A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun: The Autobiography of a Career Criminal

Noel 'Razor' Smith

Jul 2005 · Penguin UK

About this ebook

A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun is the autobiography of convicted felon Noel 'Razor' Smith. An extraordinarily vivid account of how a tearaway kid from South London became a career criminal, it is both a searing indictment of a system that determinedly brutalized young offenders and a frank, unsentimental acknowledgement of the thrills of the criminal life. Shocking, fascinating and frightening by turns, it also reveals Razor Smith to be a remarkably talented writer.

Ratings and reviews

This was the first book I ever read that wouldn't let me put it down! So well written (unlike this review)!! It must be one of the only accounts of a young Ted/rockabilly to be published and a great one at that! I love this book! Follow this up with 'A Rusty Gun' (equally well written) and you'll soon struggle not to feel empathy for those inside!

This book is the most accurate book I have ever read about life in borstals and then prisons The Author you can tell is for real. He isn't Glamourising Crime in any way shape or form he is telling it as it is at its worst. so good I have read it twice

ABSOLUTELY 100% BRILLIANT BOOK ALL TRUE BECAUSE I'VE DONE A BIT OF ROBBERY AND SUFFERED AT THE HANDS OF THE POLICE AND THE SCREWS ANYWAY READ IT FOR YOURSELF YOU WON'T WANT TO PUT IT DOWN THEN WHEN YOU'RE FINISHED YOU"LL WANT TO READ IT AGAIN 👍

About the author

Noel 'Razor' Smith was born in London in 1960. He has 58 criminal convictions and has spent the greater portion of his adult life in prison. Whilst in prison he taught himself to read and write, gained an Honours Diploma from The London School of Journalism and an A-Level in Law. He has been awarded a number of Koestler awards for his writing and has contributed articles to the Independent, the Guardian, Punch, the Big Issue, the New Statesman and the New Law Journal. He is currently serving a life-sentence for armed robbery. A Few Kind Words and a Loaded Gun is his first book.