The Great Train Robbery

In the early hours of Thursday 8th August 1963 at rural Cheddington in Buckinghamshire, 2.6 million (50 million today) in unmarked 5, 1 and 10-shilling notes was stolen from the Glasgow to London nightmail train in a daring and brilliantly executed operation lasting just 46 minutes. Quickly dubbed the crime of the century, it has captured the imagination of the public and the world's media for 50 years, taking its place in British folklore and giving birth to the myths of The Great Train Robbery. Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards and Bruce Reynolds became household names.

But what really happened? This is the story of four talented villains who took the criminal world by storm, of the 'perfect crime'. It is also the story of ruthless policemen, determined to hunt the robbers down and to make sure nobody slipped through the net, not even the innocent. It is the story of an Establishment under siege, and of one mistake which cost the robbers 307 years in prison.

Fifty years later, here is the story set out in full for the first time, a true-life crime thriller, and also a vivid slice of British social history.

“"With hindsight, the irony is that The Great Train Robbery was not a harbinger of the Swinging Sixties, but rather, with its cast of cops and criminals in matching trilbies, a reminder of the old Britain-class-bound and violent yet still strangely innocent-that was about to be swept away." - Mail on Sunday”

a cool analysis of a violent and daring raid that still frustrates investigators and fascinates aficionados of big-time crime--SAGA MAGAZINE, -
compelling...reveals failings in the initial investigation, but also in the execution of the robbery--CHOICE, -
For the robbers who lost their liberty, all they had left was the myth of a brilliant crime. But that myth is comprehensively blown away by this thorough and often gripping book--THE SUNDAY TIMES, -
Our fascination with the Great Train Robbery shows no sign of fading. It's Britain's real-life Wizard of Oz - no matter how familiar the tale, we can never resist savouring it just one more time... This well-written book also tackles the question of why the crime still holds our attention--Spectator, -
The idea that the great train robbery was a masterpiece of planning and execution by the cream of Britain's villains has been strangely persistent. In fact, as Nick Russell-Pavier and Stewart Richards' fascinating, if mildly obsessive, new book proves, this was always a myth that handily suited everybody involved: police, media and the criminals themselves--DAILY MAIL, -
This racing read reveals a strangely seductive lost world--INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY, -
With hindsight, the irony is that the Great Train Robbery was not a harbinger of the Swinging Sixties, but rather, with its cast of cops and criminals in matching trilbies, a reminder of the old Britain - class-bound and violent yet still strangely innocent - that was about to be swept away--MAIL ON SUNDAY, -

Nick Russell-Pavier is a BBC Radio 4 writer and producer who is independently producing a radio programme about the Great Train Robbery.

Stewart Richards worked at the BBC TV drama department of programmes for Radio 4.

In the early hours of Thursday 8th August 1963 at rural Cheddington in Buckinghamshire, 2.6 million (50 million today) in unmarked 5, 1 and 10-shilling notes was stolen from the Glasgow to London nightmail train in a daring and brilliantly executed operation lasting just 46 minutes. Quickly dubbed the crime of the century, it has captured the imagination of the public and the world's media for 50 years, taking its place in British folklore and giving birth to the myths of The Great Train Robbery. Ronnie Biggs, Buster Edwards and Bruce Reynolds became household names.But what really happened? This is the story of four talented villains who took the criminal world by storm, of the 'perfect crime'. It is also the story of ruthless policemen, determined to hunt the robbers down and to make sure nobody slipped through the net, not even the innocent. It is the story of an Establishment under siege, and of one mistake which cost the robbers 307 years in prison.Fifty years later, here is the story set out in full for the first time, a true-life crime thriller, and also a vivid slice of British social history.

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