About book Inside The Firm: The Untold Story Of The Krays' Reign Of Terror (2009)
The author was an associate of the Krays, sent down with them at their famous trial for the murders of Jack McVitie and George Cornell (Lambrianou was found guilty of helping to dispose of McVitie's body). The book is a good read, written in a down-to-earth, conversational style which (presumably) brings across the author's own speaking voice. Though sold as a book about the Kray Firm, the book is more accurarely a memoir of the author's life before and after meeting the Twins. Lambrianou's criminal career (mostly extorting money through violence) is detailed frankly and, despite the author's clear intention to make a lot of excuses for himself, it does him little credit: his was the life of a brutal, unthinking thug pure and simple. The most interesting parts of the book detail his life in gaol, and the book is a good source of information on life in high security prisons in England in the 1970s.Lambrianou, despite being often disarmingly likeable as a narrator, can get rather self-pitying and whiney at times; the story of his release and (reading between the lines) rather violent break-up with his wife is very one-sided (her side of the story would make illuminating reading). For Kray afficianados, the murder of Jack the Hat is described in lurid detail in a strongly written section which does bring home the awesome nature of being present at the violent death of another human being.
As someone who is very interested in reading about the Kray twins, I first read this book around 7 years ago. I am now reading it again in Kindle format, and unlike many other books on my Kindle which get deleted after reading, this one will stay on there so I can read it again and again.From what I have read, it seems that despite the Kray twins being violent and murdering a man each; the City of London was safer in the 60's with the Twins to keep order. We could do with having something similar now in London and other parts of Britain.
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