Thieves' Opera: The Riveting True Story of 18th-Century London's Most Notorious & Active Criminals

Georgian London, bulging with riches from its overseas colonies, was the epitome of elegance & refinement -- & a city of appalling depravity, decadence, & filth. Crime thrived everywhere, from pickpockets & prostitutes to murderous highwaymen. This is the story of a city on the verge of greatness, & of its two greatest criminals: Jonathan Wild, thief extraordinaire, & Jack Sheppard, gambler & whoremonger. As they reached folk-hero status, London was forced to check their escapades, no small task in a city overrun with vicious acts of horrific magnitude. Lucy Moore's riveting account of crime & punishment in 18th-century London paints a vivid portrait of an era, a place, & characters confounding the modern imagination. Illustrations.