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Bruce Reynolds: The Autobiography of a Thief
8 August 1963; a railway track in Buckinghamshire. The moon shines clearly over Bruce Reynolds and sixteen other men robbing a train of its sacks of money. The Great Train Robbery has entered British folklore as one of the most audacious and extraordinary crimes of the twentieth century. The haul - £2,631,684 - is, in todays money, a staggering £26 million.
Bruce Reynolds, the leader of the gang, was sentenced to 25 years in prison; even the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Robert Mark, thought that excessive. On its first publication in 1995 Bruce Reynolds autobiography was widely acclaimed and it is now regarded as a classic in the true crime genre. Now reissued with a new introduction and final chapter, the story is brought up to date to include the return of Ronnis Biggs to the UK, the deaths of Buster Edwards, Roy James and Taters Chatham and the continuing story of Reynolds life since his release from jail, as well as dozens of previously unseen photographs.
Bruce Reynolds, the leader of the gang, was sentenced to 25 years in prison; even the Commissioner of the Met, Sir Robert Mark, thought that excessive. On its first publication in 1995 Bruce Reynolds autobiography was widely acclaimed and it is now regarded as a classic in the true crime genre. Now reissued with a new introduction and final chapter, the story is brought up to date to include the return of Ronnis Biggs to the UK, the deaths of Buster Edwards, Roy James and Taters Chatham and the continuing story of Reynolds life since his release from jail, as well as dozens of previously unseen photographs.
398 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 30, 2017
Brilliant, and it's sad how such a talented man threw his life away, knew it, and did it anyway. A wonderfully and brutally honest testimony to how crime doesn't pay. His was a grand life, but also, finally, a wasted life.
January 13, 2021
Autobiography of a Thief
Written by Bruce Reynolds it gives an honest account from someone's addicted to his adrenaline. Often I got the impression that the main point was to have a buzz and any money from that was a bonus. I found it insightful and would highly recommend it to anyone who would love to know what drove one of t he most notorious thieves in the UK
Written by Bruce Reynolds it gives an honest account from someone's addicted to his adrenaline. Often I got the impression that the main point was to have a buzz and any money from that was a bonus. I found it insightful and would highly recommend it to anyone who would love to know what drove one of t he most notorious thieves in the UK
April 17, 2014
would have liked a bit more details of the planning of the train robbery but other than that , its the best book on the great train robbery I have read
January 3, 2024
About 6 pages on the train robbery
April 2, 2025
Stopped reading the book a third of the way through due to a convoluted story Reynolds tells which was so ridiculous it ruined the whole book for me.
Reynolds describes doing a three year bid in which he wanted to get some time shaved off so he concocted a plan to tell the guards about a prison escape plot. He claims to have organized this in advance with the cons who were planning to escape. He says, they werent really planning an escape but were just passing the time and didnt have the heart to go through with it so they gave Reynolds permission to expose their plan without exposing their names. (I think he gave up the hiding spot where they hid their escape tools.) Reynolds does this and is taken to P.C. but refuses to give up any names. So the warden sends him back to gen pop and doesnt shave any time off his bid. Reynolds writes an official letter stating that he is being sent to gen pop against his will and that his life would be in danger. (He claims to do this so as not to back down from the warden.) Back in gen pop, Reynolds claims that he concocted another plan. He asks some cons to throw him a beating so as to embarass the warden and show him that Reynolds was telling the truth. Following this so far? Lo and behold, not long after Reynolds is stabbed in the shower three times. One of these stab wounds punctures his lung. Not much more is said about this and Reynolds is released after doing 75% of his time. Two years and change or something like that.
I dont think you have to be an ex con (which I happen to be)to see what convoluted gibberish this is but anyone who ever did time can see Reynolds is lying through his teeth. He couldnt do three years so he concocts a plan to fake snitch on his friends?? And then he asks to get stabbed in the lung to embarass the warden??? Right..
Clear as day that Reynolds really did snitch but stopped short of giving up any names. And then got stabbed in the lung for his trouble. I couldnt read another page after reading this nonsense. I hate to be so hard on the guy, you shouldnt speak ill of the dead and all that, but who does he think he's fooling with that ridiculous story?
To be fair, even though that tall tale ruined the book and I stopped reading it then, I did google the guy and saw that he got pinched later on for the train heist and never gave anyone up. So fair play to the man and all the respect in the world to him for pulling off that heist and doing his time like a man. He obviously made a mistake in his youth and tried to cover it up with that convoluted story. It just honestly ruined the whole book for me.
Reynolds describes doing a three year bid in which he wanted to get some time shaved off so he concocted a plan to tell the guards about a prison escape plot. He claims to have organized this in advance with the cons who were planning to escape. He says, they werent really planning an escape but were just passing the time and didnt have the heart to go through with it so they gave Reynolds permission to expose their plan without exposing their names. (I think he gave up the hiding spot where they hid their escape tools.) Reynolds does this and is taken to P.C. but refuses to give up any names. So the warden sends him back to gen pop and doesnt shave any time off his bid. Reynolds writes an official letter stating that he is being sent to gen pop against his will and that his life would be in danger. (He claims to do this so as not to back down from the warden.) Back in gen pop, Reynolds claims that he concocted another plan. He asks some cons to throw him a beating so as to embarass the warden and show him that Reynolds was telling the truth. Following this so far? Lo and behold, not long after Reynolds is stabbed in the shower three times. One of these stab wounds punctures his lung. Not much more is said about this and Reynolds is released after doing 75% of his time. Two years and change or something like that.
I dont think you have to be an ex con (which I happen to be)to see what convoluted gibberish this is but anyone who ever did time can see Reynolds is lying through his teeth. He couldnt do three years so he concocts a plan to fake snitch on his friends?? And then he asks to get stabbed in the lung to embarass the warden??? Right..
Clear as day that Reynolds really did snitch but stopped short of giving up any names. And then got stabbed in the lung for his trouble. I couldnt read another page after reading this nonsense. I hate to be so hard on the guy, you shouldnt speak ill of the dead and all that, but who does he think he's fooling with that ridiculous story?
To be fair, even though that tall tale ruined the book and I stopped reading it then, I did google the guy and saw that he got pinched later on for the train heist and never gave anyone up. So fair play to the man and all the respect in the world to him for pulling off that heist and doing his time like a man. He obviously made a mistake in his youth and tried to cover it up with that convoluted story. It just honestly ruined the whole book for me.
February 9, 2021
Bruce Reynolds masterminded the greatest heist in UK history. The “Train” remains one of the most daring robberies of all time and one that captured the imagination of the public. The gang stole over 3 million pounds in used notes from the Glasgow to Euston mail train and did it without “shooters”.
The robbery was meticulously planned by Reynolds but there was one major flaw. The haul was too big. They didn’t expect to get 3 million or anything like it and the establishment, riled by public adulation for the crooks and stung by the Profumo affair, decided that they needed to make an example of them. An enormous manhunt ensued and when the bulk of the gang were tried (Bruce was on the run) 30 year sentences were handed down.
Bruce fled to Mexico, Canada and France before being arrested in Torquay as the money was running out. He spent the next 10 years in jail.
Despite the huge haul the train robbery bought little on the way of good luck to most of the participants and by the time he died at the age of 81 Bruce was broke.
This book, written 32 years after the robbery and 18 years before Reynold’s death, is a frank and honest account of a man who could have done so much more with his life had he not been a career criminal. There is pathos and humour and it’s an entertaining read.
The robbery was meticulously planned by Reynolds but there was one major flaw. The haul was too big. They didn’t expect to get 3 million or anything like it and the establishment, riled by public adulation for the crooks and stung by the Profumo affair, decided that they needed to make an example of them. An enormous manhunt ensued and when the bulk of the gang were tried (Bruce was on the run) 30 year sentences were handed down.
Bruce fled to Mexico, Canada and France before being arrested in Torquay as the money was running out. He spent the next 10 years in jail.
Despite the huge haul the train robbery bought little on the way of good luck to most of the participants and by the time he died at the age of 81 Bruce was broke.
This book, written 32 years after the robbery and 18 years before Reynold’s death, is a frank and honest account of a man who could have done so much more with his life had he not been a career criminal. There is pathos and humour and it’s an entertaining read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
a very interesting autobiography
November 18, 2025
Having always had an interest in the great train robbery, this was a book I was very keen to read. Seeing it on Audible read by Bruce's son Nick, I decided to go down this route.
Nick reads the book brilliantly, leaving me to easily imagine I was sat in a pub listening to Bruce recount his escapades of the past.
Starting with his early childhood and taking us through many ajob, I was soon laughing at his unfortunate incidents and the nicknames of his associates. It was interesting to hear his take on the big one, especially since recently reading Ronnie Biggs' account, and comparing it to documentaries I'd seen and newspapers read. The following years after his arrest were quite sad to read, his depression and his wife's, along with hearing how many of the gang passed away.
A very interesting account for those who like to read the other side of the story.
Nick reads the book brilliantly, leaving me to easily imagine I was sat in a pub listening to Bruce recount his escapades of the past.
Starting with his early childhood and taking us through many ajob, I was soon laughing at his unfortunate incidents and the nicknames of his associates. It was interesting to hear his take on the big one, especially since recently reading Ronnie Biggs' account, and comparing it to documentaries I'd seen and newspapers read. The following years after his arrest were quite sad to read, his depression and his wife's, along with hearing how many of the gang passed away.
A very interesting account for those who like to read the other side of the story.
November 3, 2013
For me the best book ever written of this genre.
Great story
Great story
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews