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NEWS
JULY 2010
We’ve lots of exciting news for you this month and a bevy of mouth-watering books in the offing - so here goes…
First up is the next volume in a popular series exploring the gangland history of Britain’s major cities. The Gangs of Birmingham by historian Philip Gooderson traces the emergence of violent gangs such as the notorious Sloggers and Peaky Blinders, who terrorised the streets of Birmingham in the late 19th century. The book will be published in August, so look out for a slew of publicity in the West Midlands and beyond…
In September, we release a fully updated paperback edition of Hoods, the compelling inside story of the massive undercover police investigation in Nottingham that led to the dismantling of some of Britain’s most powerful criminal networks. It includes updates on recent court cases and new information that has come-to-light since the book was first published in 2008. Not to be missed.
Decades before the Krays, London was plagued by gang warfare as vicious as anything that was to come and in Gangs of London, published in October, author Brian MacDonald traces the history of the crime mobs from their earliest days up to 1960 - from Jonathan Wild, the original gang leader and archetype for Dickens’s Fagin, to sprawling super-mobs like the Titanic from east London and the infamous Elephant and Castle Gang. It’s a side of London rarely seen in print and Brian MacDonald will be doing lots of publicity in and around the city so keep your ear to the ground for more details.
Young Guns by reformed drug dealer turned writer Steve Hackman, chronicles the new generation of violent gangsters in towns and cities around the UK. With shocking first-hand research among gang members, Young Guns is the first book to reveal the lawless exploits of little-known mobs such as the Fire Town Crew, the Fallowfield Man Dem, the Demolition Crew, the Northumberland Park Killers, the Farringdon Park Original Gangsters and the terrifying Stickem Up Klik. Published in November 2010, the launch will be accompanied by a hard-hitting publicity campaign in the national press, plus Steve will be touring radio stations up and down the country to talk about the book.
In a major deal with St Martin’s Press in New York we recently secured UK paperback rights to publish a sensational true crime that took the US by storm. Described by Publishers Weekly as ‘a stunning expose of a crime empire that collapsed under the weight of its own success,’ ‘Black Mafia Family’ is a rip-snorting account of the rise and fall of one of the largest cocaine empires in America. Author Mara Shalhoup is a multi-award-winning journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Creative Loafing magazine in Atlanta. Publication will be in December 2010.
And finally, if you are in the Manchester area and you haven’t yet sampled the fascinating ‘Gangs of Manchester Guided Walk’ with local tour guide, Emma Fox, then now is your chance.
Emma is currently taking bookings for walks on the following dates:
Sunday July 25, 1pm
Sunday August 29, 1pm
Sunday September 26, 1pm
Sunday October 31, 1pm
Thursday November 25, 10:30am
Not only will you get to explore a truly fascinating period of Manchester’s social history, but you’ll also have the opportunity to bag yourself a signed copy of the book that inspired the event: Andrew Davies’ The Gangs of Manchester.
To book tickets, or for more details, call Emma on 0161 861 8067 / 07500 774 200. But be quick – these events are hugely popular and tickets sell super-fast!
MARCH 2010
Exciting news from across the pond arrived this week. The world’s biggest boxing magazine, The Ring, will feature an exclusive extract from Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story, by Brian and Damian Hughes in its June issue, which goes on sale April 24th. This superb coverage is hot on the heels of excellent reviews of the book in Boxing News, Boxing Monthly and the Daily Star - plus extensive author interviews on Steve Bunce’s Boxing Hour on BBC London 94.9, Channel M and Talksport Radio.
More excellent news too from Manchester Tourist Guide, Emma Fox, whose sell-out historical tour of Manchester’s Victorian underworld has become a huge city-centre cult hit. Emma has just announced the next set of dates for the event. These are: Thursday May 6th at 11am, Sunday May 30th at 1pm, Sunday June 27th at 1pm, Sunday July 25th at 1pm, Sunday August 29th at 1pm and Sunday September 26th at 1pm. The walk starts at outside Edwards Shoes, inside Barton Arcade, between St Ann’s Square and Deansgate, and lasts around two hours. It ends in the Marble Arch pub, where signed copies of The Gangs of Manchester by Andrew Davies will be available for purchase. For more details call Emma on 07500 774 200 or email showmemanchester@yahoo.co.uk. To book tickets go to www.quaytickets.com/?Venue=397 or call 0843 208 0500. But be super quick because these tickets don’t hang around long!!
FEBRUARY 2010
To all those who expressed an interest in the Gangs of Manchester Guided Walks previously announced on this website, Manchester Tour Guide Emma Fox has told me the March date is now fully booked. However, Emma will be conducting the walks on a monthly basis from May this year so there will be plenty more opportunity to get involved with this fantastic new event. Punter feedback from the inaugural walk was HUGELY positive so be sure to get your ticket for the next event booked early by calling Emma now on 07500 774 200.
JANUARY 2010
May we first take this opportunity to wish all our friends, colleagues and customers a very Happy New Year. We hope you all have a good one.
Flying in the face of gloomy predictions about the future of the British book trade (Borders RIP) Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story, hit the shelves in December and the response has been superb. Daily Star called the book 'stunning,' whilst over in the US, influential boxing website Saddoboxing.com called it, 'One of the best biographies of a professional fighter since 'Unforgiveable Blackness'. With more coverage on the horizon in Boxing News, Boxing Monthly and The Ring, and with author interviews imminent on Talksport, Five Live, SKY Sports and Channel M, it seems the time is ripe for a celebration of Thomas Hearns' towering pugilistic genius.
Elsewhere, we've had excellent reviews of The Mad Ones; Tom Folsom's breathless biography of beatnik Brooklyn mobster, Joey Gallo. The Sun called it 'spectacular' and the book was made recommended read of the month in Esquire magazine. More reviews are in the pipeline, so stay tuned...
You may have seen elsewhere on this website details of 'The Gangs of Manchester Guided Walks' taking place on January 24th and March 21st but the info is worth repeating here because this event is a unique opportunity to explore the historic streets and alleyways of Manchester's Victorian underworld and to listen as the shocking stories told in Andrew Davies' riveting book, The Gangs of Manchester, are brought to life. If you'd like to book a place call Manchester Tour Guide Emma Fox on 07500 774 200 for more information. But be quick! The January walk is already fully booked and tickets for the March event are selling fast. It seems these walks are proving hugely popular with native Mancunians and inquisitive tourists alike!
NOVEMBER 2009
It can’t be that time of year already, can it? Well, yes it can, and here at Milo towers we’ve been busy putting the finishing touches to our Xmas big-hitters.
Tom Folsom’s rip-snorting New York Times Bestseller, The Mad Ones, is in the shops December 1 and is available to order online now. We were blown away by the story of Crazy Joe and the Gallo brothers, a trio of rebellious young gangsters who sought to overthrow the reigning New York Mafia Dons in an underworld revolution that was fuelled by their leader’s immersion into the 1960s counter-culture. US critics are raving about the book and Miramax supremo Harvey Weinstein has just bought the movie rights so keep checking this website for more exciting news.
Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story by Brian and Damian Hughes is also in the shops December 1 and is the must-have book for fight fans this Xmas. It’s astonishing to think that Hearns is an eight-time world champion at six different weights and that he became the first ever quadruple world champion in boxing history and yet there has never been a book written about him. Thankfully, all that is about to change. Brian Hughes is an award-winning boxing coach and a prolific sports biographer whose previous subjects include Denis Law, Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Robinson. Hit Man traces Hearn’s early years growing up in inner-city Detroit and his explosion onto the pro-boxing scene as well as brilliantly re-creating his now legendary bouts with Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler. We have received lots of media interest in this book already so look out for national coverage when it is published on December 1.
Looking ahead to Spring 2010, we will be launching the latest book in our burgeoning gangland histories series focussing on major UK cities.
The Gangs of Birmingham by Philip Goodison delves into the fascinating history of Birmingham’s criminal underworld and is the third title of the series after the best-selling Gangs of Liverpool and the critically acclaimed Gangs of Manchester. A Gangs of Birmingham website featuring exclusive excerpts, features and photographs will go live early next year.
And the final word of this bulletin goes to our revamped, rejacketed and reissued autobiography of bareknuckle gypsey champ, Bartley Gorman. The new edition of King of the Gypsies has been wowing book critics at The Sun, Irish Post, Fighters Only and Boxing Monthly and with more coverage on the way the book is experiencing a bona fide revival. Movie rights to the book have been sold to top British filmmaker Shane Meadows and word is that King of the Gypsies will be the next project for Shane and and his writing partner Paddy Considine.
Sounds good to us!
JULY 2009
It's been a while since our last news update and there's lots of exciting stuff going on at Milo HQ, so here goes...
First up is the launch of a new paperback edition of The Gangs of Manchester, Andrew Davies' acclaimed study of warring street gangs known as ‘scuttlers’ who terrorised local neighbourhoods in Manchester in the late 19th century and whose violent antics made national headlines and caused a public outcry.
The book is the inspiration for a fantastic new stage production called Angels with Manky Faces by the award-winning MaD theatre company. The play has been attracting huge media interest as well as the support of famous faces from Coronation Street and Early Doors and top musicians from Manchester bands including The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Inspiral Carpets and Twisted Wheel.
Angels with Manky Faces will be performed at The Unity Theatre in Liverpool on 22 and 23 July and at The Library Theatre in Manchester on 19, 20, 21, 22 August. Call the MaD Box Office on 0161 236 7110 for booking details. But be quick - tickets are selling fast!
Andrew Davies will be talking about his book at Waterstone’s Deansgate on Saturday 25th July where he will be accompanied by cast members in full period costume. Admission is free but please note this is a ticket-only event. To obtain your free tickets call the store on 0161 837 3000.
The event will also take place at Borders Manchester Fort on August 13 from 8.00pm. Call the store on 0161 833 0208 to obtain your free tickets or for more information go to manchesterfort.borders.co.uk/events/manchesterfort/37/
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Book news this month includes the announcement of two superb new titles before the end of the year.
First up is the first ever biography of boxing legend Thomas ‘Hitman’ Hearns, who ranks alongside Sugar Ray Leonard, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler as one of the greatest fighters of all-time. Author Brian Hughes is an award-winning boxing trainer and sports writer who has known Hearns since he was a teenager growing up in Detroit. Hit Man: The Thomas Hearns Story, will be published in November. See the Forthcoming Titles area of this website for more details about the book.
We’ve also acquired UK paperback rights to The Mad Ones by Tom Folsom, the New York Times bestseller that chronicles the rise and fall of the Gallo brothers, a trio of reckless young gangsters whose revolution against New York City’s Mafia provoked a bloody civil war that made headlines around the world. The Mad Ones is an expertly crafted blend of true crime and cultural history and rumours are already afoot regarding a major movie adaptation. Publication is scheduled for December.
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King of the Gypsies, the hard-hitting autobiography of bareknuckle champion Bartley Gorman is re-launched this month in a brand new paperback edition. Bartley’s incredible stories of beating all comers in illegal contests at fairs and racetracks, down mineshafts and in quarries, on campsites and car parks are not to be missed so if you haven’t yet read the book, now is your perfect opportunity.
And finally, be sure to tune into the Bravo Channel on Monday 27th July at 10pm for a special edition of the hit TV series, Danny Dyer’s Deadliest Men, which features our very own Steve Sinclair – author of The Blackpool Rock: Guns, Gangs and Door Wars in Britain’s Wildest Town. Danny and his film crew had the pleasure of visiting Blackpool earlier this year for a behind the scenes look at Steve working the doors of some of Blackpool’s busiest nightspots including Europe’s biggest superclub, The Syndicate. Sparks are sure to fly.
That’s about all for this month folks but be sure to keep checking milobooks.com for regular updates…
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