Donald Thomas
Encyclopedia
Donald Serrell Thomas is an English author of (primarily) Victorian-era
historical
, crime and detective fiction, as well as books on factual crime and criminals, in particular several academic books on the history of crime in London. He has written a number of biographies, two volumes of poetry, and has also edited volumes of poetry by John Dryden
and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Donald Thomas was born in Somerset, and educated at Queen's College, Taunton
and Balliol College, Oxford. He currently holds a personal chair as Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Cardiff University
.
's collection of state trials, originally collected at the behest of William Cobbett
and published between 1809 and 1826. Among his earliest forays into the world of fiction was Sergeant Verity and the Cracksman, 1974, published under the pseudonym Francis Selwyn. By the early 1980s, however, he had largely shed the Selwyn pseudonym (returning to it briefly in the late 1980s for some non-fiction works, and once in 2000, for another "Verity" novel), and began writing under his own name, Donald (S.) Thomas, switching from academic study and biography to Sherlockiana and crime fiction, all underpinned with his deep knowledge of the times and cultures of which he writes.
, the Marquis de Sade
, Henry Fielding
, and Lewis Carroll
.
His 1978 (rev. ed. 2001) biography of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
highlights the characteristics of that individual which served in large part as inspiration both for C. S. Forester
's Horatio Hornblower
, and for Patrick O'Brian
's Jack Aubrey
. In 1994, his Hanged in Error? provided an overview/investigation as to the likely guilt of seven individuals all hanged in the UK before its abolition as a means of capital punishment
in 1965. The book dealt with the cases of Timothy Evans
, John Williams (alias George MacKay, hanged in 1913 for the fatal shooting of Inspector Arthur Walls in Eastbourne during a burglary attempt), Edith Thompson, Robert Hoolhouse, Neville Heath
, Charles Jenkins (hanged in 1947 together with Christopher Geraghty for fatally shooting Alec de Antiquis following a botched London jewel robbery), and James Hanratty
. (N.B. This is not the same as the similarly titled 1961 book Hanged in Error by Leslie Hale, which contains a different set of case histories.)
In academic circles, he is especially well known for his studies of the criminal underworld of London from Victorian times, through World War II to the Kray twins
. He has written seven biographies and a handful of other biographical studies, as well as fictionalised biographies of individuals such as Bonnie Prince Charlie. His biography of Lewis Carroll
is recommended by Representative Poetry Online, and his other biographical works can be found on many academic reading lists.
He has edited volumes of Everyman's Library
on poets ranging from John Dryden
to the Post-Romantics, and also offered a translation of Michel Millot and Jean L'Ange's bawdy 17th century novel L'École des filles, which is described as "both an uninhibited manual of sexual technique and an erotic masterpiece of the first order" on its back cover.
pastiches, beginning with 1997's The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes. He has also written a number of other titles, and three series featuring the main characters of:
(Verity was created under the pseudonym
Francis Selwyn.) His other novels include The Raising of Lizzie Meek, "based on the scandals surrounding the Victorian miracle-worker Father Ignatius of Capel-y-ffin
". Thomas is represented by Bill Hamilton of A.M. Heath & Company, Ltd.
His most recent works include a study on censorship in modern Britain, reviewed as "provocative, timely and disturbing", by Iain Finlayson in The Times
.
in 1962 for his collection Points of Contact.
His biography of Robert Browning
A Life Within Life was a runner-up for the Whitbread Prize, and his Victorian Underworld was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award.
Sherlock Holmes
*Naval Battles of Crete (André Deutsch)
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
historical
Historical fiction
Historical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
, crime and detective fiction, as well as books on factual crime and criminals, in particular several academic books on the history of crime in London. He has written a number of biographies, two volumes of poetry, and has also edited volumes of poetry by John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
and the Pre-Raphaelites.
Biography
Due to a relative lack of information, it is conceivable though unlikely that two "Donald Thomas"es are here conflated into one individual. It is more likely that the alternate (1935) birthdate refers instead to this Thomas.Donald Thomas was born in Somerset, and educated at Queen's College, Taunton
Queen's College, Taunton
Queen's College is a co-educational independent school located in Taunton, the county town of Somerset, England. It is a day/boarding school for children aged 2–18. The school incorporates Nursery, Pre-Prep, Junior and Senior schools. The current headmaster of the Senior School is Chris Alcock...
and Balliol College, Oxford. He currently holds a personal chair as Professor Emeritus of English Literature at Cardiff University
Cardiff University
Cardiff University is a leading research university located in the Cathays Park area of Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom. It received its Royal charter in 1883 and is a member of the Russell Group of Universities. The university is consistently recognised as providing high quality research-based...
.
Early works
Thomas's earliest works seem to have been in the area of legal and historical fact, notably revised texts of Thomas Bayly HowellThomas Bayly Howell
Thomas Bayly Howell FRS was an English lawyer and writer who edited and lent his name to Howell's State Trials.-Life:Born, in Jamaica, his family returned to England in 1770 to settle at Prinknash Park near Gloucester...
's collection of state trials, originally collected at the behest of William Cobbett
William Cobbett
William Cobbett was an English pamphleteer, farmer and journalist, who was born in Farnham, Surrey. He believed that reforming Parliament and abolishing the rotten boroughs would help to end the poverty of farm labourers, and he attacked the borough-mongers, sinecurists and "tax-eaters" relentlessly...
and published between 1809 and 1826. Among his earliest forays into the world of fiction was Sergeant Verity and the Cracksman, 1974, published under the pseudonym Francis Selwyn. By the early 1980s, however, he had largely shed the Selwyn pseudonym (returning to it briefly in the late 1980s for some non-fiction works, and once in 2000, for another "Verity" novel), and began writing under his own name, Donald (S.) Thomas, switching from academic study and biography to Sherlockiana and crime fiction, all underpinned with his deep knowledge of the times and cultures of which he writes.
Biographies & fact
He has written a number of books, mostly novels, on a variety of subjects predominantly set in Victorian England. He has also written a small number of non-fiction works dealing with similar subjects/settings, among them a study of the Victorian underworld, and biographies of Robert BrowningRobert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
, the Marquis de Sade
Marquis de Sade
Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
, Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
, and Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
.
His 1978 (rev. ed. 2001) biography of Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald
Admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
highlights the characteristics of that individual which served in large part as inspiration both for C. S. Forester
C. S. Forester
Cecil Scott "C.S." Forester was the pen name of Cecil Louis Troughton Smith , an English novelist who rose to fame with tales of naval warfare. His most notable works were the 11-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic era, and The African Queen...
's Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower
Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy officer who is the protagonist of a series of novels by C. S. Forester. He was later the subject of films and television programs.The original Hornblower tales began with the 1937 novel The Happy Return Horatio Hornblower is a fictional Royal Navy...
, and for Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian, CBE , born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and centred on the friendship of English Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and the Irish–Catalan physician Stephen...
's Jack Aubrey
Jack Aubrey
John "Jack" Aubrey, KB , is a fictional character in the Aubrey–Maturin series of novels by Patrick O'Brian. The series portrays his rise from Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The twenty -book series encompasses Aubrey's adventures and various commands along...
. In 1994, his Hanged in Error? provided an overview/investigation as to the likely guilt of seven individuals all hanged in the UK before its abolition as a means of capital punishment
Capital punishment in the United Kingdom
Capital punishment in the United Kingdom was used from the creation of the state in 1707 until the practice was abolished in the 20th century. The last executions in the United Kingdom, by hanging, took place in 1964, prior to capital punishment being abolished for murder...
in 1965. The book dealt with the cases of Timothy Evans
Timothy Evans
Timothy John Evans was a Welshman accused of murdering his wife and daughter at their residence in Notting Hill, London in November 1949. In January 1950 Evans was tried and convicted of the murder of his daughter, and he was sentenced to death by hanging...
, John Williams (alias George MacKay, hanged in 1913 for the fatal shooting of Inspector Arthur Walls in Eastbourne during a burglary attempt), Edith Thompson, Robert Hoolhouse, Neville Heath
Neville Heath
Neville George Clevely Heath was an English killer who was responsible for the murders of at least two young women. He was executed in London in 1946.-Early career:Heath was born in Essex, England...
, Charles Jenkins (hanged in 1947 together with Christopher Geraghty for fatally shooting Alec de Antiquis following a botched London jewel robbery), and James Hanratty
James Hanratty
James Hanratty , a petty criminal with no history of violence, was the eighth-to-last person in the United Kingdom to be hanged after being convicted of the murder of Michael Gregsten at Deadman's Hill on the A6, near the village of Clophill, Bedfordshire, England, on 23 August 1961...
. (N.B. This is not the same as the similarly titled 1961 book Hanged in Error by Leslie Hale, which contains a different set of case histories.)
In academic circles, he is especially well known for his studies of the criminal underworld of London from Victorian times, through World War II to the Kray twins
Kray twins
Reginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
. He has written seven biographies and a handful of other biographical studies, as well as fictionalised biographies of individuals such as Bonnie Prince Charlie. His biography of Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
is recommended by Representative Poetry Online, and his other biographical works can be found on many academic reading lists.
He has edited volumes of Everyman's Library
Everyman's Library
Everyman's Library is a series of reprinted classic literature currently published in hardback by Random House. It was originally an imprint of J. M. Dent , who continue to publish Everyman Classics in paperback.J. M. Dent and Company began to publish the series in 1906...
on poets ranging from John Dryden
John Dryden
John Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
to the Post-Romantics, and also offered a translation of Michel Millot and Jean L'Ange's bawdy 17th century novel L'École des filles, which is described as "both an uninhibited manual of sexual technique and an erotic masterpiece of the first order" on its back cover.
Fiction
In fiction terms, he is perhaps best known for his more recent works, in particular a series of Sherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
pastiches, beginning with 1997's The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes. He has also written a number of other titles, and three series featuring the main characters of:
- Alfred Swain, an inspector of Scotland Yard.
- Sonny Tarrant, a "gangland capo", and
- Sgt. William Clarence Verity, a "Sergeant in Scotland Yard's 'Private Clothes Detail'" who investigates the Victorian criminal underground of London, c.1850.
(Verity was created under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Francis Selwyn.) His other novels include The Raising of Lizzie Meek, "based on the scandals surrounding the Victorian miracle-worker Father Ignatius of Capel-y-ffin
Joseph Leycester Lyne
Joseph Leycester Lyne, known by his religious name, Father Ignatius was an Anglican Benedictine preacher....
". Thomas is represented by Bill Hamilton of A.M. Heath & Company, Ltd.
Recent history
Having retired from Cardiff University, he remains affiliated there, as an Associate Research Professor in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy. In 2005, as Personal Chair in the School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University, he "donated a selection of his personal archive of research papers, used in writing his series of acclaimed books on the Underworld in Victorian and World War II eras to the University [of Cardiff]'s Special Collections and Archives."His most recent works include a study on censorship in modern Britain, reviewed as "provocative, timely and disturbing", by Iain Finlayson in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
.
Awards and nominations
As a poet, Thomas won the Eric Gregory AwardEric Gregory Award
The Eric Gregory Award is given by the Society of Authors to British poets under 30 on submission. The awards are up to a sum value of £24000 annually....
in 1962 for his collection Points of Contact.
His biography of Robert Browning
Robert Browning
Robert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
A Life Within Life was a runner-up for the Whitbread Prize, and his Victorian Underworld was shortlisted for the Gold Dagger Award.
Sgt. Verity
- Sergeant Verity and the Imperial Diamond (André Deutsch 1975) ISBN 0-233-96704-4
- (Stein and DayStein and DayStein and Day, Inc. was an American publishing company founded by Sol Stein and his wife Patricia Day in 1962. Stein was both the publisher and the editor-in-chief...
1976) ISBN 0-8128-1917-9
- (Stein and Day
- Sergeant Verity and the Cracksman (André Deutsch 1974) ISBN 0-233-96599-8
- (Futura 1975) ISBN 0-86007-252-5
- Cracksman on Velvet (Stein and Day 1974) ISBN 0-8128-1729-X
- Sergeant Verity Presents His Compliments (André Deutsch 1977) ISBN 0-233-96806-7
- (Stein and Day 1977)
- Sergeant Verity and the Blood Royal (André Deutsch 1979) ISBN 0-233-97074-6
- (Stein and Day 1979) ISBN 0-8128-2608-6
- Sergeant Verity and the Swell Mob (André Deutsch 1980) ISBN 0-233-97217-X
- (Stein and Day 1981) ISBN 0-8128-2727-9
- The Hangman's Child (Robert Hale 2000) ISBN 0-7090-6683-X
Non-fiction
- HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
's Englishman: The Crime of Lord Haw-HawLord Haw-HawLord Haw-Haw was the nickname of several announcers on the English-language propaganda radio programme Germany Calling, broadcast by Nazi German radio to audiences in Great Britain on the medium wave station Reichssender Hamburg and by shortwave to the United States...
(Routledge and Kegan Paul 1987) ISBN 0-7102-1032-9- (Penguin Books 1993) ISBN 0-14-014833-7
- Rotten to the Core?: The Life and Death of Neville HeathNeville HeathNeville George Clevely Heath was an English killer who was responsible for the murders of at least two young women. He was executed in London in 1946.-Early career:Heath was born in Essex, England...
(Routledge and Kegan Paul 1988) ISBN 0-7102-1033-7 - Gangland: The Case of BentleyDerek BentleyDerek William Bentley was a British teenager hanged for the murder of a police officer, committed in the course of a burglary attempt. The murder of the police officer was committed by a friend and accomplice of Bentley's, Christopher Craig, then aged 16. Bentley was convicted as a party to the...
and Craig (Routledge 1988) ISBN 0-7102-1034-5- Nothing But Revenge: The Case of Bentley And Craig (Penguin 1991) ISBN 0-14-014832-9
Poetry
- Points of Contact: a collection of poems, 1958-1961 65pp. (Routledge and Kegan Paul 1963)
- Welcome to the Grand Hotel 68pp. (Routledge and Kegan Paul 1975, 2006) ISBN 0-7100-8104-9
Alfred Swain
- Belladonna: A Lewis CarrollLewis CarrollCharles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
Nightmare (Macmillan 1984) ISBN 0-333-36048-6- Mad Hatter Summer (Viking Press 1983) ISBN 0-670-44526-6
- Belladonna (Papermac 1988) ISBN 0-333-46627-6
- Jekyll, Alias Hyde: A Variation (Macmillan 1988) ISBN 0-333-45782-X
- (St. Martin's Press 1988) ISBN 0-312-02592-0
- The RipperJack the Ripper"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
's Apprentice (Macmillan 1986) ISBN 0-333-40850-0- (St. Martin's Press 1989) ISBN 0-312-03420-2
- The Arrest of Scotland Yard (Macmillan 1993) ISBN 0-333-60506-3
Sonny Tarrant
- Dancing in the Dark (Macmillan 1992) ISBN 0-333-58718-9
- (St. Martin's Press 1994) ISBN 0-312-10447-2
- Red Flowers for Lady Blue (Macmillan 2000) ISBN 0-333-78154-6
- (Pan Books 2001) ISBN 0-330-39252-2
Sherlock HolmesSherlock HolmesSherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
- The Secret Cases of Sherlock Holmes (Macmillan 1997) ISBN 0-330-36977-6
- (Pan Books 1997) ISBN 0-333-64729-7
- (Carroll & Graf Publishers 1997) ISBN 0-7867-0636-8
- Sherlock Holmes and the Running Noose (Macmillan 2001) ISBN 0-333-90522-9
- (Pan Books 2002) ISBN 0-330-48647-0 (the UK edition of Sherlock Holmes and the Voice from the Crypt, see below)
- Sherlock Holmes and the Voice from the Crypt (Carroll & Graf Publishers 2002) ISBN 0-7867-0973-1 (the US edition of Sherlock Holmes and the Running Noose, see above)
- The Execution of Sherlock Holmes (Pegasus 2007) ISBN 1-933648-22-8
- Sherlock Holmes and the King's Evil (2010)
- Sherlock Holmes and the Ghosts of Bly (2010)
Other
- Summer in the Country (The Odyssey Press, 1968)
- Prince Charlie's Bluff (Macmillan 1974) ISBN 0-333-15042-2
- Flight of the Eagle (Macmillan 1975, 2006) ISBN 0-333-18087-9
- (Viking Press 1976) ISBN 0-670-31830-2
- The Blindfold Game (André Deutsch 1981) ISBN 0-233-97366-4
- Captain Wunder (Viking Books/Penguin 1981) ISBN 0-670-20355-6
- The Day the Sun Rose Twice (1985)
- Honour among Thieves (Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1991) ISBN 0-297-81205-X
- Dead Giveaway (1993)
- The Raising of Lizzie Meek (Robert Hale 1993) ISBN 0-7090-5031-3
Non-fiction & reference
- A Long Time Burning: The History of Literary Censorship in England (Praeger 1969)
- State Trials, Vol. 1: Treason and libel, with Thomas Bayly HowellThomas Bayly HowellThomas Bayly Howell FRS was an English lawyer and writer who edited and lent his name to Howell's State Trials.-Life:Born, in Jamaica, his family returned to England in 1770 to settle at Prinknash Park near Gloucester...
(Routledge & Kegan Paul 1972) ISBN 0-7100-7325-9 - State Trials, Vol 2: The Public Conscience, with Thomas Bayly HowellThomas Bayly HowellThomas Bayly Howell FRS was an English lawyer and writer who edited and lent his name to Howell's State Trials.-Life:Born, in Jamaica, his family returned to England in 1770 to settle at Prinknash Park near Gloucester...
(Routledge & Kegan Paul 1972) ISBN 0-7100-7326-7 - Charge! hurrah! hurrah!: A Life of Cardigan of BalaclavaJames Brudenell, 7th Earl of CardiganLieutenant General James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan, KCB , was an officer in the British Army who commanded the Light Brigade during the Crimean War...
(Viking Press 1975) ISBN 0-670-20388-2- Cardigan: The Hero of Balaclava (Routledge & Kegan Paul 1987) ISBN 0-7102-1205-4
- (rev. ed. Weidenfeld Military/Cassell Military/Viking Press 2002) ISBN 0-304-35824-X
- CochraneThomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of DundonaldAdmiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
: Britannia's Sea Wolf (1975)- CochraneThomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of DundonaldAdmiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, 1st Marquess of Maranhão, GCB, ODM , styled Lord Cochrane between 1778 and 1831, was a senior British naval flag officer and radical politician....
: Britannia's Last Sea-King (Viking Press 1978) ISBN 0-670-22644-0
- Cochrane
- The Marquis de SadeMarquis de SadeDonatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade was a French aristocrat, revolutionary politician, philosopher, and writer famous for his libertine sexuality and lifestyle...
: A New Biography (New York Graphic Society 1976) ISBN 0-8212-0653-2- (Little, Brown & Company 1977) ISBN 0-8212-0653-2
- fr. Le Marquis de Sade (Seghers 1977)
- de. Marquis de Sade: die grosse Biographie (Blanvalet Verlag 1978)
- SwinburneAlgernon Charles SwinburneAlgernon Charles Swinburne was an English poet, playwright, novelist, and critic. He invented the roundel form, wrote several novels, and contributed to the famous Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica...
, the Poet in his World (Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1979; OUP 1979) ISBN 0-297-77605-3 ; ISBN 0-19-520136-1- (Allison & Busby 1999) ISBN 0-7490-0409-6
- (Häftad. Ivan R. Dee Publisher, 1999) ISBN 1-56663-229-3
- Robert BrowningRobert BrowningRobert Browning was an English poet and playwright whose mastery of dramatic verse, especially dramatic monologues, made him one of the foremost Victorian poets.-Early years:...
: A life within life (Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1982, 1989) ISBN 0-297-78092-1 ; ISBN 0-297-79639-9- (Viking Books 1983) ISBN 0-670-60090-3
- Henry FieldingHenry FieldingHenry Fielding was an English novelist and dramatist known for his rich earthy humour and satirical prowess, and as the author of the novel Tom Jones....
(1988) (St. Martin's Press 1991) ISBN 0-312-05443-2 - Dead Giveaway: Murderers Avenged from the Grave (M. O'Mara Bks. 1993) ISBN 1-85479-930-4
- Hanged in Error? (Robert Hale 1994) ISBN 0-7090-5357-6
- Lewis CarrollLewis CarrollCharles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
: A Portrait With Background (John Murray 1996) ISBN 0-7195-5323-7- (Barnes & Noble Books 1999) ISBN 0-7607-1232-8
- The Victorian Underworld, with Henry MayhewHenry MayhewHenry Mayhew was an English social researcher, journalist, playwright and advocate of reform. He was one of the two founders of the satirical and humorous magazine Punch, and the magazine's joint-editor, with Mark Lemon, in its early days...
(New York University Press 1998) ISBN 0-8147-8238-8 - An underworld at war : spivSpivIn the United Kingdom, a spiv is a particular type of petty criminal, who deals in stolen or black market goods of questionable authenticity, especially a slickly-dressed man offering goods at bargain prices...
s, deserters, racketeers & civilians in the Second World War (John Murray, 2003) ISBN 0-7195-6340-2- The Enemy Within: HucksterHucksterA huckster is a seller of small articles, who tricks others into buying cheap imitation products and then bargains them as if they were the real thing...
s, Racketeers, Deserters, & Civilians During the Second World War (New York University Press 2004) ISBN 0-8147-8286-8
- The Enemy Within: Huckster
- Villains' Paradise: A History of Britain's Post-War Underworld: From the spivs to the KraysKray twinsReginald "Reggie" Kray and his twin brother Ronald "Ronnie" Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in London's East End during the 1950s and 1960s...
(John Murray 2006) ISBN 0-7195-6344-5- (Pegasus 2006) ISBN 1-933648-17-1
- Freedom's Frontier: Censorship in Modern Britain (John Murray 2007) ISBN 0-7195-5733-X
*Naval Battles of Crete (André Deutsch)
As editor
- Selected Poems by John DrydenJohn DrydenJohn Dryden was an influential English poet, literary critic, translator, and playwright who dominated the literary life of Restoration England to such a point that the period came to be known in literary circles as the Age of Dryden.Walter Scott called him "Glorious John." He was made Poet...
(J.M. Dent/C.E. Tuttle Everyman's Library 1993) ISBN 0-460-87230-3 - The Everyman Book of Victorian Verse: The Pre-Raphaelites to the Nineties (J.M. Dent/C.E. Tuttle 1993) ISBN 0-460-87310-5
- The Everyman Book of Victorian Verse: The Post-RomanticsPost-romanticismPost-romanticism or Postromanticism refers to a range of cultural products and attitudes emerging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, after the period of Romanticism....
(Routledge 1990, 1994) ISBN 0-415-00888-3- (J.M. Dent/C.E. Tuttle 1994) ISBN 0-460-87526-4
As translator
- The School of Venus (orig: L'École des filles, ou la Philosophie des dames) by Michel Millot et Jean L'Ange (New American Library 1971)
- (Panther 1972) ISBN 0-586-03674-1