The Lost Boys of Mr Dickens: How the British Empire turned artful dodgers into child killers

As engrossing as a novel, this story of the death of childhood in the cradle of the world's mightiest empire, and the atmospheric tale of crime and punishment leading to a sensational murder trial is from another time but implicitly raises questions which remain with us today.

Steve Harris' book brings to life a most bizarre social experiment and all its grotesqueness in engrossing form. It's a very human, dramatic and authentic tale, written so comprehensively that it is a service to Austra...