Inspiration for the book

Inspired by David Simon, creator of The Wire and The Deuce, I wanted to write a book that used the interwoven story of individual experiences to explore the larger systems and institutions that they participated in. As an historian, I wanted to be able to do this using real-life people and events. When I first read about the Hawkhurst Gang, I felt that it provided the perfect opportunity to explore 1740s Britain, a time of profound political, economic and social transformation, through the stories of the people who lived it.