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Rakesh Maria
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Binding
Hardback
Number of Pages
424
Age Group
All
Piracy Free
Secure Transactions
Express Delivery
Eco‑Conscious Packaging
Book Summary
When It All Began: The Secret Archives Of The Underworld 1920 – 1980 Is A Meticulously Researched True-Crime History That Pulls Back The Curtain On Bombay's Origins Of Organized Crime, Tracing How Neighborhoods Like Dongri, Nagpada, Pydhonie, Agripada, And Byculla Became Battlegrounds. A Must-Read For Curious Adults, History Buffs, And True-Crime Fans, This Account Is Gripping, Educational, And Deeply Insightful.
Written By A Veteran Ips Officer, The Book Unfolds As A Chronological Journey Through Decades—From Karim Lala's Rise In The 1930S To The Emergence Of The First Modern Crime Syndicates. It Blends Interviews, Archival Notes, Landmark Cases, And On-The-Ground Insights To Reveal How Petty Criminals Evolved Into Powerful Dons And How Rivalries Shaped The City’S Power Map. The Narrative Moves With A Steady, Immersive Pace: You’Ll Ride Along With The People Behind The Headlines, Visit The Streets That Defined Bombay's Underworld, And See How Law Enforcement And Justice Intersected With Crime In Practical, Human Terms.
In Addition To A Gripping Tale, When It All Began Introduces Clear Concepts About Gang Dynamics, The Birth Of Organized Crime, And The Networks That Fueled Smuggling, Extortion, And Rackets. The Content Is Presented In A Reader-Friendly Style—Dense With Facts Yet Accessible Through Vivid Scenes, Concise Case Notes, And Carefully Framed Context—So Learning Feels Natural And Engaging For Any Reader Curious About The Era.
After Finishing When It All Began, Readers Will Gain A Nuanced Understanding Of How A City’S Shadow Economy Took Shape, The Human Stories Behind The Headlines, And The Forces That Forged Modern Mumbai. It Leaves You With New Perspectives On Justice, Power, And Resilience—Insights That Linger Long After The Last Page.
Product Details
Author
Rakesh Maria
Publisher
Vintage Books
Number of Pages
424
SKU
9780143478423
ISBN
9780143478423
Reading Age
All
Binding
Hardback
MRP: ₹ 999
₹ 950
₹ 49 Off
When It All Began: the Untold Stories of the Underworld is ambitious in the best way — it takes on a huge subject and handles it with real intelligence and clarity. Rakesh Maria never loses the thread even when the material is complex, and the connections drawn to the present day give the whole book a sense of genuine urgency. Highly recommended.
History books can be dry. This one absolutely isn't. Rakesh Maria writes with the energy of a great storyteller and the rigour of a serious scholar, and the combination is irresistible. I came away feeling like I genuinely understood something important that I had only vaguely grasped before. Outstanding.
What makes this so compelling is how personal it feels despite the scale of the subject. Rakesh Maria never lets history become abstract — the human stories are always present and always moving. I learned a tremendous amount and was genuinely entertained throughout. A landmark book.
I've recommended this to everyone in my reading group because it's exactly the kind of non-fiction that changes how you see the world. Rakesh Maria's analysis is sharp, the prose is elegant, and the research is clearly impeccable. One of the most rewarding books I've read in recent years.
I approached this not knowing much about the subject and finished it feeling like I had a genuine, solid understanding of something that really matters. Rakesh Maria has a rare talent for making complexity accessible without ever being reductive. Brilliant, important and beautifully written.