This book examines London's transformation from the mid-Victorian "miracle" of low crime to a high-crime society, treating six different types of misdeed as representative of phases in the evolution of crime to argue that lawbreaking must be explained by connecting all types of offenses to their social and economic contexts.
"The book describes property crime from the nineteenth century through to the present, a period when crime and crime control substantially modernized. It is well written and accessible without being patronizing. It is well referenced, presents a raft of supporting arguments (from contemporary printed sources primarily), deals well with complex topics, and it has a fresh feel to it. It is also one of the few books that crosses the WWI and WWII periods, and should be applauded for that." - Barry Godfrey, Professor, Research Institute of Law, Politics and Justice Keele University, UK