From assassins and arsonists to hell-raisers and highwaymen, with an array of poisoners, strumpets, quacks and forgers, this is a hugely entertaining miscellany of infamous Britons through the ages.

The real treat is the cross-referencing: look up 'nose' and you will find references to capital punishment, theatrical hooligans, Vinnie Jones and more for disfiguring, cutting off, denting or biting the aforementioned organ; you can find roguish goalkeepers, or, if you prefer, Welsh goalkeepers. Plate sections let you see the rogues, villains and eccentrics as they were without having to get too close.