Homo Criminalis

When does a bandit become a monarch? When does a gang become a government? And is organized crime at the heart of every modern state?

In this thrilling, fast-paced exploration of how the criminal underworld has shaped the world we live in, Homo Criminalis traces the hidden connections between outlaws and empires, smugglers and statesmen. From Chinese bandits and eighteenth-century English tea smugglers to modern cocaine submarines and the digital crimes of the future, this is the untold story of how illicit power built our so-called legitimate world.

Entertaining, provocative, and rich with fascinating stories, Homo Criminalis reveals how the evolution of organized crime mirrors the evolution of society itself — and how the dark underbelly of human ambition has shaped everything from capitalism to globalization.