The Audacious Kidd

Volume 1 of The Kidd Trilogy

Simon Griffin

$34.95

Paperback

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English

23 October 2019

Biography; True crime

Series: Kidd Trilogy

Referred to by a leading barrister as the most complete criminal in the nation's history , Robert Bertram (Bertie) Kidd has been feared, respected and emulated by the toughest figures in the Australian underworld for almost half a century, thanks to exploits ranging from safe-breaking, race fixing and racketeering to counterfeiting, bullion robberies and even skyjacking.

Senior police officers suspect him of several baffling unsolved felonies, and he has survived more than than thirty years in some of Australia's most violent prisons. Yet unless you are involved in criminal enterprises, law enforcement or correctional services, you've probably never heard of him. Kidd briefly made news headlines in 2015, when the Australian government decided that upon his scheduled release from prison in August of that year he would be extradited back to his birthplace, England - a country he hadn't seen for sixty-five years. His eventually successful battle against deportation prompted Kidd to reassess his life, and this remarkable and enthralling three-volume chronicle of his rise to the pinnacle of criminal royalty is the result.

There are multiple stories about this character depicted in dozens of books and newspaper clippings, however the majority are flawed. This is his story and represents his life as he sees it.

By: Simon Griffin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 230mm, Width: 153mm, Spine: 24mm
Weight: 460g
ISBN: 9780648686903
ISBN 10: 0648686906
Series: Kidd Trilogy
Publication Date: 23 October 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Contents Preface Prologue 1. The hungry years 2. Braving the Blitz 3. A safe haven 4. Picking up the pieces 5. A surprise announcement 6. The voyage 7. A new home in a new world 8. Our first holiday 9. Time to leave 10. National service 11. The Morning Star Gold Mine 12. A turning point 13. Gelignite 14. Settling down 15. Blowing safes 16. Seeking expertise 17. Learning from a master 18. Keys to success 19. A set-up in Wonthaggi 20. Moore's Corner Store 21. Split Pin 22. The MG Dykes safe company 23. An unlucky abortionist 24. Striking gold in the pub 25. Kidd left holding the bag 26. Why So 27. Sydney excursion 28. Mutton Chops 29. Family reunion 30. Victoria's finest police station 31. Ten-dollar notes 32. The Weasel squeals 33. Setting a trap 34. Tragedy on the track 35. Standing firm 36. Poking the lion 37. The bookie's stash 38. Ena Sharples and the crumbling vault 39. A police conspiracy 40. Diamonds galore 41. Revenge served cold 42. Sometimes gambling pays 43. Off target 44. Forges department store 45. Drilling for liquid gold 46. The infamous Kane Brothers 47. Looking for foxes 48. Bullfrog blunders 49. A warning backfires 50. Gangster gunned down 51. The zinc works 52. Blindsided

Reviews for The Audacious Kidd: Volume 1 of The Kidd Trilogy

There are very few true crime books that I wish I had written, this is one of them. There's true crime and then there's real crime. This is the most authentic account of a career in crime you will find on the shelves today. Adam Shand Read this book in three sessions and can't wait for the next two in the series. This one stops in the early 1970s before the Kidd story really heats up. I knew next to nothing about Bertie's early years. He had a hell of a run. I read a lot of true crime and usually get the shits within half an hour when I hit the first lazy factual error. Didn't spot one in this book. Whatever you think about the bloke this is screaming out to be made into a TV series. Good job. Stephen John Gibbs