The Great Train Robbery

Michael Crichton

How could you rob two safes of gold bullion before dynamite was invented? And what if the safes in question are on a train with a very tight delivery schedule? Edward Pierce proposed to do just that in 1853 and carried it out by 1855.

This novel is based on an incident that actually happened. I tended to forget it was a fictionalized version of the true facts. It was fascinating reading about all the preparation and risks taken for this robbery. Although never mentioned, I have wondered if Pierce spent as much in money and time preparing for the heist as he then earned from it.

At that time safes could only be robbed with the combination or the required key (which was more difficult). The safes in question had double key locks and the keys were all in different places. Pierce had to figure out how to get the keys, the schedule of the gold being shipped, the people who could help him, how to thwart any possible police interest, how to keep the theft from being noticed until a later time, etc. He fit the dashing, cunning criminal description quite well.

This novel also helps show life in Victorian times. I was angered by the treatment of women. They found ways to get their own back. The homeless existed even then. The slums were as bad or worse than anything found today. In other words, human beings are very much the same no matter how "enlightened" each generation is.

This is an excellent book. It follows the tale from the planning clear through until after the trial. Even though the reader knows the criminals are arrested, it is suspenseful the whole way through. .