Southeast England in the 1740s was not a pleasant place. Foreign wars, rebellion, and fractious politics rattled the state and made life difficult for most. In this chaos, the old practice of smuggling reached new and dangerous heights. Violent gangs of smugglers terrorized communities and confounded government attempts to stop them. The most famous of these gangs, the Hawkhurst Gang, operated like a modern drug cartel. They threatened witnesses and authorities, brandished their arms in public, and fought battles in the streets. It took a potent combination of new government powers and courageous citizens to finally end their reign.

Unlike other works on smuggling, Hawkhurst will focus entirely on the story of the gang and the historical conditions that created it. This book will not be about hidden barrels or ships landing in the night. Instead, it aims to examine the tattooed thugs, corrupt MPs, political extremists and criminal underworld that brought about the rise and fall of one of Britain's first mafias.

This book is for anyone interested in the history of smuggling in Britain, historical crime, or organized crime stories.