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Binding: Paperback
EAN: 9780099583011
ISBN: 0099583011
Label: Vintage
Manufacturer: Vintage
Number Of Pages: 224
Publication Date: July 30, 1998
Publisher: Vintage
Studio: Vintage
Sales Rank: 10726
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Editorial Review:
Synopsis: An investigation into poverty, corruption, crime and related issues in Britain including drugs and prostitution amongst children. The investigation moves from the slums and ghettos of our cities, to crack houses and brothels, contacts with street gangs and drug dealers uncovering secret rites and a bizarre and cruel world.
Average Rating: 
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It will open your eyes to the hidden deprivation in this country and change your perspective on things. poverty is not the fault of the poor.
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This is very readable, and very important - a Dickensian look at modern Britain's 'underclass', though thankfully not as long-winded. The part I found most fascinating was about the estates in Birmingham that had become no-go areas for the police; I had heard some snippets on the radio and tv, wondered briefly how that worked, then put it to the back of my mind - it's fascinating to have the story fleshed out, and it's a great piece of research, as is the whole book.
I was tickled pink to find someone I know slightly in the book - the guy who toured him round London's King's X, a friend of a friend, a likeable moocher and unusually peaceful. That's another story, but suffice to say that I found a world under my nose that I had ... Read More:
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As a social work student, I found this book by accident in my uni. library and thought it would be relevant to my course. It is a fascniating, if thoroguhly depressing read as it dwells one hundred percent on the darkest side of Britain - hence its title. Although he goes in depth into the background of the problems (I found the chapters on the Jamacains the most interesting as it helps to build a background as to why so many are involved in crime) I do not agree with his simplistic view that all these problems are caused purely by poverty. Being poor alone does not make you become a criminal, an abuser, a rent boy and so on - people have been (and in many contries still are) much poorer than the poor of UK today, without going to those depths. ... Read More:
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For me, the journalistic, rather than academic style spoils the book slightly, though I guess that is the point. It is rather sensationalised though, and really much of the subject matter is reality rather than sensation.
It is definitely a piece of "media" rather than a factual appraisal in my mind, based on the way stories are presented; particularly the issues surrounding the disturbances in Hyde Park, about which one story of the events and tensions is presented as fact, when (for those such as myself who lived in the area) there was a much more complex discourse.
It is still a very good read though, and may open some peoples eyes.
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A gruelling tale of sink estates, prostitution, drugs and general degradation.Hidden Britain author writes for Guardian also.This book is no mere academic pondering the author as trod the streets to obtain his facts, it is the picture of Britain now and more worryingly the picture of Britain in the future as governments seem reluctant to interrupt this paticular trend.
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