It seems that not even world war could stop crime in Sydney. In fact, World War Noir confirms that war and crime – in the form of sex, drugs, alcohol, racketeering and other illicit activities – go hand in hand. A companion book to the later glory days of the Sydney underworld from Sydney Noir, here Michael Duffy and Nick Hordern tell the story of a time when many Australians were not as patriotic as we have been told. With soldiers’ pockets full of cash and the freedom of being on leave, criminal possibilities opened up during World War II. Told from the ground – or the gutter – up, World War Noir is a raw and broad-ranging tale that confounds expectations and reveals a grittier truth.

Sales Points

• Vividly describes the leading characters of the Sydney underworld during World War II including corrupt cops, prostitutes, gunmen, sly grog traders and bookmakers
• Provides an alternative history of Sydney during World War II, depicting a city far less patriotic, and far more hell bent on pleasure, than we have been led to believe
• Taps into the popular non-fiction crime genre
• Written in the same bold, engaging style as their successful book Sydney Noir
• Duffy and Hordern are experienced journalists known for their interest in Sydney’s crime history
• A new way of thinking about war on the homefront, especially around Anzac Day
• Duffy and Hordern created and run the Sydney Crime Museum website and its associated Facebook page. [Duffy is about to start posting on the blog and FB again]

Michael Duffy has worked for the Sydney Morning Herald and the SunHerald as a reporter of crime and other urban issues. He is the author of crime books – novels and non-fiction – including Call Me Cruel, The Simple Death and Drive By.

Nick Hordern is a former senior writer at the Australian Financial Review and has also worked as a political staffer, diplomat and intelligence analyst. They are the authors of the bestselling Sydney Noir.