HARD MEN Violence in England Since 1750

Hardback. The garrotters who terrified London in 1862, the Irish Fenians who carried out terrorist bombings in London and the gangs who dominated parts of the East End in the early years of the 20th century all used violence to achieve their ends. This book is a survey of the changing pattern of violent behaviour, public and private, in England over 250yrs. People in the 18th and 19th centuries were certainly more tolerant of domestic violence and rough communal sports and celebrations. Contentious public meetings, notably elections, could end in serious injuries; the state and the police exercised control by violent means where they deemed it necessary; and there were of course violent crimes committed by men, women and children. While the exercise of violence reflected changes in society and attitudes, it is difficult to point to a golden age in the past without it. Illus. + Notes and Index. 225pp. 8vo. h/back. Vg+ in protected Vg+ dw. designed by Nigel Bradley.