Description: Renowned social historians examine the gangs of criminals who tore apart English society.
Review Quotes: "Close, meticulous scholarship, imagination, a joyous use of literary and 'qualitative' evidence ... and the driving force of commitment make it memorable."--The Guardian
"Immensely advances our understanding both of Hanoverian England and of the relationship between law and society in general."--Keith Thomas, author of Religion and the Decline of Magic "Provocative, full of insights into neglected phases of eighteenth-century social history, and at times profound."--J. H. Plumb, The Observer "Erudite ... and elegantly pungent."--Claud Cockburn, author of Beat the Devil and Aspects of English History