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    A Criminal History of Mankind
    Unavailable
    A Criminal History of Mankind
    Unavailable
    A Criminal History of Mankind
    Ebook954 pages23 hours

    A Criminal History of Mankind

    By Colin Wilson

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    "A work of massive energy, compulsively readable, splendidly informative...it establishes Wilson in a European tradition of thought that includes H.G. Wells, Sartre and Shaw." —Time Out

    "A tremendous resource for crime buffs as well as a challenging exposition for some of the more subtle criminological thinking of our time." —Kirkus

    This landmark work offers a completely new approach to the history and psychology of human violence. Its sweep is broad, its research meticulous and detailed. Wilson explores the bloodthirsty sadism of the ancient Assyrians and the mass slaughter by the armies led by Genghis Khan, Tamurlane, Ivan the Terrible, and Vlad the Impaler. He delves into modern history, exploring the genocides practiced by Stalin and Hitler. He then takes a chilling look into the sex crimes and mass murders that have become symbols of the neuroses and intensity of modern life. With breathtaking audacity and stunning insight, Wilson puts criminality firmly in a wide, illuminating historical context. The result is a completely new approach to the history and psychology of human violence.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDiversion Books
    Release dateMay 19, 2015
    ISBN9781626818675
    Unavailable
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    Reviews for A Criminal History of Mankind

    3.5/5

    27 ratings3 reviews

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    • 5/5

      The first time I read this book i only read the second half. Colin is telling of the factual accounts of the monsters in our history. I was looking for evidence of mankind's improvements historically to modern day.
    • 4/5
      When Wilson says he's writing a history of mankind, he's not kidding! This book covers the full sweep of human history from before Homo sapiens to the 1970s. (I have the first edition, published in 1980.) It encompasses not only true crime but gobs of history, sociology, psychology and philosophy, and alludes to many and various classic books and essays. It must have taken Wilson years to research this thing. If you've a mind for an ambitious reading project (700 pages), this book is as good as any. I sure learned a lot.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Wilson's war v. short-cut specialists. There's no easy path to enlightenment, it seems. The ever busy Wilson knows of no short-cut, certainly.