Peaky Blinders. Who were the gangsters behind the myths? And what was life actually like in the backstreets of late 19th and early 20th-century Birmingham? We’re joined by social historian Carl Chinn to uncover the true story of Birmingham’s infamous gangs. Carl is the author of ‘PEAKY BLINDERS: The Real Gangs and Gangsters’, and features in the documentary ‘Peaky Blinders: The Real Story’. 0:00 - Introduction: The Legend of the Peaky Blinders Dan introduces the industrial powerhouse of Birmingham and the gap between cinematic glamour and brutal historical reality. 1:48 - What was Birmingham like during the Industrial Revolution? Carl Chinn describes the "City of a Thousand Trades," the transition from jewellery and guns to bicycles, and the rise of "tunnel-back" housing. 3:27 - The Ring of Poverty: Life in the Back-to-Backs A look at the 200,000 people living in decaying housing and how irregular work and economic hardship fueled gang culture. 4:57 - Women’s Work and Child Labor in the 1800s Exploring factory work for women, "carding" buttons, and children working in workshops as young as six. 6:51 - Why did lawless behavior and rioting erupt in Birmingham? The impact of Joseph Chamberlain’s urban "improvements" which displaced the poor, leading to overcrowding and violence. 8:26 - The Three Origins: Politics, Religion, and "Pitch and Toss" How the middle-class crusade against gambling and the anti-Irish "Murphy Riots" birthed the first slogging gangs. 10:45 - Hired Muscle: Gangs in Victorian Politics Dan and Carl discuss the 1884 Aston Riots and how Liberals and Conservatives hired gangs to disrupt each other's meetings. 12:33 - Where does the name "Peaky Blinder" actually come from? Carl debunks the razor-blade myth and explains the term's origin as a specific Birmingham fashion statement. 15:27 - Debunking the Razor Blade Myth A practical demonstration of why stitching blades into caps was physically impossible and historically inaccurate. 17:43 - The Reign of the Ruffians: How brutal were they? The reality of gangs praying on their own poor communities and their violent antagonism toward the Salvation Army and the police. 20:41 - The New Cop in Town: Charles Rafter vs. The Gangs How a Belfast-born police chief professionalized the force and used physical training to "take back the streets." 22:55 - What happened to the Peaky Blinders after 1910? The decline of the gangs and how the First World War effectively ended the "Peaky" era in Birmingham. 24:18 - The Rise of Organised Crime and the Racecourse Wars The transition from street brawling to national racketeering and the extortion of bookmakers. 26:46 - The Real Billy Kimber and the Birmingham Gang The history of the "burly Brummie" who unified the gangs and his real-life desertion during WWI. 28:50 - 1921: The War with the Sabinis and Alfie Solomon The true story of the first organised gang war in Britain and the reality of the character played by Tom Hardy. 33:43 - Family Ties: Carl’s Connection to the Gangs Carl reflects on his great-grandfather’s violent history and why he is more proud of the "Backstreet Birmingham Wenches" who survived it. 36:12 - Conclusion: The Real Legacy of the Peaky Blinders Dan summarises the episode and previews upcoming History Hit content on the Crusades. Produced by Mariana Des Forges, James Hickmann and McKenna Fernandez, edited by Matthew Wilson & the channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. You can find more Dan Snow's History Hit on the audio podcast here: https://podfollow.com/dan-snows-history-hit/view Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #DanSnowsHistoryHit #HistoryPodcast #PeakyBlinders