Pretty Boy by Roy Shaw with Kate Kray - 1999

London, UK: Blake Publishing. As New in As New dust jacket. 1999. First Edition; Fourth Printing. Hardcover. 1857823613 . Unread, unmarked except for a highliter line to bottom edge indicating a display copy at a book convention. 16 pages of b&w photographs from Shaw's own collection. The true story of the meanest man in England. This book was # 1 for three weeks on the Sunday London Times' Best-Selling List and Top Ten for three months. An incredible "rags to riches" story of one of England's most hardened criminals who became a success using his fists and his internal rage. For anyone who admires tough guys or macho men with swagger, Pretty Boy fulfils that need quite nicely. Roy Shaw was born in 1936 and, as a youth, began using his fists to intimidate people and get what he wanted. He was in and out of prisons all of his adult life, until finally, in1963, he received an 18-year sentence for armed robbery. But, Shaw was respected for his fighting skills and upon his release from prison, he was asked to "monitor" certain situations at nightclubs, which paid him very well. He also began participating in the sport of bare-knuckles fighting. This was an unlicensed sport, with big money betting on the outcome. Shaw quickly became the most infamous of these fighters, battling until only one man was standing, usually Shaw. His fights with fellow tough-guy, Lenny McLean, became legend in the UK. Through shrewd investments, Shaw has become a millionaire, finally content with his life. Pretty Boy is an unglorified look into the world of thugs, criminals and the seamier side of the system. It shows how one man, whose life became a series of crimes and brutality, came to find the inner peace within himself to become a sort-of folk hero in Britain. Shaw is unapologetic for his actions -- he accepts full responsibility for his life. Pretty Boy is a fascinating book of crime, retribution and, ultimately, redemption. ; 218 pages .