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S. R. Blackwell is a historian, investigative researcher, and chronicler of the world's most notorious criminal empires - at least, that's the polite way of putting it. Behind the pen name lies a lifelong fascination with the shadows of history: the deals struck in back rooms, the whispered threats that changed the fate of cities, and the figures who built empires outside the law. Blackwell's passion for true crime began in the archives of dusty public libraries, sifting through forgotten newspaper clippings and yellowed trial transcripts. Over the years, this hobby evolved into a meticulous research practice that draws on police files, court records, and rare first-hand accounts from journalists, detectives, and even reformed underworld figures. Known for combining academic rigor with a storyteller's flair, Blackwell's books place readers in the smoke-filled clubs of London in the Kray twins' era, on the streets of Prohibition Chicago with Al Capone, in the mountain hideouts of the Sinaloa Cartel, and in the hidden villas of Sicilian Mafia dons. When not writing, Blackwell travels extensively, visiting historic crime scenes and speaking with local historians to bring texture and authenticity to each work. His aim is not to glorify criminality, but to reveal the social, political, and economic forces that allow it to thrive - and to explore the enduring cultural fascination with those who live by their own rules. The Global Organized Crime History series is Blackwell's signature project: an ambitious, multi-volume exploration of the world's most infamous underworld organizations, blending history, biography, and investigative detail into compelling nonfiction narratives.
