In Your Face: The Life And Times Of Billy 'The Texan' Longley
Australian History Memoir Biography True Crime Labour History Political Corruption Organized Crime
First-edition paperback of Rochelle Jackson’s In Your Face: The Life and Times of Billy “The Texan” Longley – a 246-page, illustrated true-crime biography that charts the explosive career of the Painters and Dockers Union enforcer-turned-whistle-blower. Published by ABC Books in 2005, this scarce Australian release is already out of print and much sought-after by collectors of Melbourne underworld history, union politics and Rochelle Jackson’s award-winning narrative non-fiction. The copy offered here is in very good condition: smooth uncreased spine, tight binding, clean unmarked pages and no ex-library stamps or inscriptions – ideal for gifting, reading or shelving alongside other first-edition Australian crime titles.
Billy Longley’s story is a rollercoaster of stand-over tactics, courtroom drama and high-level corruption that exposes the blood-soaked intersection between the docks, the unions and the police in 1970s–80s Melbourne. Jackson, a seasoned crime reporter, secured unprecedented access to Longley himself, producing a fast-paced portrait that reads like a thriller yet is grounded in meticulous research and first-hand interviews. Young-adult and adult readers who devour true-crime podcasts, Underbelly-style television or books like Chopper and I, Mick Gatto will find In Your Face delivers the same gritty authenticity plus a rare insider’s view of the Royal Commission into the Painters and Dockers.
Illustrated with archival photographs, union documents and newspaper clippings, this edition enriches any Australiana, criminology or local-history shelf. Keywords collectors search – “Painters and Dockers Union book”, “Billy the Texan biography”, “Rochelle Jackson first edition”, “Melbourne true crime 2005” – all point to this title, making it a smart long-term hold as well as an immediate page-turner. Secure this clean first printing now before prices climb on the secondary market.
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