It seems that not even world war could stop crime in Sydney. In fact, World War Noir confirms that war and crime – in the form of sex, drugs, alcohol, racketeering and other illicit activities – go hand in hand. A companion book to the later glory days of the Sydney underworld from Sydney Noir, here Michael Duffy and Nick Hordern tell the story of a time when many Australians were not as patriotic as we have been told. With soldiers’ pockets full of cash and the freedom of being on leave, criminal possibilities opened up during World War II.

Told from the ground – or the gutter – up, World War Noir is a raw and broad-ranging tale that confounds expectations and reveals a grittier truth.