Taming of a Villain
A Message of Hope
2024 Edition — Revised & Expanded
A former professional rugby league player. Over twenty years in and out of prison. A life consumed by addiction, organised crime, and violence — until a single moment in a prison cell changed everything.
This is what happens when grace finds the last person anyone expected.
"Gold and diamonds are found in dirty places — and in Allen, I have found a diamond of a guy."
Bruce Dyer · Pastor, Love Life UK & Former Professional Footballer
From the pitch to prison —
and into purpose
Allen Langham had a future. A professional rugby league career. Potential. But beneath the surface, a broken family, unresolved trauma, and unrelenting anger were quietly dismantling everything.
What followed were over two decades of addiction, criminal underworld involvement, and violence — with prison as a recurring backdrop. At his lowest point, Allen reached the edge of suicide in a prison cell.
Then, in 2013, a dramatic encounter with Jesus Christ changed the course of his life entirely. Not overnight — the book doesn't pretend that. But with honesty, time, and faith, Allen became a different man.
Today he walks the same streets he once terrorised, serving those who are lost and struggling. Taming of a Villain is his story — raw, uncomfortable, and ultimately full of hope.
Inside the Book
31 chapters. One unflinching journey from darkness to light. — 2024 revised & expanded edition.
What readers are saying
"This isn't a sinner turned to a saint story — this is the story of a man not afraid to lay bare his path of ups and downs. I recommend it to people no matter their faith. Most people will find parts they can identify with."
"You think it's all over when he becomes a Christian, but a lot kicks off after that as well. Gripping, stirring, painfully honest — a real story of hope against all the odds."
"Allen told his story on my UCB Radio show. It's a compelling story of transformation through Jesus Christ — many of our listeners have gone on to buy the book and enjoyed it thoroughly."
"So many Christian books present an instant transformation at conversion. This book and Allen's journey is different — he lets us know he's still on a journey. Hugely inspirational."
"Allen has sent many copies into the prison I work in. Here they are eagerly read — to the point of being devoured."
"The vulnerability, the transparency, the breakthroughs, the battles, the redemption — it was profound, heartbreaking, inspiring, soul stirring. Should be made into a movie."
"One of the best books I've ever read. I read it in less than 24 hours — hitting rock bottom, brutally honest throughout, and how you picked yourself back up. Truly inspirational."
L.M. · Amazon UK Verified PurchaseThis book is for you if you…
- Feel like your past has put you beyond hope or forgiveness
- Are struggling with addiction, shame, or a deep sense of lostness
- Want honest, unvarnished evidence that faith can truly transform a life
- Work with people in recovery, in prison, or in crisis
- Are part of a church looking for a story that reaches the unreachable
- Simply want to read one of the most remarkable true stories of recent years