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About Addict (Unabridged)

The most incredible true story ever told. This new, combined book, joining parts one and two, uncovers the unimaginable events that took place in Stephen's life after the first half of his biography, Addict , was published 20 years ago. Part Two: Stephen found the completed story of those last years too dangerous, and on advice, the manuscript was locked away for five years. Following heart surgery, Stephen, now 75 and accepting his own mortality, decided to tell everything regardless of the consequences. "If my biography saves one 14-year-old from the same roller-coaster hell ride, it will perhaps make up for the bad things I did and leave a worthwhile legacy! Crime does not pay, and the worst possible addiction can be overcome," says the author. Part One: Stephen, aged 14, addicted to amphetamine, became the schoolboy apprentice to Gentleman George, the legendary jewel thief. A massive crime at the age of 20 financed 10 years of millionaire-drugged lunacy. Swallowing 100 tablets a day, he lost everything, ending up on the streets and sleeping in shop doorways for five years. Aged 36, a German student student rescued him. They married and had children. In 1997, living in Munich with the crime and drugs behind him, he was so proud to see Addict (part one) translated into German, Spanish, and Chinese and read by millions across the world. BBC Television broadcast a documentary on Stephen, and Prince Edward made an offer for the film rights. It looked like a fairy-tale end for Stephen - when his life exploded big-time! Devastated, he returned to London to execute the biggest robbery of all time. It wasn’t for the money. Stephen wanted to die in a blaze of glory - when destiny changed his life.