Once Upon a Time in the West Midlands: Introduction by Steven Knight 8 Building the Cathedrals of Light: The Creation of Peaky Blinders 20 "This Is Pretending" 26 "I Have Plans for the Peaky Blinders" 36 "We're on Our Way Up in the World, Brother" 46 PART ONE The Boss: Cillian Murphy on Tommy Shelby 54 The Blunt Instrument: Paul Anderson on Arthur Shelby 66 A Soldier's Minute: An Insider's Look at Series One 78 PART TWO Battlefield Birmingham: The Secrets Behind the Sets of Peaky Blinders 92 The Queen: Helen McCrory on Polly Gray 100 The Heart: Steven Knight on Helen McCrory 110 Just Smoke and Trouble: An Insider's Look at Series Two 112 PART THREE Go Across the Tracks: The Story Behind the Music of Peaky Blinders 126 The Preacher: Benjamin Zephaniah on Jeremiah Jesus 136 The People's Poet: Steven Knight and Jamie Glazebrook on Benjamin Zephaniah 148 The Heir Apparent: Finn Cole on Michael Gray 152 Always Within Punching Distance: An Insider's Look at Series Three 162 PART FOUR My Suits Are on the House: How the Look of Peaky Blinders Came to Be 176 The Confidante: Natasha O'Keeffe on Lizzie Stark 190 It's God Who Pulls the Trigger: An Insider's Look at Series Four 198 PART FIVE King of Stunts: An Interview with Gordon Seed 210 Dancing with the Devil: An Insider's Look at Series Five 216 PART SIX The Feral Princess: Sophie Rundle on Ada Thorne 226 The Effects that Make Danny Bang So Special: An Interview with Danny Hargreaves 234 We All Have Ghosts: An Insider's Look at Series Six 242 The Luck of Peaky Blinders: Epilogue by Steven Knight and Jamie Glazebrook 252.