MODERN FICTION. A hilarious and racy tale of one woman's romp through London's gangster underworld. Written with humour, wit and great attention to detail, Champagne, Charlie and Me plumbs the depths of the gangster underworld: the lines of cocaine, the champagne, the dodgy deals, the revenge killings. Gangland boss, Terry Millian, thinks he's got it all: the nightclub empire, the string of brothels, the brassy blonde on his arm. But what he doesn't know is that events from the past are about to catch up with him, and things will never be the same again. Seduced by the ostentatious wealth and the all-night parties, Nicola, a young innocent, is pulled down into a murky world of murder and revenge. Already having a drink problem herself, her immersion in the seedy nightclub business only makes the downward spiral more inevitable. Is it too late for her?

Charlie Magri is one of the most popular boxers ever to have stepped into the ring. The exuberance and energy of the former WBC Flyweight Champion earned him a core of dedicated fans and, throughout his career, his determination and his ability to overcome adversity inspired all those who watched him. At last, one of boxing's most deserving legends has decided to tell all about his amazing life in this, his own true story. As a young boy Magri's exceptional promise as a boxer became apparent when he fought for Stepney's Arbour Youth Club. His impressive start as a Junior ABA Champion earned Charlie a reputation and, when he became a fully fledged senior fighter, he experienced what he describes as the best two years of his life. In 1974, he was unbeaten domestically, he won the ABA and then he took home the silver medal in the European Under-21 Championships. These victories cemented his determination to remain a winner. It was only a matter of time before Magri turned professional and, with legendary manager Terry Lawless as his mentor, he went on to become the British Flyweight Champion. Having secured the European crown, Magri set his sights on conquering the world. In March 1983, he entered the ring at Wembley and defeated Eleoncio Mercedes inside seven rounds to become the WBC World Flyweight Champion...and the legend of 'Champagne Charlie' was born. In this exciting and revealing autobiography, Charlie Magri tells of his childhood, growing up on a tough estate in the East End of London. He describes how his height and his name made him stand out from the crowd at school and how, from an early age, he learned to defend himself with his fists. He tells of the early days of his career and how his passion for boxing kept him off the street and out of the local gangs. He speaks of his amazing triumphs and, conversley, his heart-breaking defeats and how he has struggled to come to terms with life after boxing. What shines through his whole story is Charlie's enthusiasm for life, sense of humour nad genuine concern for others. This heart-warming tale of a man's passion for his sport and desire to win is a must read for any boxing fan and will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

Machine generated contents note: List of Illustrations -- Introduction -- Chapter One: The First Sip -- Chapter Two: Young Charles -- Chapter Three: Discovery of the New World -- Chapter Four: Reading the Stars -- Chapter Five: The Panic -- Chapter Six: The Lion of New York -- Chapter Seven: Southern Comfort -- Chapter Eight: "It's War" -- Chapter Nine: The Beast -- Chapter Ten: Into the Jaws -- Chapter Eleven: "We Are Not in Venice" -- Chapter Twelve: The Homecoming -- Chapter Thirteen: The Man Who Never Forgot -- Chapter Fourteen: "War Seems to Follow Me" -- Chapter Fifteen: The Denver Miracle -- Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Notes -- Index.

THE STORY: It's a very special day at the racetrack, where Champagne Charlie, a race-track regular, has had a race named in his honor. A dreamer and teller of tall tales, Charlie is accompanied by his wife of fifty-three years, Mary Lee, an incur

Hungover aristocrat Edward "Charlie" Decharles awakens in the back of a steam-cab, only to discover that the driver has been murdered. Unused to feeling responsible for anything, he feels compelled to find the killer. As he investigates, he meets "The Amazing" Gladys Dunchurch, a stage magician's assistant whose employer has disappeared – and not in a good way. They form an alliance – Charlie will help Gladys with his considerable resources and Gladys will help Charlie with her even more considerable brains. Soon they discover that their respective mysteries are not only connected to each other, but related to other seemingly unrelated strangeness transpiring in London – the murder of an astronomer, an attack on a patent medicine factory, a mysterious cult in an idyllic town, and reports of deadly creatures in the London sewers. Charlie and Gladys find themselves pitted against dead-eyed assassins, murderous pirates, wingless flying machines, and perhaps even creatures from beyond this Earth. And lurking behind it all lies a sinister cabal that knows the secret origin of the steam-powered society that powers their world. Can our heroes save the day, or will the fallout from that secret destroy two worlds? Champagne Charlie and the Amazing Gladys is a fun, witty Steampunk adventure yarn, featuring a cast of eccentric characters.