Rick Atkinson

I am a loving caring 42-year-old father of two, who after having spent the first 30 years of my life navigating my way through the often perilous crime-ridden streets of South East London and often ending up on the wrong side of the law, have decided to share some of my most dangerous, terrifying, funny and romantic experiences by writing this book. I had a good education and come from a very close family. Although my mother was a very loving, balanced, principled, quite strict and very wise parent inside the home, the streets of Peckham were full of temptation and opportunity for a young lad, which often meant bending the rules. I was always taught manners and politeness and most of all to respect authority and my elders, but when on the streets or out and about with my mates, I could also be a foul-mouthed jack the lad. I have learnt many of life's lessons and hard knocks over the years and now consider myself to be a wise man due to those reasons. In this book I aim to give an insight into how circumstances of certain societies and predicaments can play a big role in shaping a person's character. I am confident that many of the readers will be able to empathise with my story, if not at least gain an understanding of particular personalities.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

You may not believe that his story happened or if all of it is real... but yes, everything’s true. And now, he puts all this on paper so you, too, can reel in the exhilarating life he lived. Author Rick Atkinson shares every detail in this memoir—Inside Out—that’s filled with vignettes and memories of his exciting life.

From being a young child in the 1970s, growing up in a rough area of south east London, through the 1980s and 1990s, and up to the present day, you’ll get a glimpse of the man that he was and has become.

Join him on a journey that at times will take you on a rollercoaster ride to hell and back. Delve into the dark world of drugs and criminal activity and follow him to underworld places you wouldn’t dream of going to: from seedy gambling clubs hidden within the labyrinth-type backstreets of Soho, to the bloodstained world of old school gangster activity, and then to the depths of despair locked away within the murky walls of her Majesty’s prison.

Laugh with him and at him as you accompany him in many fun and sexy times during his teens and early 20s. Full of punch-ups, along with an odd murder and an attempted murder, this book will immerse you so deep in his exploits and adventures that you’ll find yourself turning these pages with anticipation—right to the end, wanting to find out what happened next.