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

Product Information

David Wilson is Professor of Criminology and founding Director of the Centre for Applied Criminology at Birmingham City University – one of the university’s “research centres of excellence”. He is the co-Editor of the prestigious Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, which is produced five times per year. Prior to taking up his academic appointment in September 1997, David was Senior Policy Advisor to the Prison Reform Trust, and between October 1983-April 1997 he worked as a Prison Governor. The author’s professional experiences, lets us get a step closer into meeting these people and finding out. Through David’s own thoughts and the conversations he has with these people, it in some ways opened my eyes and was fascinating learning about techniques they use in trying to uncover the truth. His conversation and dealings with some of the more well known killers, was especially interesting.

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

I also thoroughly enjoyed the little titbits into prison life with Charles Manson (I laughed out loud at the, in all honestly, bizarre scenario of Manson threatening to stab the prison guards with his moustache while stark naked and covered in shoe polish) and a ‘Furries’ convention that Wilson inadvertently ended up getting in the mix with. I would have enjoyed some more of these personal insights, as they added some much needed light relief to a heavy topic. Wilson takes the reader on a ride through the penal system in the UK, the psychological bounds of many criminal misfits & finally to the deep-end of the horrible human swimming pool.

My Book Notes

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. Join the UK’s leading criminologist Professor David Wilson, author of the fascinating new book Murder At Home as he explores how, for so many victims, their safest space is the place they are most in danger. Delving into infamous as well as lesser-known cases, this examination of how murderers have used different rooms in a house is perfect for fans of The Dark Side of the Mind and The Mind of a Murderer. 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. 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. 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.

My Life With Murderers - Professor David Wilson - TicketSource My Life With Murderers - Professor David Wilson - TicketSource

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. This book was very insightful and provided lots of informative on murderers, killers and psychopaths all while being easy to read and understand.The issue however is that there is practically nothing in the book that describes how life in prison is. The book is more about describing stories of murderers. I’m sure I am not on my own in having a fascination when it comes to serial killers and murderers. With so many crime books, shows, films, they make for compelling screen and reading time. For me I suppose it’s the whys. Why would someone murder someone or multiple people? Is it events from their own childhood that has shaped them into who they are today or can you really just be born evil? What goes on in that persons mind? 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:

My Life with Murderers 2023 Presale Code David Wilson - My Life with Murderers 2023 Presale Code

I know I'm not the only one who spends their time watching YouTube videos about serial killers. This book is the ideal companion to that pastime. This is an excellent book, well deserving of 5 stars. I’m going to hear David Wilson speak at the end of March at Glasgow’s Aye Write book festival. I can’t wait! [He was excellent, as expected]. 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’. David Wilson is the author of the gripping books My Life with Murderers, A Plot to Kill and new release Murder at Home. Emeritus Professor of Criminology at Birmingham City University and the founding Director of the university’s Centre for Criminal Justice and Research, he is also a respected TV presenter, most recently fronting Channel 4’s In the Footsteps of Killers with Emilia Fox and David Wilson’s Crime Files for BBC Scotland.Now you have the opportunity to hear David’s story from idealistic prison governor straight out of Cambridge University to expert criminologist and emeritus professor. The last chapter covering the murder of a paperboy and how Bert Spencer managed to evade justice os an indictment of the police incompetence. The Interview with a Murderer tv show will be interesting to watch. I am sure the police will not reopen the case. The tour, which begins in April in Salford and travels to multiple venues across the country before culminating in Cardiff in May, draws on David’s unique experiences and unparalleled knowledge of murder, sharing his unusual career journey, discussing his fascinating and compelling study of human nature, and delving into infamous as well as lesser-known true crime cases in an attempt to make sense out of the senseless. He will be coming to Exeter’s Northcott Theatre on 16 April. I received this book as part of my last A Box of Stories book delivery and was quite excited by it. I was looking forward to reading all about the interviews with the murderers and learning about the psychology of why they committed these acts. Unfortunately, this wasn't what I got. 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.