About this item
The greatest untold crime saga of the Victorian Era: the extraordinary true story of four American forgers who tried to steal five million dollars from the Bank of England.. In the summer of 1873, four American forgers went on trial at the Old Bailey for the greatest fraud the world had ever seen: the attempted theft of five million dollars from the Bank of England. In The Thieves of Threadneedle Street, Nicholas Booth tells the extraordinary true story of the forgers earliest escapades, culminating in the heist at the worlds leading financial institution. At the heart of the story is the charming criminal genius Austin Bidwell who, on the brink of escaping with his fortune, saw his luck finally run out. There were double crosses and miraculous escapes. There were chases across rural Ireland, through Scottish cities, across the Atlantic on ships heading toward Manhattan and - most exotic of all - Cuba, where the most elusive thief would eventually be captured, only to escape again. Hot on their trail was William Pinkerton, "the greatest detective in America," scion of the famous detective agency. With its cast of improbable villains, curious coincidences, and extraordinary adventures, this is an astounding international caper with twists and turns that often defy belief. With access to previously unopened archives, Nicholas Booth has unearthed the greatest untold crime saga of the Victorian Era.
About the Author
Nicholas Booth is a British author and broadcaster. Starting out as a science writer for UK national newspapers, he later worked in television and mobile publishing. Now he writes about unusual characters and unlikely events from history. His biography of the double agent Eddie Chapman, Zigzag, was highly acclaimed and will be made into a film. The Thieves of Threadneedle Street published in the U.S. by Pegasus Books is out now as a paperback. His latest book is with the acclaimed science writer Elizabeth Howell - about the greatest scientific detective story of all time - THE SEARCH FOR LIFE ON MARS (out June 23rd) . Born in Cheshire in 1964, Nick lives there with his wife and their cats.
