Gangsters, Guns and Me (2024)

What an absolutely fantastic read. Gangsters and the underworld have fascinated me for many years since I was a kid. I love reading about it and watching it, but especially when it's a true story. I think a lot of people will have heard of Freddie Foreman and I have read quite a few books on the Krays but this book by Freddie's son Jamie, now known as Derek Branning in EastEnders lays bare things I haven't read about before.

A lot of the time it was easy to forget that you were reading somebody's true life story and it was like watching a movie or reading a novel. The first half of the book was pretty slow going but the last half of the book was unputdownable. Reading about Jamie having to go on the run across the world was just amazing and despite the circ*mstances surrounding why he had to go, it sounds like such a great adventure. I am a massive believer in fate and also the paranormal and there are some things in this book which prove that such things exist, I won't ruin them and say what they are here but again it's so hard to believe that such things can happen and again it's like something in a novel except its not, it's real life and it actually happened.

I loved the relationship Jamie has with his father and the fact that no matter what he was always his idol and he always looked up to him. Despite the fact hat he [Freddie] did do some pretty bad things, like a lot of East End villains he still had a set of morals and rules that he lived by and that's good in my opinion. The only thing I wish is that the book was longer and that we could have learnt more about Jamie when he got back to the UK, but the book is a musts read for anybody with an interest in this sort of thing and I would love a second book from Jamie picking up where this one finished. It literally is jampacked with fantastic stories, he certainly has had an eventful life, the sort of life which could easily be made into a TV show or movie.

I like reading true crime and so I had to read this. Other reasons are that I first knowing saw Foreman when he played Bill Sykes in Oliver Twist (2005). He's the best Sykes I've seen since Oliver Read had the role in the musical.

Other than that I enjoyed him as Derek Branning in EastEnders. He a nice bit of menace to the square.

As for his family life, his life with his father, the gangland boss, Freddie Foreman, well it makes an interesting read. Him growing up in a crime family but he seems protected from it all but his obvious devotion to his father sees him almost but not quite going down the same road.

I think to sum up, it's a bigger read for true crime fans than for lovies.

Whatever your taste, it's well written, informative and entertaining.

I read this over a few hrs as had trouble sleeping must admit found it a bit gruesome and have no idea y they were allowed to get away with so much not stating the obivious Jamie seems so proud of his dad don't know if I would have been of mine if he was a gangster can not understand why Barbara Windsor was so involved with it ummm family isn't it !! must admit was a page turner though in a creepy sort of way

Dad here and there, thats most of the book. Sadly the combination of crime and acting falls short. The story of Jamie Foreman is definitly less interesting than the on of his father. Overall it is ok, but the potential of his biography is much greater.

I really wanna read this. I liked Derek Branning in EastEnders. I've became a fan of Jamie Foreman and want to read this to find out more about him. I'm gonna try and buy it on Play.com.

An interesting life story showing Jamie was much more closely involved with his father's "activities" than I first realised. A good read

Interesting read on his upbringing and about his fathers activities