Scotland Yard has been fighting a losing battle against serious and organized crime since the end of World War II. The figures for murder, drugs, armed robbery, people smuggling, money counterfeiting, and prostitution all continue to rise. This book charts the history of crime in the capital since 1945. From the street-gang spivs of the postwar era to mobsters, armed bank robbers and drug dealers—all the faces of the modern criminal feature here. Add to this the terrifying new threat of terrorist gangs, including those behind the Capital's 7 July bombings in 2005, and a deadly mix is created. In order to uncover the reasons for this epidemic and to understand why London has become a breeding ground for so many criminals, renowned true-crime author Wensley Clarkson examines the lives and deaths of notorious gangsters from all over the globe who have turned the capital into a hazardous hinterland where many law-abiding citizens fear to tread.