Jo Durden Smith – författare

This enthralling hardback guide tells the story of the rise and spread of The Mafia, from the island of Sicily to the United States and beyond, brought to life with striking full-colour photographs and illustrations. The Mafia is full of blood-chilling characters, from Al Capone, who ran Chicago during Prohibition, and hitmen Louis Lepke and Alberto Anastasia who founded Murder, Inc, to Totò Riina, 'boss of bosses', John Gotti, 'the Teflon don', and Bernardo 'The Tractor' Provenzano, who hid out under cover for 43 years... They were extraordinary men who lived through extraordinary times. The Mafia tells the story of their lives, their families, their codes, their crimes and their cold-blooded murders. It's a long and enthralling tale, drenched in blood and scored with betrayal.Filled with full-colour photographs, illustrations, and special features, this book provides an essential starting point to understanding the world of organized crime.ABOUT THE SERIES: Arcturus Illustrated Case Files are striking, photo-filled hardbacks, delving into sinister cases of true crime, conspiracies and the paranormal, offering a powerful glimpse into darker side of life.

The ability to see into the future and to accurately predict events has fascinated and yet frightened man for thousands of years. As far back as 4000 BC, the Sumerians consulted sages who would pronounce on important matters and advise on courses of action.In this riveting, illustrated account, the predictions of the most famous sages and seers from the dawn of civilization are looked at in detail. One of the best known of these visionaries was Nostradamus, and indeed his prophecies, in the form of the original cantos, are analyzed in this book.Discover the prophecies that predicted:• The French Revolution• Pearl Harbor• 9/11• The Iraq WarNostradamus and Other Prophets and Seers examines the role of astrology, alchemy, and arcane knowledge in prophecy. It tries to answer that age-old question of whether there is such a thing as ''secret knowledge'', and whether it is possible for mere mortals to access it.

There are few people alive who are so cruel, so heartless and so undeniably evil that they will kill again and again. Yet at any one time, there are between 25 and 50 active serial killers in the USA, and their chilling crimes have fascinated us since the days of Jack the Ripper. Here you will discover how these heartless killers committed their gruesome deeds, what motivated them to kill and how, eventually, they were caught.This collection features more than 50 compelling stories, including:• Ed Kemper, who dismembered the bodies of his victims once he had finished with them;• Ted Bundy, who abducted, raped and brutally killed more than 30 women;• Charles Manson, who led a cult of mayhem and murder;• Jeffrey Dahmer, who stored a human head in his freezer;• Randy Kraft, who was pulled over for drunk driving with a body in the trunk of his car;• Alexander Pichushkin, who aimed to kill a person for every square on the chessboard.

The Mafia is perhaps the most powerful criminal organization ever to have existed. Emerging in late-19th-century Sicily, it soon spread across Italy and the United States, creating a crime empire based on racketeering, drug smuggling, and ruthless intimidation.This lavish full-colour guide is the complete history of the notorious organization from the ragtag bandits who terrorized the populations of rural Sicily through to the notorious gangsters of the Prohibition era to the Five Families that dominated the New York mob for much of the 20th century.Filled with infamous characters such as Al Capone, Charles 'Lucky' Luciano, Totò Riina, and John Gotti, this book is a definitive history of the Mafia.

The life of Siddhartha Buddha ( 'Awakened One') is that of one who awakened from the sleep of ignorance and saw conditions as they really were.The Essence of Buddhism provides a clear, straightforward approach to the rich traditions of the Buddhist faith and its ideological foundations. It explains the power of karma, the practice of Zen, and the notion of the life of the Buddha and his influence throughout the world.Through its elucidation of the definitive Buddhist texts, this splendid introduction puts into perspective one of the world's most significant religions and reveals that it is as relevant now as at any time in its 3,000-year history.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Mystic Wisdom introduces four of the world's most influential mystical traditions - Gnosticism, Sufism, Kabbalah, and Buddhism - tracing the history of these movements and their search for personal and spiritual transformation.

An indispensable introduction to the darker side of life, revealing the often strange and grisly stories behind the world''s most infamous murderers, swindlers and crooks.100 Most Infamous Criminals is an astounding compendium of crimes and their perpetrators. The range of crimes is extraordinary, from the bizarre to horrific, and from the heart-breaking to the ridiculous. The book tells in vivid detail the story of the history''s most infamous criminals; lives they led, the crimes they committed, and the destruction and sorrow left in their wake.• Jack the Ripper, the man who terrorized Victorian London. • Ted Bundy, the serial killer beloved by his neighbours.• Jeffrey Dahmer, the creator of real-life zombies. • Al Capone, the king of gangsters. • Harold Shipman, Britain''s angel of death.

The Mafia began on the small Mediterranean island of Sicily. It grew to become a major political force in Italy, while its tentacles penetrated every aspect of life in the United States. Through drugs, it spread its influence around the world. This is its story.

There are few people alive who are so cruel, so heartless and so undeniably evil that they will kill again and again. Yet at any one time, there are between 25 and 50 active serial killers in the USA, and their chilling crimes have fascinated us since the days of Jack the Ripper. Here you will discover how these heartless killers committed their gruesome deeds, what motivated them to kill and how, eventually, they were caught. This collection features more than 50 compelling stories, including:• Ed Kemper, who dismembered the bodies of his victims once he had finished with them;• Ted Bundy, who abducted, raped and brutally killed more than 30 women;• Charles Manson, who led a cult of mayhem and murder;• Jeffrey Dahmer, who stored a human head in his freezer;• Randy Kraft, who was pulled over for drunk driving with a body in the trunk of his car;• Alexander Pichushkin, who aimed to kill a person for every square on the chessboard.

The life of Siddhartha Buddha (which means ''Awakened One'') is that of one who awakened from the sleep of ignorance and saw conditions as they really were. Through his example every one of us can do the same - awaken from the sleep of non-awareness and understand the experience or ''sufferings'' of birth, sickness, ageing and death that ultimately lead to enlightenment.The Essence of Buddhism provides a clear, straightforward approach to the rich traditions of the Buddhist faith and its ideological foundations. It explains the power of karma, the practice of Zen, and the notion of the life of the Buddha and his influence throughout the world.Through its elucidation of the definitive Buddhist texts, this splendid introduction puts into perspective one of the world''s most significant religions and reveals that it is as relevant now as at any time in its 3,000-year history.

Die Mafia - was im 19. Jahrhundert als Geheimbund auf Sizilien begann, ist zum Inbegriff des weltweit organisierten Verbrechens geworden. Der Einfluss der Mafia reicht schon lange in alle Bereiche der westlichen Gesellschaft hinein - bis in die höchsten Ränge der Politik. Weil es fast unmöglich scheint, die Mauer des Schweigens um die "ehrenwerte Gesellschaft" zu durchbrechen, konnten Bosse wie Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, John Gotti und der unvergessliche Don Calò zu Legenden werden. Was ein "Pate" ist, glauben wir durch Hollywood zu wissen. Wissen wir es wirklich?In diesem Buch geht der investigative Journalist Jo Durden Smith den Schattengestalten hinter dem Mafia-Mythos nach. Er verfolgt die Geschichte dieser Verbrecherorganisation bis in ihre Anfänge zurück und zeigt, wie sie - mit Glücksspiel, Prostitution und Drogenhandel - vor allem in Amerika zur Macht wurde, die Recht und Gesetz nicht fürchtet. Von Sizilien nach New York, von Montreal nach Buenos Aires durchleuchtet er die Ereignisse und die Personen, die das mörderische Gangstermilieu der letzten hundert Jahre bestimmt haben.

The ability to see into the future and to accurately predict events has fascinated and yet frightened man for thousands of years. As far back as 4,000 BC the Sumerians consulted sages who would pronounce on important matters and advise on courses of action. In this riveting new account, the predictions of the most famous sages and seers from the dawn of civilization are looked at in detail. One of the best known of these visionaries was Nostradamus, and indeed his prophecies and predictions form the core of this book.Illustrated throughout, Nostradamus & Other Prophets and Seers examines the role of astrology, alchemy and arcane knowledge in prophecy. Most intriguingly, it tries to answer that age-old question of whether there is such a thing as ''secret knowledge'' and whether it is possible for mere mortals to access it.