My Life with Murderers: Behind Bars with the World’s Most Violent Men

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I have watched David Wilson give interviews on a wide array of cases in the past, I've watched his documentaries and read some of his books. In a career spanning 40 years David has met all sorts of killers: hitmen, mass, spree and serial killers and those murderers who seem to kill “in 5 minutes of madness”. Sometimes he meets them in a tense interview in a cell; sometimes to share a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); or sometimes just to look them in the eye as he tells them that, yes, they really are a psychopath. Professor David Wilson has spent his professional life working with violent men - especially men who have committed murder. Aged twenty-nine he became, at that time, the UK's youngest ever prison Governor in charge of a jail and his career since then has seen him sat across a table with all sorts of killers: sometimes in a tense interview; sometimes sharing a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); sometimes looking them in the eye to tell them that they are a psychopath.

My Life with Murderers by David Wilson | Hachette UK

David Wilson has become quite a celebrity in the UK. Those of us who enjoy watching his programmes on cold cases are fascinated by his expertise; by his careful fitting together of all the pieces of evidence available to expose those who are guilty of heinous crimes. It’s clear that Wilson knows his stuff. Without having read any of his previous novels, it’s clear that he has years of experience dealing with various psychopaths and murderers and knows their personalities inside and out. He takes a more scientific approach compared to his American contemporaries too, relying more heavily of the psychology of victims and evidence based practice compared to ‘one off interviews’ and showman ship. It’s a refreshing and more reliable approach to others I’ve read (ie John Douglas, who gets a sound dressing down here).David Wilson, the renowned UK criminologist, author, broadcaster, emeritus professor and former prison governor whose 40-year career has brought him face to face with countless killers, is coming to Exeter during a 2023 UK tour, ‘My Life with Murderers’. Stars — This is exactly what you think it is, and I — For One — Am extremely grateful for that, because David Wilson is perhaps the true Prof of all things murder and crime so hearing his personal journey through the murky depths of psychopathic Rabbit Warrens is one I strapped in for whole-heartedly.

My Life with Murderers by David Wilson | Waterstones

Professor David Wilson has spent his professional life working with violent men – especially men who have committed murder. Aged twenty-nine he became, at that time, the UK’s youngest ever prison Governor in charge of a jail and his career since then has seen him sat across a table with all sorts of killers: sometimes in a tense interview; sometimes sharing a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); sometimes looking them in the eye to tell them that they are a psychopath. David Wilson, criminologist, has spent his career working with, interviewing and studying some of the UKs most prolific murderers. In his book, he reveals some of the key moments in his career. Wilson writes well, smooth simple prose that aids in eliminating any pretension whatsoever and yet carries a rather nuanced but striking knowledge base that’s undoubtedly dripping with murderous intrigue.Overall an interesting book. What stood out for me was the contrast with UK and US police interrogation techniques. One investigatory and the other accusatory. I liked the PEACE mnemonic for investigatory procedures: Ashamedly it has taken me sometime to get to it. It has been sat on my bedside table waiting patiently to be read but am glad to say that I have now read it and it was every bit as interesting as I had hoped for and more. My Life with Murderers is a reflection by renound professor of criminology David Wilson on his time as governor and assistant governor at a number of British prisons and the numerous encounters with murders he has had along the way. However, it’s also more than that, as it follows Wilson’s musings on what it is to be a murderer and the various types of murderers there are, from spree and hitmen to serial and beyond.

My Life with Murderers - Open Library My Life with Murderers - Open Library

Some of the sections were interesting. His description of the rehab techniques some of the prisons use was intriguing. And his comparison of US and UK interview techniques was unsurprising but interesting anyway. David has advised on live police investigations related to a linked series of murders and has provided training to new Senior Investigating Officers who will take charge of murder inquiries. It’s fascinating stuff: my only criticism would be that it’s not the most linear narrative. Sometimes I felt like I was taking a meandering trip through Wilson’s thought processes! With characteristic brilliance and admirable sensitivity, Wilson illuminates the complex causes of their often horrific crimes’– Professor Simon Winlow, Vice President of the British Society of Criminology This book was very insightful and provided lots of informative on murderers, killers and psychopaths all while being easy to read and understand.Interesting - yes, detailed - very, all the different sorts of murder, eg. domestic, contract etc with their own chapters, well-written - definitely and seeded with famous murders that saturated the media at the time, but..... although it was very comprehensive and research-based, it didn't really tell me any more than any other similar book about murderers. And it wasn't very memorable. David’s recent TV work has included BBC Scotland's David Wilson's Crime Files.He appeared with Emilia Fox in Channel 4's Walking in Killer's Footsteps and also helped to devise and present Radio 4's In The Criminologist’s Chair. From idealistic prison governor straight out of Cambridge University to expert criminologist and emeritus professor, David has met hitmen, mass, spree and serial killers and those murderers who seem to kill “in five minutes of madness”. Sometimes he meets them in a tense interview in a cell; sometimes to share a cup of tea (or something a little stronger); or sometimes just to look them in the eye as he tells them that, yes, they really are a psychopath. Some of these men became David's friends; others would still love to kill him.