2007-04-03 Desperate Times

I started reading this book on a journey from Paddington to Bristol Parkway. I was three quarters of the way through before I realised it.
Gilda O'Neill is a down to earth historian who not only checks the facts but gets under the skin of the people she's writing about. She knows what makes them tick and despite the fact that she's writing about criminals there's compassion here in equal part to condemnation. It doesn't matter if you're a history buff or otherwise, this book is about real people and real situations. It also underlines the fact that everything changes but basically stays the same.