This work investigates the life and criminal trajectory of Jacques Mesrine to determine how he became France's most notorious public enemy during the 1970s. Carey Schofield, a journalist with extensive access to primary sources and associates of Mesrine, constructs a detailed account of his evolution from a petty criminal to a high-profile bank robber and kidnapper. The book examines the interplay between Mesrine's calculated public persona and the systemic failures of the French penal and judicial institutions of the era.

Experts and readers recognize this biography as a definitive account of Mesrine's life, noting the author's ability to maintain journalistic distance while documenting a volatile subject. The text is frequently cited for its thorough research and its contribution to understanding the intersection of celebrity culture and criminal notoriety in late 20th-century France.