As ‘Peaky Blinders’ restarts filming, read these books ahead of season six
With a film on the horizon, there's no better time to learn more about British gangs
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It’s official, filming for the sixth and final series of Peaky Blinders is well underway after initially being delayed due to the pandemic.
Set in Birmingham after the First World War, the British period drama follows the exploits of the Shelby family, who are of Irish traveller origin and are loosely based on a real-life gang of the same name.
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Beautifully shot, the television drama highlights the vicious gangs of the Twenties, as well as subjects including the fight for Irish independence, the mundaneness of life in a gang-ruled town and the difficulties faced by soldiers returning to normal life after the war.
The series has been such a hit that Cillian Murphy's ganglord Tommy Shelby has had an impact on men's style, with an increased clamour for Twenties-inspired fashion – notably three-pieces suits, military-style boots, cropped trousers and the baker boy hats.
It’s no surprise, therefore, that the internet went wild when Murphy was spotted in character at Portsoy Harbour in Scotland, which has reportedly been transformed into an American prison for the series.
Speaking after the first day of filming, the drama's creator and writer Steven Knight promised fans that season six “will be the best series of all”.
And “while the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form,” he added, after he'd told Deadline of his plans of a follow-up film, to allow the Shelby family story to live on.
With season five the most-watched yet, the series has gone from strength to strength since its release in 2013, and the anticipation for the final set of episodes is mounting.
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Whether you’ve been a fan from the beginning and are eagerly awaiting its return, or you’ve binge-watched the entire thing and have been left with a gangster-sized hole in your heart, we’ve found a range of books to enjoy while you wait.
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‘Peaky Blinders – The Real Story of Birmingham’s most notorious gangs’ by Carl Chinn, published John Blake Publishing
Historian, broadcaster and author Carl Chinn reveals the truth behind the state of law and disorder in Birmingham at the time in which Peaky Blinders is set. With a range of stories and photos, it's a formidable historical account of the gangs that ruled the town, and provides fans of the series with an insight into the characters that did exist.
Buy now £8.99, Waterstones
‘The Gangs of Birmingham’ by Philip Gooderson, published by Milo Books
While Peaky Blinders feels like a historically accurate portrayal of Twenties Birmingham, are the gang’s antics based on real events? Gooderson's book analyses the city's gang wars of 1870 – so read it to work out the fact from the fiction.
Buy now £10.22, Bookshop
‘A Clockwork Orange’ by Anthony Burgess, published by Penguin Classics
If it's the violence and action in Peaky Blinders that you enjoy the most about the series, then A Clockwork Orange is for you. While this dystopian novel is entirely a work of fiction, it'll provide that edge-of-the-seat feeling you get while watching the Shelby family go about their business.
Buy now £6.55, Amazon
‘Troubles’ by JG Farrell, published by W&N
If watching Peaky Blinders's exploration of the IRA left you feeling more inquisitive about what happened during the Irish Civil War, then this seminal piece of work by Farrell should go some way to providing answers. Centred around a grand but deteriorating Irish hotel, this dark comedy analyses the relationship and rivalry between the Irish and English.
Buy now £8.99, Amazon
‘The Return of the Soldier’ by Rebecca West, published by Little, Brown
This nuanced debut by Rebecca West is by no means as gritty as Peaky Blinders's portrayal of life following the First World War, but it too addresses the difficulties soldiers faced when returning home. Much like Knight's series, the book depicts the harsh realities of reconciling the violence of life in the services with a postwar reality.
Buy now £7.51, Blackwell's
‘Our Story’ by Reginald Kray and Ronald Kray, published by Pan
The Kray brothers were Britain's most infamous gangsters, ruling London's underworld during the Sixties. Writer Fred Dinenage worked with the twins to set the story straight in this brutal and honest account. It's a book that will provide Peaky Blinders fans with a broader insight into gang life in England.
Buy now £9.29, Bookshop
‘By Order of the Peaky Blinders: The Official Companion to the Hit TV Series’ by Matt Allen, published by Michael O'Mara
Considered cult UK television, Peaky Blinders provides high drama, violence and emotion, and this tome provides behind-the-scenes access, bringing the drama to life. You can expect facts, interviews and photos – it's a must-have for any fan of the series.
Buy now £18.60, Bookshop
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