The Mammoth Book of the History of Murder [Paperback]

Colin Wilson (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Mammoth Books | Publication Date: March 2000

Murder provided public entertainment for the Caesars of ancient Rome, and executions drew huge, enthusiastic crowds in Elizabethan England and at the Bastille in revolutionary France. The thirst for blood and cry for deadly vengeance lie deep in humankind, as criminologist Colin Wilson authoritatively illustrates in this millennial history of the most heinous of human crimes. Analyzing the tangle of motives behind murder and examining an astonishing variety of homicidal methods over the past twenty centuries, Wilson not only profiles infamous historical figures like Vlad the Impaler, Ivan the Terrible, Gilles de Rais, Countess Elizabeth Bathory, Marquis de Sade, and Jack the Ripper, but also studies particular categories of homicide and such phenomena as the Jacobean witch hunts and gangland killings of America's Jazz Age. Wilson's chronicle includes, too, the serial killings, random shooting sprees, and cult murders that have troubled more recent times. The comprehensive history and illuminating analysis of how humans kill, and why, make crime-expert Wilson's volume one that no true-crime fan or student of criminology will want to miss.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Proving once again that fact is scarier than fiction, British writer Colin Wilson presents this seam-bursting collection of depravity through the ages. From Ivan the Terrible to Jack the Ripper to Ted Bundy, this haunting cast of characters will have you leaving the lights on all night. Organized by century and types of killers--assassins, pirates, serial killers, and the like--the book traces the evolution of crime within the context of greater societal changes. The author blames the birth of sex crimes on too much leisure time in the 19th century and credits big cities and their crowded conditions for the emergence of the modern serial killer. He also offers a whirlwind tour of torture and cruelty in answering the question, "What makes a monster?"

Wilson is one of the most prolific and eclectic writers of our time, with more than 80 books to his credit on subjects as varied as existential fiction, philosophy, the occult, aliens, and the life of Aleister Crowley. Though often dismissed by critics as an obsessive crackpot, Wilson maintains a large following around the world due to his captivating, conversational writing style and ability to synthesize an impressive amount of esoteric information. The Mammoth Book of the History of Murder is an illuminating volume on a dark subject, written by a born storyteller.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Running Press; Rev Exp edition (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786707143
• ISBN-13: 978-0786707140
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #562,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Overview of the Subject, April 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of the History of Murder (Paperback)

I was able to find more than a couple of crimes that I was unfamillar with - unusal due to the amount of reading on the subject I've done. Doesn't bog the reader down with too much information on any one crime but gives you a good 'picture' of each. My only complaint is that when looking for info on a specifc crime, the reader may have to search more than one section of the book for all the information avaliable.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars FRIGHTENING, November 13, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of the History of Murder (Paperback)

It's unfathomable the evil that man is capable of. Yes, I've read the sensational headlines of serial killers, mass murderers, etc. but this book gives full details of the realization of these crimes. To read blow by blow descriptions of the paths that these individuals take is shocking to say the least; especially the descriptions of the cannibalism. I like gory, horror stories but true life horror and gore is terrifying. A book not for the feint hearted. Even though I cringed throughout the book, it was like looking at a scary movie with my hands over my eyes - I had to keep peeking just to see what would happen. Truth is stranger than fiction.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Voyeuristic but thoughtful, September 7, 2010

By 

Steve Reina (Troy Michigan) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Mammoth Book of the History of Murder (Paperback)

Clocking in at just over six hundred pages, this is a book for serious students of murder.

But be prepared, its pages give new meaning to the term gruesome as the writer, Colin Wilson, describes murder after murder in the same loving, lurid detail that William Shakespeare himself reserved for his love sonnets.

From my perspective, the parts of this book I liked the best were the ones where Wilson attempted to step back from his topic and see the forrest instead of the trees...those broad patterns that instilled evil intentions in the hearts of others and the circumstances that let those intentions make themselves known.

Generally, Wilson believes that the modern type of Jack the Ripper, Ted Bundy serial killer we now have is but another product of modern times. If these killers were forced to use their free time merely to survive then maybe we would be spared their horrors.

I don't know if this is true but one certainly becomes inclined to agree as one learns of the details of where such purposeful thrill motivated murders are taking place.

But be that as it may, one cannot deny that this is a book written by a guy who's really thought about his topic...a typical sign that what the person has to say just might be worth listening to.