Benjamin Myers' 'The Gallows Pole' plunges readers into the brutal and stark world of the Cragg Vale Coiners in 18th-century Yorkshire. Based on real historical events, this visceral novel tells the story of David Hartley and his gang, a community of destitute weavers and farmers who turn to clipping coins to survive, inadvertently challenging the might of the British state. Myers' prose is raw and immersive, capturing the rugged landscape and the desperate lives of people driven to crime. It's a gripping portrayal of poverty, rebellion, and the harsh realities of justice in a forgotten corner of England, highlighting the dramatic consequences of their illicit enterprise.