I am way behind the curve here, but I only heard of Johns passing today. What desperately sad news. The Profession of Violence was the first book that I had read from cover to cover, and when I eventually met John over a quarter of a century later when he interviewed me several times for his subsequent work on the Krays , I was more than happy to confess that his book had a huge influence on my career as a writer and criminologist. He was the most charming man, a wonderful story teller who brought to life local legends such as Jimmy Spinks and Dodger Mullins. John had a genuine understanding of how the Dickensian east end, war and mental illness created the cockney Greek tragedy of the Kray family. And most importantly he was a lovely man.