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

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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. 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. 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. 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.

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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.Hugely insightful and thought provoking . . . I read it from cover to cover in one go' - Emilia Fox 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. The best section was toward the end when he discussed the making of the documentary 'Interview with a Murderer'. He spends some time discussing the murder of a teenage paper boy with the convicted Murderer Bert Spencer, who was suspected of killing the boy. 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?

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From prison riots to the unique therapeutic approach of HMP Grendon, this will most certainly broaden your mind. I appreciated the honesty when given a tragic example of how things can go horribly wrong, but in the main, this application proves to be highly successful. The proof in this being that some ex offenders, having undergone the therapeutic approach at Grendon, are now David Wilson’s good friends! 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 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.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. With experiences unlike any other and an unparalleled knowledge of murder, David will discuss his fascinating and compelling study of human nature, delving into infamous as well as lesser-known true crime cases in an attempt to make sense out of the senseless. 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: I was fortunate enough to see the author at an event in Bloody Scotland in 2019. Having found his talk extremely intriguing as well as spellbinding, I could have happily sat there all day and listened to him talking, I bought a copy of this book after the event where he was signing copies. Ahead of the tour, David Wilson said: “I’m really excited at the prospect of being able to share my academic and applied knowledge about murder in all its various and deadly guises. I want to persuade the audience that an interest in true crime is not just normal but necessary and, above all, to offer hope about how we can reduce the incidence of murder and serial murder in our culture.” 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 Professor David Wilson – My Life with Murderers

But what makes "My Life with Murderers" truly exceptional is the way it challenges our understanding of these criminals. Wilson doesn't just paint them as monsters; he delves into the complexities of their lives and the societal factors that contributed to their heinous acts. It's as much a journey into the human psyche as it is a study of crime.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. 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. 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. 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

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My Life with Murderers" by David Wilson is a riveting dive into the shadowy world of serial killers and violent criminals, and it's a rollercoaster of emotions, insights, and revelations. Wilson, with his years of experience as a criminologist, takes us on a gripping journey behind the minds of some of the most notorious criminals in history. 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. What sets this book apart is Wilson's unparalleled ability to blend personal anecdotes with professional analysis. It's like sitting down with a cup of tea and having a chilling, yet strangely captivating, conversation with a psychopath. His encounters with the likes of Dennis Nilsen and Rose West are so vividly described that you can practically hear their unsettling confessions echoing in your mind. 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.

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My Life with Murderers’ will take you inside the prison walls where you find yourself immersed with Britain’s most dangerous psychopaths. Nothing exaggerated, David Wilson writes with integrity and sensitivity. Covering some of the most notorious and heinous crimes, with detailed accounts of interviews with infamous murderers and other criminals, you will feel you are sitting amongst them.