-- Purchasing Information

	Paperback	Hardback
Publication Date:		22 May 2009
ISBN: ISBN 13:		1-906358-58-3 978-1-906358-58-7
Page Extent:		214
Book Size:		234x156mm
Price:		£15.99
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Price (USD):		$31.95
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Publication Date:	22 May 2009
Digital eBook ISBN 13:	978-1-908548-46-7
Digital pdf ISBN 13:	978-1-907792-50-2
	Based on Amazon's Kindle Store

-- Reviews by the Famous and well Known

A book that pulls no punches!
Charlie Richardson, Former Gangster & Author of 'My Manor'

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My mate Tel has lifted the lid off a secret world!
Howard Marks, Famous International Drug Smuggler & Author of 'Mr Nice'

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A book you will not be able to put down.
Bill ‘Buddy’ Cooper, Legendary Unlicensed Fight Trainer

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A book that will make your heart beat faster!
Cliff Field, Former Unlicensed Boxer

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The truth about unlicensed boxing for the first time.
Johnny Waldron, Former Unlicensed Boxer

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Forget Lock Stock, this is the REAL underworld!
Carlton Leach, Author of 'Muscle' and subject of the film 'Rise of the Footsoldier'

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You want the truth, well here it is!
Chris Lambrianou, Former Underworld Figure and Author of 'Escape: From the Kray Madness'

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Tel Currie once again takes us for that trip down the proverbial rabbit hole into a world that was created and filled with real men, real fighters and real examples of those whispered characters that were respected role models to a society that knew what the importance of keeping up the fight to survive meant. An historical step back in time to the birth of the bare knuckled fighter, the unlicensed boxer, the money and the people behind the scenes who had more power than the fighters they promoted. Another instant classic from our man in the know, Tel Currie.
Paul Knight, Author of 'Coding of a Concrete Animal'

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This is a ground breaking Classic! We have supported each other for many years and if this books is not a best seller ... there is something very wrong! His last books were good but this is Premier League, it's simply a MUST read. It's refreshing to have a shot of truth by someone not pretending to be what he's not!
Noel 'Razor' Smith, Author of 'Warrior Kings'

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A real classic!
Jimmy 'Gypsy' Stockin, Bare Knuckle Fighter and Author of 'On the Cobbles'

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A startling book from a man who knows.
Ronnie Knight, Former Underworld Figure and Author of 'Blood and Revenge'

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It’s so refreshing to read the truth for once!
Freddie Foreman, Former Underworld Figure and Author of 'Brown Bread Fred'

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I have known Tel Currie for over 10 years and we have been extremely close and trusted friends ever since. This book hits harder than some of my opponents!
Telboy as I call him is like my right hand man and is respected by all the ‘CHAPS’. He is also extremely close to Charlie Richardson, Ronnie & John Knight, Freddie Foreman, Carlton Leach, Alfie Hutcinson, Albert Chapman and loads of others, In fact, it would take all day to write all of his contacts, he is very well connected. He was also great friends of my best friend of all time ‘The main man’ or ‘Boss’ Joey Pyle snr and you really had to come recommended to be in Joe’s company let alone a trusted friend of the man, we all miss him. Me & Telboy also visit Ronnie Biggs together and what they are doing to him is disgusting, what do they want blood? probably yes! Both me & Telboy keep in touch with a lot of the proper lads inside. I have no need to go into anything because it’s all in this book.
I’m glad Telboy’s written this book and can’t see how it can fail, he has seen it all you know, things you would not believe!
Telboy is young, only in his thirties but he is definitely ‘Old School’ and has the morals, principals & values of the older ‘Chaps’. He is not flash, he is polite , a gentleman (especially around ladies) & good company. One point that shows how much I trust him is the fact that I would tell him anything and know it will go no further. This book is the complete truth and covers so many subjects. Telboy also goes well out of his way to help people and has in all the years I have known him. Problem is some people don’t like being told the truth & he is always honest with the ‘Chaps’ and some don’t appreciate how much he has sacrificed himself for them and gets no thanks back! (I can think of 2 or 3 now!)
He has done a lot and most of the ‘Faces’ will have a story where he helped them. He has trained fighters, worked the toughest doors, fought some tough men, put on his own boxing shows, brought people together, punched the wrong un’s and if his temper snaps it’s serious trouble!
He is tolerant and never looks for a fight, in fact he would rather avoid them but if you do get him to breaking point, he can be very brutal!
This is one of the last books out there worth reading. I don’t read much but loved this book and so will you. I’m not one for writing loads so be lucky, enjoy the book and welcome to our world!
Good Luck!
Roy Shaw, Famous Armed Robber & Author - Witten the Foreword

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A blistering, steam roller of a book by Tel, one of the very few people that could have written it. I know this is all true because I was there for most of it as I was in the unlicensed game myself and knew all the people and events Tel talks about and this book is spot on! A book you just can’t miss if you want to know the REAL truth.Yes, Tel is a close friend of Roy Shaw’s but this is in no way biased.
Danny Woolard, Author of 'We Dared'

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Great names, Great stories, GREAT BOOK!
Henry 'Buller' Ward, Author of 'Buller'

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Tel takes you through the dark, violent, brutal underworld where everything goes ... Welcome to our world!
Terry Stone, Actor

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A gem of a book, a real must!
Johnny Nash, Former Underworld Figure

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If there is one thing that I understand about life is that you cannot fast-track respect. This is something that fits you like a glove or is an attribute you will never earn in a million years. True respect cannot be bought, borrowed or forced. So when you see so many known names collectively agreeing to be in Tel Curries book ‘Left hooks and dangerous crooks’, it tells you something about the man himself. People embrace him rather than run away from him. So why would so many known names agree to be in this particular book?
The secret is contained within its pages. Check it out and you will see for yourself why even those with differences have agreed to associate themselves with it.
Jamie O'Keefe, Author of ‘Old School-New School, Bouncers Training Guide’

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I have known Telboy for over ten years now and I’m proud to have a pal like him. He has total loyalty to his own and has always stood up for his principles. In all the time I have known him, he has always gone with the grain in the wood and not against it- and that’s the right way! Tel will always write what he thinks and not be influenced by what others think. Good luck Telboy and always remember... CRIME DOESN’T PAY... BUT THE HOURS ARE GOOD!
Joey Pyle Snr, Famous Underworld Figure

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A lot of things have been said about Tel Currie; he’s staunch, solid, more than capable in a row, he’s always there for you, and if he’s your friend, he’s a friend for life, ALL these things are true! But for me, in these days of the so called “Young Turks”, he has that rare quality, which we don’t see much of anymore... RESPECT! He gives it where he thinks it’s deserved, and doesn’t mince his words when he feels none is warranted. I along with a lot of others admire him for it, me personally I like him, but even more than that, I RESPECT HIM.
Wilf Pine, Famous Underworld Figure

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Tel is a great guy and the people he knows, I won't even go into but that doesn't make him a criminal, he's a fight promoter, but people get them mixed up. There's not much I haven't seen and there's not much Tel hasn't seen. Men like Joey Pyle snr, Charlie Richardson, Freddie Foreman and Ronnie Knight have taken him under their wings as a kid because he is a well mannered, respectful, a useful lad and they are proper, proper men. This book is all true; I know that as fact and was stunned by Tel's knowledge. It's not another 'Hard man Book' but an intelligent, gripping read! Well done Tel.
Les Stevens, Former Gypsy Professional Light Heavyweight and Bare knuckle Fighter

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Tel Currie has produced a knock-out book on a subject that is close to his heart, once this is on the shelves others may as well throw in the towel.
Mike Gray, Author of 'Ronnie Biggs: The Inside Story'

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Tel is a good friend of mine. He's what we call a 'good fella' and 'one of ours'. But don't end up on his hit list! Few people get to know ALL the 'Firms' but Tel does - why? Because he is trusted. Well done Tel, a real eye opener!
Paul Ferris, Former Gangster and Author of 'The Ferris Conspiracy', 'Deadly Divisions', 'Vendetta' and 'Villains'

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Tel is one of the few who could write a book this revealing!
Jason Marriner, Author of 'It's Only A Game'

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On the streets and in the pubs and clubs the respect and curiosity given to the unlicensed fight game bares no equal. Friend of the chaps Tel Currie does a accomplished written expose and takes you right inside that murky world.
Cass Pennant, Author of 'Cass' and Subject of the Hit Movie 'Cass'

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Tel was my trainer, so I know this book is true!
Joe Smith, Bare Knuckle Fighter

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A great book by a great friend of all of us!
Dave Courtney, Celebrity Gangster & Best Selling Author

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Tel has written a good, truthful book. I suggest you buy it!
Bruce Reynolds, Great Train Robber in 1963 and Author of 'The Autobiography of a Thief'

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Tel is a great bloke who will do anything for you, as long as you don’t take liberties. My brother Ronnie and I both have maximum respect for him and his old school rules and values. The book is a real winner!
John Knight, Author of 'Gotcha! The Untold Story of Britain's Biggest Cash Robbery'

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A well respected man in the underworld, Tel is very well connected, this book is explosive! Not for the faint hearted!
'Gypsy' Johnny Frankham, Former British Light Heavyweight Champion and 'King of the Gypsy's'

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This book is the real deal because Tel is the REAL DEAL, TRUST ME! Tel and I are great friends and we have been in some potentially lethal situations together and always watched each others backs. Buy this book, you will not regret it!
Stellakis Stylianou, Author of 'Stilks'

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Tel used to work the door for me at my club. He is extremely well connected, extremely loyal and there is no better man to write this book.
'Big' Albert Chapman, Underworld Figure

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I was overjoyed when I heard that my dear friend Tel Currie was writing another book. Apart from my son, Tel, Roy Shaw and Mike Gray are my most regular and loyal visitors. There have been a few idiots writing to me asking for visits. But I know they just want to splatter “Biggsy is my mate” everywhere for their own gain and put my name in their books and stupid web sites, there are so many parasites out there. It’s just not like that with Tel Currie, he is always helping us all, and brings my mate of over forty years Roy Shaw with him, I love those visits.
Ronnie Biggs, Great Train Robber

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I have had many a chat with Tel about unlicensed and we also write to each other. His facts are dead on and he has a sharp mind that absorbs everything I tell him. For those who don't know me, I was the MC at all the unlicensed fights. I was a pro, knocked Lenny Mclean around the ring and even threw a drunk Ronnie and Reggie Kray out of a club! This is the first book of its kind … and will be a real smashing, must
have book!" Well done Tel.
Nosher Powell, Former Heavy Weight Boxing Champion

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I have known Tel for a good few years now and consider him a close friend. He is very private and doesn’t spout off at the mouth about what he does or doesn’t do. Of course, I and everybody else know’s that Tel is extremely well connected and respected, but also liked. His circle of close friends seems to include everybody in the underworld and he knows somebody at the top in every single city. Some are legends, but many will not be known by the general public at all. We don’t talk much about it and I certainly don’t get involved or question it, but you don’t need to ask him anyway ... you just know. It’s obvious that these people have the utmost respect and fondness for him, he is certainly no fake!
Tel is as real and genuine a man as you will find, and his loyalty is second to none. The people Tel calls his “extended family”, are certainly not just a gang of people he has had his photo taken with, they are an extremely tight circle, but his friends are not just one type of person, he knows people in every walk of life. But don’t get the wrong idea, he seems to do more good than harm and prefer a life without looking over his shoulder. But only a real fool would have him down as riding on anyone’s coat tails. The point is, his books are not from the out side looking in, so you can be sure that his books are not filled with fiction here and there. He also has a balanced view and has never tried to act like anything but himself, and he’s a really a decent guy.
Rodney Marsh, Football Legend and Author of 'I Was Born a Loose Cannon'

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-- Newspaper and Website Reviews

LEFT HOOKS AND DANGEROUS CROOKS
Tenby Observer

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LEFT HOOKS AND DANGEROUS CROOKS
Newark Advertiser

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LEFT HOOKS AND DANGEROUS CROOKS
Daily Star Sunday (Take 5 Magazine)

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LEFT HOOKS AND DANGEROUS CROOKS
The Brit (Madeira Newspaper)

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LEFT HOOKS AND DANGEROUS CROOKS
Ipswich 24 Magazine

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I love Tel's style of writing and we write many, many letters to each other. This book is a gripping, white knuckle ride about the inside and outside of the unlicensed and bare knuckle worlds. I am a keen reader and this book is the first of its kind on the market. I find Tel's writing talent refreshing, it's far from 'Did you spill my pint' writing that there are hundreds of books written like that. This book charts Joey Pyle snr and Roy Shaw's rise to the top of unlicensed boxing which they with Alex Steene invented!
It also tells in detail the violence that came with setting up his own fight promotion company and clashes with rival firms. Tel knows every single underworld figure in Britain and they are also involved in the book. If you bypass this book, you will hit a dead end!
This is the full book of knowledge on how the more brutal side of boxing came to be and it's underworld connections. You can smell the cigars and champagne, blood and sweat. You can envision the expensive suits, mafia hugs of respect, long crombies, short conversations while looking around first and the gangster groupies ... it's a masterpiece!
www.justiceforkevinlane.com

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I've always been a boxing fan, but never dabbled in the noble art of pugilism myself. The bottom line is that I'd never have been up to it; you have to be brutally realistic when appraising your own skills and talents.
Boxing, though, has an allure that fans of the fight game understand although those who oppose it cannot fathom. Many watch fights because they like to see good boxing, but it has to be said that some probably revel in the raw violence. Whatever the truth, Tel Currie has penned an eye-opening tome that tells the naked truth not about licensed boxing but the bare-knuckle or “unaffiliated” variety.
The strength of this book is the way in which it paints an accurate picture of the relationship between unlicensed fighting and the world of crime. Seeing things in their proper context allows for a far more realistic appraisal. What you read may not be any more pleasant, but its real.
Those who oppose boxing – licensed or otherwise – will have a real problem with this book because whatever one may think of pugilism there can be no doubting the courage of those who engage in it.
Tel Currie has created a window through which the rest of us can peek at a brutal, unforgiving world – but it is a world in which certain standards and codes are enforced and expected to be honoured. Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks is certainly not for the squeamish, but its a first-class read.
Mike Hallowell, The Shields Gazette

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-- Radio and TV

Colchester Garrison 107 FM feature and run a competition on 'Life as a Chelsea Headhunter: It's Only a Game' written by Jason Marriner and 'Left Hooks and Dangergous Crooks' written by Tel Currie. The competition was run on 'The Liz Mullen Show'.
Colchester Garrison 107 FM

Tel Currie was interviewed on Express 93.7 FM. Tel answered questions about his book 'Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks'. He was interviewed on 'The Darren Gamblen Show'.
Express 93.7 FM

Tel Currie was interviewed on Kerrang! Radio 105.2 FM. Tel answered questions about his book 'Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks'.
Kerrang! Radio 105.2 FM

26 May 2010 - Tel Currie was interviewed on Leith 98.8 FM. Tel answered questions about his book 'Left Hooks and Dangerous Crooks'.
Leith 98.8 FM

-- Readers Comments

Tel used to write to me and give me support when I was in the nick on a fit up and we struck up a strong rapport, it's amazing the people he knows! This book is gripping. I think Tel and Paul Ferris write the best books. There are no pulling punches here. Tel knows the unlicensed and bare knuckle worlds inside out. NOT for the faint hearted but a cracker!
Paul Massey
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Tel is a great friend of myself, Chris Lambrianou, Charlie Richardson and Charlie's wife Ronnie (Veronica). We all meet up and go out often and it's always a great laugh. There's none of this big tough Gangster chav talk, just a laugh. I think we have all seen enough violence! Tel's a lovely bloke and there couldn't have been anyone better to right a book on unlicensed, bare knuckle boxing and the underworld. Look how many people have commented ... how many people get first class comments from people like Freddie Foreman and Charlie Richardson? Chris Lambrianou is a very, very private man, unlike Tony was. How many comments do you see from Chris? None! But he did it for Tel. This book actually makes you feel you are in the boxing ring. The number of people writing comments should tell you to BUY IT!
Andy George
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Tel is extremely well liked in our world and has a lot of friends and earned every bit of respect he has, this book from this man is a real gem!
A reader from Wales
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A book from this well liked but dangerous man is dynamite!
Antonio Costello
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An impelling insight into the world of unlicensed boxing and the whole truth behind the connections with the underworld. Tel Currie tells it how no one else could.
Bill Hickey
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Tel and I are good friends and we work the doors together. Tel is a man you would want to see next to you when the odds are bad. When his phone rings, I'm always amazed that it's another gangland legend although he has made more peace between people than war. He has the heart of gold or temper of a tiger, it's up to you. It's usually mouthy bullies we bring down, but they can't be counted as proper 'fights'. Not many people are in such a great position and have seen so much. To not buy this book would be a crime!
John Bleakney
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Tel Currie is an extremely good pal of mine. I can assure you he has seen it all and knows them all. This is not hype, Tel knows the underworld like nobody else!
Liam Galvin
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-- Book Signings and Events

-- Libraries that stock this book
The British Library, Boston Spa
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