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Quick answer: If you loved Peaky Blinders, try The Real Peaky Blinders, The Godfather, Boardwalk Empire, Brighton Rock, Lawless and Gangs of New York. Each one offers gangsters, family crime empires, postwar grit or the dark glamour of early 20th-century crime.
Peaky Blinders is a BBC drama about the Shelby family, a Birmingham gang led by the war veteran Tommy Shelby after the First World War, based loosely on a real gang. Readers who loved it look for books with the same mix of family loyalty, violence, ambition and sharp style. These picks include crime sagas, gangster histories and novels of postwar Britain and America.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Mood | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Real Peaky Blinders | Carl Chinn | History | readers who want the true story |
| The Godfather | Mario Puzo | Crime saga | readers who like crime families |
| Boardwalk Empire | Nelson Johnson | History | readers who like Prohibition-era crime |
| Brighton Rock | Graham Greene | British crime | readers who like British gangsters |
| Lawless | Matt Bondurant | Prohibition | readers who like bootlegging brothers |
| Gangs of New York | Herbert Asbury | History | readers who like street gangs |
| The Given Day | Dennis Lehane | Postwar Boston | readers who like 1919 America |
| Live by Night | Dennis Lehane | Prohibition | readers who like gangsters' rise |
| Legs | William Kennedy | Prohibition | readers who like real gangsters |
| The Long Firm | Jake Arnott | London | readers who like London gangsters |
| Layer Cake | J.J. Connolly | London | readers who like modern British crime |
| The Profession of Violence | John Pearson | History | readers who like real British gangsters |
| Birdsong | Sebastian Faulks | WWI | readers who like war trauma |
| Gangster Squad | Paul Lieberman | History | readers who like police versus gangsters |
| A Rising Man | Abir Mukherjee | 1919 Calcutta | readers who like postwar detectives |
1. The Real Peaky Blinders by Carl Chinn
The real Birmingham gangs behind the show.
Best for: readers who want the true story.
2. The Godfather by Mario Puzo
A Mafia family's son is drawn into the business.
Best for: readers who like crime families.
3. Boardwalk Empire by Nelson Johnson
The real history of Atlantic City's bosses.
Best for: readers who like Prohibition-era crime.
4. Brighton Rock by Graham Greene
A teenage gangster in 1930s Brighton.
Best for: readers who like British gangsters.
5. Lawless by Matt Bondurant
Three brothers run moonshine in 1930s Virginia.
Best for: readers who like bootlegging brothers.
6. Gangs of New York by Herbert Asbury
The history of New York's gangs.
Best for: readers who like street gangs.
7. The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
A police strike and family loyalties.
Best for: readers who like 1919 America.
8. Live by Night by Dennis Lehane
A cop's son becomes a gangster.
Best for: readers who like gangsters' rise.
9. Legs by William Kennedy
The life of Jack “Legs” Diamond.
Best for: readers who like real gangsters.
10. The Long Firm by Jake Arnott
A 1960s London gang boss.
Best for: readers who like London gangsters.
11. Layer Cake by J.J. Connolly
A cocaine dealer's last deal.
Best for: readers who like modern British crime.
12. The Profession of Violence by John Pearson
The story of the Kray twins.
Best for: readers who like real British gangsters.
13. Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks
A soldier's life in the trenches.
Best for: readers who like war trauma.
14. Gangster Squad by Paul Lieberman
LAPD officers take on the mob.
Best for: readers who like police versus gangsters.
15. A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
A traumatized veteran investigates in Calcutta.
Best for: readers who like postwar detectives.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Peaky Blinders: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Peaky Blinders. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Start with The Real Peaky Blinders for the history. For crime families, The Godfather is essential. If you love the British setting, Brighton Rock and The Long Firm are perfect. Prohibition-era fans should read Live by Night and Boardwalk Empire.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peaky Blinders based on a book?
No. It is an original TV drama, though it was inspired by a real gang.
Were the Peaky Blinders real?
Yes. A Birmingham street gang existed in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
What is the best book about the real Peaky Blinders?
Carl Chinn's The Real Peaky Blinders.
What books are like Peaky Blinders?
Crime family sagas like The Godfather and British gangster novels like Brighton Rock.
Who created Peaky Blinders?
Steven Knight.
Is there a Peaky Blinders film?
A feature film has been in production.
What should I read next?
The Godfather.