Nicholas Van Hoogstraten's ruthless exploits have kept his name in the headlines for 40 years. Most recently he was found guilty of manslaughter of an associate, who was stabbed and shot by hitmen. However, following a mistake in the judge's summing up, the verdict was quashed on appeal and Van Hoogstraten - who always professed his innocence - became a free man.
This was the culmination of a career of wreaking vengeance on anyone who dared get in his way. In building a vast fortune he secretly linked up with one of the most frightening gangsters in Britain, with an incredibly vicious regime in
Africa and, according to some, has colluded with Mafia.
This book reveals the real Van Hoogstraten: his life, his women, his riches and what exactly has made one man so feared.