're not given just one good story from men of violence but a whole book full. If the men in suits give this book some coverage it will blast many so called gangster books into orbit.

I just don't think this book will be matched for the way it puts violence across in a matter-of-fact way.

I mean we've got a man having his legs hacked off in one chapter and then in another a man saying those who live by the sword die by the sword and then a short while later he's stabbed to death, but it's how the story comes across that says it all.

People might say I'm easily pleased but when you consider how many crime books I've read then you might understand my excitement at this one. The pace of the book never lets you down for a minute and by the end I had nothing left to read but the outer cover. I know this is the last one in the Viv series and that is the worst part about it all knowing that such a book might never be seen again. It will be just as good second time around when I get to read it in a few months time again, can't wait.

Learn from this book (31/31 people found this helpful)

Brilliant investigative journalism. The BBC could learn a thing or two from this book. OK the grammar leaves a little to be desired but after reading up on the author I can accept these little foibles of his claimed writing style and after a while it grows on you. You're drawn into a special world where you and the writer are on a one to one, he's telling it to you the reader. Anyone wishing to visit the world of gangsters wouldn't go far wrong in reading this book. One criticism though and that was there wasn't a lot of photos in this book although compared to the book The Ferris Conspiracy (Paul Ferris) it had a lot more in it.

Last of the dinosaurs (33/33 people found this helpful)

After reading this book something dawned on me. Just like the dinosaurs became extinct then so are these gangsters a dying breed. Look at the few real top flight gangsters we've got left in this country and you'll see what I mean. The book is more than just a journey through Viv's life it also indicates the start of the end for such gangsters and given that this is the case then such a book has to be looked at in such a way. This is like a Richard Attenborough look at the last of the great apes, we can view from a safe distance yet still revel in the action without getting hurt.

Stephen Richards

Reader Reviews:

Must Read (39/39 people found this helpful)

Another gem full of revelations (42/42 people found this helpful)

THE BUSINESS (34/34 people found this helpful)

Learn from this book (31/31 people found this helpful)

Last of the dinosaurs (33/33 people found this helpful)

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