Scotland Yard's History of Crime in 100 Objects

by Alan Moss, Keith Skinner

Explore Britain’s dark criminal history through the fascinating objects that have been hidden away in the Crime Museum at Scotland Yard, a collection that, although world famous, is so sensitive it has never before been opened to the public. Each object tells its own story: the briefcase with a concealed syringe owned by the notorious Kray twins; the gun Ruth Ellis used to murder her lover David Blakely; a burnt-out computer from the Glasgow airport car bomb; a picture from the property of serial killer Dennis Nilsen of the grisly drain that was blocked with human body parts; and the gun that Edward Oxford fired at Queen Victoria on 10 June 1840 in a failed assassination attempt. This is an absorbing, shocking and sometimes gruesome journey through 100 objects of criminal history, some of which have never before seen the light of day. Peer within to experience a unique insight into the crimes and criminals that have passed through Scotland Yard.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, History

400 pages, Hardcover

First published October 5, 2015

Reviews

[Myra King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting.
It piqued my morbid interest in the macabre.

My only complaint is that it was sometimes hard to follow. There were too many names, and run on sentences that left me wondering what on earth was actually going on.

I enjoyed reading about the Victorian crimes more than the 20th century ones. I wish there had been more of those. But it is what it is.

Great book.
6 stars.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Scotland Yard is a semi-private museum of objects and documents relating to various crimes and criminals. The authors have selected 100 of these to tell the story of crime in London over the last couple of hundred years. I was familiar with most of the cases, especially the 19th century ones, and found this a fascinating and interesting book.

[Kerry Henderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read especially for any crime buff. It was well laid out with enough details about each crime to keep it interesting.

[Katherine Addison · Rating 3 out of 5]

A partial tour of Scotland Yard's Black Museum in book form, this book has excellent pictures, a poorly chosen font (sans serif gray on white), and interesting although not terribly well-written text. Despite what the title might lead you to believe, it is not in chronological order, which I think was a mistake, since it means that there's no actual sense of coherent history, just a series of interesting objects with explanations. Still, as the closest I am ever likely to get to a tour of the Black Museum, it was worth the read.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Behind every object there is an intriguing case: a portrait, cups, a pistol, death masks, black banknotes, false feet, courtroom sketches, plaster casts, timers and bombs, a hacksaw, false teeth... the photos go on and on. If you're into the history of crime this is absolutely exciting. Couldn't put this collection down and highly enjoyed it. Really recommended!

[Donna Maguire · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://donnasbookblog.wordpress.com/...

I love books like this one and I have read quite a few now that focus on the theme of “100 Objects” and I have not been disappointed with any of the books.

I really enjoyed this one and I am a massive fan of the amount that can be crammed in and the way that the different items are showcased. They are ideal springboards for the reader to use to find out more on different items. This book focuses on Scotland Yard's History of Crime and the items that they have in their museum – a place that I would LOVE to be able to visit!

I read this book over the course of a few days, dipping in and out and loved it. The book focuses on some of the items from well-known crimes and criminals and also those that are lesser known, and it was some of those that were the most interesting for me.

It is 5 stars from me for this one, I thought it was a superb book and I devoured it from cover to cover. Full of facts and it was a delight to read - a great way to introduce some lesser known items too - very highly recommended!