Powder Wars

The Supergrass who Brought Down Britain's Biggest Drug Dealers

Graham Johnson

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Paperback

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English

Mainstream Publishing
15 October 2005

Biography; True crime

'An astonishing story' - Sunday Mirror

'The best gangster book of modern times' - Donal MacIntyre

Gangster Paul Grimes was a one-man crimewave with a breathtaking capacity to steal. Any villains who got in his way were made to pay - often with their blood. But when his son died of a drugs overdose, the old-school mobster swore revenge on the new generation of Liverpool-based heroin and cocaine dealers. Against all odds, he turned undercover informant.

The first gangster to fall foul of Grimes' change of heart was Curtis Warren, aka 'Cocky', the wealthiest and most successful criminal in British history. Grimes infiltrated his cocaine cartel and led Customs to the largest narcotics seizure on record, putting Warren in the dock in the drugs trial of the twentieth century.

After turning his attention to heroin baron John Haase, Grimes rose to become the boss of the villain's notoriously bloodthirsty 'security firm' - a professional gang of racketeers addicted to cocaine, explosive violence and non-stop criminality. But as his net began to tighten, Grimes was confronted with the ultimate dilemma. He discovered his second son was now a rising star in the drugs business. The life-or-death question was- should he shop him or not?

Powder Wars also reveals the secrets behind one of the most controversial episodes in British judicial history - how former Home Secretary Michael Howard was duped into granting John Haase a Royal Pardon.

Today, Paul Grimes has a e100,000 contract on his head and is a real-life dead man walking.

Powder Wars is a riveting account of modern gangsters told in brutal detail.

By: Graham Johnson
Imprint: Mainstream Publishing
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Edition: New edition
Dimensions: Height: 197mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 196g
ISBN: 9781840189254
ISBN 10: 1840189258
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 15 October 2005
Recommended Age: From 0 years
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Graham Johnson is the Sunday Mirror's investigations editor. He has covered stories including drug dealing in Britain, people smuggling in Europe, child slavery in India and Pakistan, and war in the Balkans. He currently lives in London.

Reviews for Powder Wars: The Supergrass who Brought Down Britain's Biggest Drug Dealers

'The best gangster book of modern times' - Donal MacIntyre An astonishing story' - Sunday Mirror 'Graham Johnson has refused to let the subject drop . . . Powder Wars is a portrait of a true sadist [John Haase] for whom inflicting pain on those who crossed him was not only business but a personal pleasure' - New Statesman 'A compulsive read. Graham Johnson has a unique perspective on the world of major drug dealers. Working closely with him, I have seen how brave and well informed he is' - Peter Kilfoyle, MPand former Defence Minister 'The story reads like a film script - drugs, murder, a contract on his head and a real Hollywood twist at the end. A cut above the rest' ***** - Zoo Weekly