Dark Heart: The Story of a Journey into an Undiscovered Britain

(Paperback)

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Award-winning journalist Nick Davies explores obscured aspects of British culture, from abject poverty to child prostitution. 'This all began quite unexpectedly one rainy autumn evening a couple of years ago in a fairground near to the centre of Nottingham...' In amongst the bright lights and bumper cars, Nick Davies noticed two boys, no more than twelve years old, oddly detached from the fun of the scene. Davies discovered they were part of a network of children selling themselves on the streets of the city, running a nightly gauntlet of dangers- pimps, punters, the Vice Squad, disease, drugs. This propelled Davies into a journey of discovery through the slums and ghettoes of our cities. He found himself in crack houses and brothels, he befriended street gangs and drug dealers. Davies' journey into the hidden realm is powerful, disturbing and impressive, and is bound to rouse controversy and demands for change. He unravels threads of Britain`s social fabric as he travels deeper and deeper into the country of poverty, towards the dark heart of British society.

Reviews

This book should be required reading...it will shock many to the quick, that all this could be happening under their noses -- Jack Straw * Guardian *
He describes what he sees and hears with exemplary clarity, neither pulling punches nor exaggerating... Read him to discover how dreadful a country much of Britain has become -- Theodore Dalrymple * Sunday Telegraph *
A most powerful and harrowing piece of investigative journalism...it takes a very brave and persistent reporter to reach the hidden part of Britain that Davies has chosen to explore -- Peregrine Worsthorne * New Statesman *
If you want to find out about the poor, you have to go looking. Most people, most writers, don't bother. Nick Davies has bothered, and he should be congratulated...his analysis is spot on -- Robert Crampton * The Times *
A brilliant journalistic investigation... A copy should be sent to every Labour MP to remind them of their responsibilities -- Robert McCrum * Observer *

Author Bio

Nick Davies writes investigative stories for the Guardian, and has been named Journalist of the Year, Reporter of the Year and Feature Writer of the Year in British press awards. Between July 2009 and July 2011, he wrote more than a hundred stories about crime in Rupert Murdoch's News of the World. He has written six books including White Lies and Dark Heart, and the bestselling Flat Earth News, exposing falsehood and propaganda in news media. Hack Attack is his latest book. He has three children and lives in Sussex.