FIVE QUEENS, FORTY ELEPHANTS: THE LIVES AND CRIMES OF LONDON’S FIRST ALL-FEMALE GANG
Book ID/图书代码： 14780026C00032
English Summary/英文概要： Peaky Blinders meets Oceans Eight. A movie in the making, the wild-but-true story of the all-female British crime syndicate who for more than 12 decades took advantage of 20th century gender norms to outwit London police and live the high life - a criminal sisterhood living unapologetically, seductively, feloniously.
The Forty Elephants was one of the most successful and long-lasting criminal organizations in English history—yet few recognize their name.
Disciplined and dedicated, this all-female, all working-class gang terrorized the streets of London from the 1870s to the early 1960s, not only matching their male counterparts in daring exploits, but outdoing them in ingenuity, adaptability, and organization. In their trademark fur coats, bloomers, and cleverly altered clothing with numerous fake pockets, they ran a complex and diverse operation that extended from pickpocketing and blackmail to shoplifting, fraud, and jewelry theft—and earned them a fortune.
The Forty Elephants’ reign lasted for 12 decades—a testament to their many remarkable leaders, including Mary Carr, their groundbreaking founder in the 1880s, the charismatic Alice Diamond, who took over the gang at the age of 19 and authored their famous Hoister’s Code, and Shirley Pitts, nicknamed Queen of the Shoplifters, who led the gang until her death in 1992.
From hustling schemes that played on Victorian gender norms to bold department store smash-and-grabs, their methods evolved as times changed. But what remained constant was their bond of sisterhood, and the respect and admiration they received from the South London community, and surprisingly, from the police.
Despite their longevity and successes, the astonishing story of the Forty Elephants has been diminished and their achievements largely ignored. Now, drawing on previously untapped sources, award-winning author Nikki Vietz finally gives voice to these extraordinary, defiant women in an eye-opening, thrilling narrative of ambition, rivalry, feminism, resilience, and sisterhood.
Chinese Summary/中文概要： 《浴血黑帮》遇上《瞒天过海：美人计》。这部即将被搬上银幕、疯狂而真实的故事，讲述了一个全由女性组成的英国犯罪集团，如何在长达一百二十多年的时间里，利用二十世纪的性别规范来智取伦敦警方并过上奢华生活。这是一个犯罪姐妹会，过着毫无歉意、充满诱惑且罪恶深重的生活。
四十头大象是英国历史上最成功、最长寿的犯罪组织之一，但很少有人知道这个名字。
这个全女性、全部由工人阶级组成的帮派纪律严明且专注投入，从十九世纪七十年代到二十世纪六十年代初，在伦敦街头称霸一时。该帮派不仅在与男性对手的较量中胆大妄为，更在足智多谋、适应力和组织性上胜过男性。该帮派成员穿着标志性的毛皮大衣、灯笼裤和经过巧妙改造、缝有无数假口袋的衣服，经营着复杂多样的犯罪活动，从扒窃和敲诈勒索到入店行窃、欺诈和珠宝盗窃，并从中赚取了大笔财富。
四十头大象的统治延续了一百二十年之久，这证明了该帮派众多卓越领导者的能力。其中包括该帮派在十九世纪八十年代的开创性创始人玛丽•卡尔，十九岁时接管帮派、以其标志性的个人魅力和编写了著名的《扒手守则》的艾丽斯•戴蒙德，以及绰号“入店行窃女王”、领导帮派直至1992年去世的雪莉•皮茨。
从利用维多利亚时代性别规范的诈骗计划，到大胆的百货公司砸抢行动，帮派的手段随着时代的变化而演变。但始终不变的是姐妹情谊的纽带，以及该帮派从南伦敦社区获得的尊重和钦佩，甚至令人惊讶地，还有来自警方的尊重。
尽管存在时间长且成就斐然，但四十头大象的惊人故事一直被淡化，其成就也大多被忽视。如今，获奖作家妮基•维茨借助此前未开发的消息来源，终于为这些非凡而不屈不挠的女性发声，以一部令人大开眼界、激动人心的叙事，讲述了关于野心、竞争、女权主义、韧性和姐妹情谊的故事。(ZY)
Awards/获奖情况：
About the Author/作者介绍： 妮基•维茨是一位历史学家，也是《五个女王，四十头大象》的作者。维茨在马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校攻读历史研究硕士学位期间开始研究四十头大象帮派，此后成为深入研究该女性帮派及成员的仅有的三位学者之一。维茨曾获得南希•鲁普雷希特论文奖，其研究成果曾发表于《马里兰大学巴尔的摩县分校评论》，并在“检索社会科学”播客中被讨论。维茨还在美国国家档案与记录管理局担任档案技术员。维茨是马里兰州人，现居马里兰州威斯敏斯特，在nikkivietz.squarespace.com上可以找到维茨。
Nikki Vietz is a historian and the author of Five Queens, Forty Elephants. She began researching the Forty Elephants while earning her MA in Historical Studies from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC), and has since become one of only three scholars to study in-depth the women and gang. The recipient of a Nancy Rupprecht Paper Prize, her work has been published in the UMBC Review and discussed on the Retrieving Social Sciences Podcast. She is also an Archival Technician at the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. A Maryland native, she lives in Westminster, MD, and can be found online at nikkivietz.squarespace.com.
Format:HARDCOVER
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