Birmingham is England's second-largest city and it was the Industrial Revolution which kick-started its growth. The city grew rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries as the area became home to a host of factories and workshops. Working conditions were hard and the population crowded in back-to-back houses with little sanitation. Disease ran alongside deprivation, and despite the city's efforts at sanitation the canals became foul dumping grounds. Crime was harshly punished and prison conditions were fearful. In A Dark History of Birmingham author Anthony Poulton-Smith delves into the often lesser known but darker stories from Birmingham's past. This fascinating insight into Birmingham will be of interest to all those who want to know more about the city's remarkable history.