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The 10 Worst Psychopaths: The Most Depraved Killers In History
Often, the term 'psychopath' tends to be equated with violent and deranged criminality. By examining the 10 worst psychopaths throughout history, this book shows how true psychopaths know the difference between right and wrong. And they appear on the surface to be entirely 'normal'. Chillingly, they are usually the person you would least suspect.
- GenresTrue CrimeNonfiction
100 pages, ebook
Published October 30, 2015
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February 7, 2016I was curious as to who, in the entire history of the world, that the author would choose to profile as the ten worst psychopaths of all time. Sadly, there are many to choose from. .
Deviant behaviour has always fascinated the general public. Regular people often express disbelief when someone they know is found to be responsible for acts of depravity that most people could never imagine, let alone actually commit.
Through the reading of this book you will come to realize that the world is actually full of psychopaths and you will come to know how to identify them.
This book is divided into eleven sections; one for each psychopath and a foreword. Each section contains the history and background of the individual, including their formative childhood years. Then it goes on to detail the psychopath's crimes and actions. If relevant, it includes how and when they were arrested and details of their sentencing. However, some of these psychopaths eluded justice and if that is the case, that information is included as well. Basically, this book tells you everything you would want to know about each individual.
What makes this book different from the multitude of other serial killer books out there?
That is easy to answer. The difference is that the people highlighted in this book are not all serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths. After you read this book you will know exactly what I mean by that statement.
I loved the fact that this book not only gave details of individuals psychopaths, but it also highlights facts that will both shock and surprise readers.
You will come away from this book with a better understanding of the identifiable behaviours and character traits that are exhibited by true psychopaths. Armed with this new knowledge, you might even be able to identify a psychopath near you!
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The only complaint I have regarding this book is the abrupt ending. The final chapter is all about Ted Bundy and after that the book just ends. I would have really liked there to be an "In Conclusion" chapter. Even though the similarities between each psychopath are apparent after reading about each person individually, it would have been nice to have it all wrapped up in a conclusion chapter. If I was the author, I would have included a chart with all the names on one side and a list of traits and commonalities across the top. I would then have filled out the chart by indicating which characteristics applied to each person.
To see the full review including a video interview with Ted Bundy visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
Deviant behaviour has always fascinated the general public. Regular people often express disbelief when someone they know is found to be responsible for acts of depravity that most people could never imagine, let alone actually commit.
Through the reading of this book you will come to realize that the world is actually full of psychopaths and you will come to know how to identify them.
This book is divided into eleven sections; one for each psychopath and a foreword. Each section contains the history and background of the individual, including their formative childhood years. Then it goes on to detail the psychopath's crimes and actions. If relevant, it includes how and when they were arrested and details of their sentencing. However, some of these psychopaths eluded justice and if that is the case, that information is included as well. Basically, this book tells you everything you would want to know about each individual.
What makes this book different from the multitude of other serial killer books out there?
That is easy to answer. The difference is that the people highlighted in this book are not all serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths. After you read this book you will know exactly what I mean by that statement.
I loved the fact that this book not only gave details of individuals psychopaths, but it also highlights facts that will both shock and surprise readers.
You will come away from this book with a better understanding of the identifiable behaviours and character traits that are exhibited by true psychopaths. Armed with this new knowledge, you might even be able to identify a psychopath near you!
I rate this book as 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The only complaint I have regarding this book is the abrupt ending. The final chapter is all about Ted Bundy and after that the book just ends. I would have really liked there to be an "In Conclusion" chapter. Even though the similarities between each psychopath are apparent after reading about each person individually, it would have been nice to have it all wrapped up in a conclusion chapter. If I was the author, I would have included a chart with all the names on one side and a list of traits and commonalities across the top. I would then have filled out the chart by indicating which characteristics applied to each person.
To see the full review including a video interview with Ted Bundy visit my blog at http://amiesbookreviews.wordpress.com
February 25, 2016
I received this book free from net galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I don't know if these are the 10 worst psychopaths but they are all definitely up there. This book explores the minds of these 10, some well known, others not and how they qualify as psychopaths. One of the scariest things about psychopaths is that in many cases, these included, they can seem charming and personable; they could be your neighbour next door or the person you work with and you would have no idea. In many of those cases, people were shocked at what they were capable of and can't believe the person they thought they knew did the horrendous things they were accused of. We generally tend to think that psychopaths are the monster you see on tv that was a serial killer when in fact, it's quite often the monster they are that you don't see.
This book is a pretty quick read. It is well researched, gives us the interesting facts but doesn't bore us with a lot of history and boring details we won't remember anyway.
Although I was familiar with more than half of the 10, the stories of all were well told and in the case of ones I did know of, there were a lot of details I didn't know.
As I was reading it, I was shocked yet fascinated with the characteristics of a psychopaths, how they thought; how they could coast through life without people not having any kind of clue as to who they really were. I enjoyed my visit into this glimpse of psychopaths and am glad I didn't know them. Yet, maybe I do know one, and I don't know it.
Thanks to the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read this book.
I don't know if these are the 10 worst psychopaths but they are all definitely up there. This book explores the minds of these 10, some well known, others not and how they qualify as psychopaths. One of the scariest things about psychopaths is that in many cases, these included, they can seem charming and personable; they could be your neighbour next door or the person you work with and you would have no idea. In many of those cases, people were shocked at what they were capable of and can't believe the person they thought they knew did the horrendous things they were accused of. We generally tend to think that psychopaths are the monster you see on tv that was a serial killer when in fact, it's quite often the monster they are that you don't see.
This book is a pretty quick read. It is well researched, gives us the interesting facts but doesn't bore us with a lot of history and boring details we won't remember anyway.
Although I was familiar with more than half of the 10, the stories of all were well told and in the case of ones I did know of, there were a lot of details I didn't know.
As I was reading it, I was shocked yet fascinated with the characteristics of a psychopaths, how they thought; how they could coast through life without people not having any kind of clue as to who they really were. I enjoyed my visit into this glimpse of psychopaths and am glad I didn't know them. Yet, maybe I do know one, and I don't know it.
Thanks to the publisher and net galley for the opportunity to read this book.
February 13, 2016
This lovely collection of "The Most Depraved Killers" gives you glimpses into the lives of some of the most heartless human beings in history. I found this book the right size, easy and entertaining to read; it gave me a lot of information I hadn't been aware of before. It's still rather compact and won't make you an expert, but I don't think that was the idea :)
I enjoyed reading about people such as Blackbeard, the psychopathic pirate who terrorized the Caribbean seas in the 18th Century, or The Harpe Brothers from back in the American Wild West.
The story of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was chilling, as we get to see how the two teenagers planned and enjoyed their little plan of blowing up their high school! Details of how they shot down their fellow classmates for fun, how they got bored of it all and how little the screaming and bleeding and pleading affected them was a big reminder of what a human person is capable of. Scary. Sad.
A list of people in this collection:
John Wayne Gacy
The Harpe Brothers
Richard "The Iceman" Kucklinski
Oskar Dirlewanger
Erzsébet Báthory
Robert Philip Hanssen
Jim Jones
Blackbeard
Eric Harris
Ted Bundy
The book gives you an idea of what might be going on in the mind of a psychopath, what drove them. It highlights both expected and unexpected details; not all of the people listed in this book are serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths.
Highly recommended:)
****
Many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.
I enjoyed reading about people such as Blackbeard, the psychopathic pirate who terrorized the Caribbean seas in the 18th Century, or The Harpe Brothers from back in the American Wild West.
The story of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold was chilling, as we get to see how the two teenagers planned and enjoyed their little plan of blowing up their high school! Details of how they shot down their fellow classmates for fun, how they got bored of it all and how little the screaming and bleeding and pleading affected them was a big reminder of what a human person is capable of. Scary. Sad.
A list of people in this collection:
John Wayne Gacy
The Harpe Brothers
Richard "The Iceman" Kucklinski
Oskar Dirlewanger
Erzsébet Báthory
Robert Philip Hanssen
Jim Jones
Blackbeard
Eric Harris
Ted Bundy
The book gives you an idea of what might be going on in the mind of a psychopath, what drove them. It highlights both expected and unexpected details; not all of the people listed in this book are serial killers, and not all serial killers are psychopaths.
Highly recommended:)
****
Many thanks to the publisher who kindly provided a free copy for an honest and impartial review.
March 15, 2016
Quite an interesting collection of what the author identified as the 10 worst psychopaths in history. It provides a short biography of each person. Some I would have expected to appear on this list, others I had never heard of. It covered a variety of places as well as different times ranging from 1610 Hungary, the 18th century American 'Wild West' to Second World War Germany and the more commonly known individuals of more recent times. There is obviously information on some gruesome murders but it was presented appropriately. The brief introduction provides details on what generally classifies psychopathic behavior. There is nothing very detailed here. Most people I think will be aware of the traits, i.e. emotionally shallow with a grandiose sense of self-worth, blaming other people, total lack of guilt etc.
Well written, it provides basic information on psychopathic behavior and an informative summary of the lives of ten individuals who nowadays would be classified as psychopaths. A nice book for dipping in and out of if you are interested in true crime and personality disorders.
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
Well written, it provides basic information on psychopathic behavior and an informative summary of the lives of ten individuals who nowadays would be classified as psychopaths. A nice book for dipping in and out of if you are interested in true crime and personality disorders.
I received a copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
January 4, 2019
🌟🌟🌟 / 5
Someone bought me this book (along with Victor’s other true crime novel) a few months ago and I finally had some time to read it.
I was curious to see who they would pick as the top ten and there were definitely a few surprises there. Whilst I knew that serial killers aren’t always psychopaths, I assumed that most of the people contained in this book would be serial killers. There were a couple of surprises — including people I actually didn’t know much about — and there was certainly a fair bit of variety in terms of who they chose.
The book appears to be well researched and it was interesting to learn more about who they classify as the top ten. I just have a high standard when it comes to true crime and this book falls somewhere in the middle of everything else I’ve read (hence the 3 star rating)
Someone bought me this book (along with Victor’s other true crime novel) a few months ago and I finally had some time to read it.
I was curious to see who they would pick as the top ten and there were definitely a few surprises there. Whilst I knew that serial killers aren’t always psychopaths, I assumed that most of the people contained in this book would be serial killers. There were a couple of surprises — including people I actually didn’t know much about — and there was certainly a fair bit of variety in terms of who they chose.
The book appears to be well researched and it was interesting to learn more about who they classify as the top ten. I just have a high standard when it comes to true crime and this book falls somewhere in the middle of everything else I’ve read (hence the 3 star rating)
August 9, 2025
1. John Wayne Gacy: killed multiple young boys and some people working for him.
2. The Harpe Brothers: 18th century frontier America killed random multiple people.
3. Richard 'The Iceman' Kuklinski: mafia enforcer.
4. Oskar Dirlewanger: leader of the death squad for Nazis Party.
5. Erzsébet Báthory: a countess who loved torturing and killing young women.
6. Robert Philip Hanssen: gave out information about FBI for money.
7. Jim Jones: a cult leader, ended in a mass cult suicide.
8. Blackbeard: a notorious pirate.
9. Eric Harris: massacre in Columbine High School.
10. Ted Bundy: raped, then murdered multiple victims. All were women.
2. The Harpe Brothers: 18th century frontier America killed random multiple people.
3. Richard 'The Iceman' Kuklinski: mafia enforcer.
4. Oskar Dirlewanger: leader of the death squad for Nazis Party.
5. Erzsébet Báthory: a countess who loved torturing and killing young women.
6. Robert Philip Hanssen: gave out information about FBI for money.
7. Jim Jones: a cult leader, ended in a mass cult suicide.
8. Blackbeard: a notorious pirate.
9. Eric Harris: massacre in Columbine High School.
10. Ted Bundy: raped, then murdered multiple victims. All were women.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 22, 2018
This is a pretty basic overview and not an in depth examination of some of the worst human beings in recorded history. Most of the information here, I've heard/read before. A few were new to me and the book's inclusion gave me a solid introduction. For those I was familiar with, I found nothing new or insightful, so I was eager to move on. The brevity, in some cases, was disappointing as it didn't really give an accurate depiction of the psychopath, or how they were 'the worst'. Overall, it's an interesting introduction in to this dark world for the novice reader.
July 9, 2019
The stories were horrifically fascinating, though the actual books narration was a tad annoying at times. Overall if your interested in true crime I have no doubt you'll enjoy this book.
July 14, 2025
It’s is enlightening to read how terrible some people can be. I guess we should be glad that most people are not psychopaths.
April 2, 2021
𝟮.𝟱* - 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲
an average and accessible account giving basic insight into psychopaths.
an average and accessible account giving basic insight into psychopaths.
May 8, 2019
Pretty good book for true crime fanatics but there were grammar errors. I liked the book and own it. It really shows a lot about all psychopaths just not killers. There are a lot of facts not just about the criminals but all crazed maniacs. It wouldn’t be my first choice to recommend someone for true crime but it would be in my top ten. Have a good day!
February 13, 2016
Not the most famous psychopaths, but the most depraved, means this book has a few unexpected horrors to share. Also, it is not all men!
It is an easy read, each chapter cleanly laying out the facts as known and emphasizing how the details illustrate the commonalities among psychopaths. The most chilling thing about them is that they do not feel guilt -- and worse still, they know when they SHOULD. Guilt simply isn't available to them. They feel entitled to anything they desire. They have no sense of "proportionality:" A very small slight might warrant your death in their minds.
Psychopaths are masters of mimicry to fit in, but they KNOW they are special. They can trick everyone around them and laugh at how inferior that makes those people. Getting people to believe lies is one such game they play -- only inferior people would fail to see the lie. One psychopath when finally caught says to the arresting officers: "What took you so long?" Again, implying his superiority and the ineffectuality of the others.
Easy to read, quick to read, an unusual gathering of some well-known and some lesser-known psychopath, this book leads through blood baths and other horrors. You will not soon forget the traits these psychopaths possess, because they are writ large in blood.
The negative things: It's unclear why the stories are in the order found in the book. It isn't on a timeline. Also, the book ends without any after-matter. You just finish a chapter on a psychopath and find: oh, that's it. You would think the author would tie things up, make a tidy list of the characteristics common to psychopaths, or at least in some way put the subject to some kind of closure.
It is an easy read, each chapter cleanly laying out the facts as known and emphasizing how the details illustrate the commonalities among psychopaths. The most chilling thing about them is that they do not feel guilt -- and worse still, they know when they SHOULD. Guilt simply isn't available to them. They feel entitled to anything they desire. They have no sense of "proportionality:" A very small slight might warrant your death in their minds.
Psychopaths are masters of mimicry to fit in, but they KNOW they are special. They can trick everyone around them and laugh at how inferior that makes those people. Getting people to believe lies is one such game they play -- only inferior people would fail to see the lie. One psychopath when finally caught says to the arresting officers: "What took you so long?" Again, implying his superiority and the ineffectuality of the others.
Easy to read, quick to read, an unusual gathering of some well-known and some lesser-known psychopath, this book leads through blood baths and other horrors. You will not soon forget the traits these psychopaths possess, because they are writ large in blood.
The negative things: It's unclear why the stories are in the order found in the book. It isn't on a timeline. Also, the book ends without any after-matter. You just finish a chapter on a psychopath and find: oh, that's it. You would think the author would tie things up, make a tidy list of the characteristics common to psychopaths, or at least in some way put the subject to some kind of closure.
February 25, 2016
I have a crazy fascination with serial killers and psychopaths. It is bad. If I find a book on them, or the topic, I will read it. I think every person has a small corner of them that is intrigued by the darkness showcased by others because we don't all completely understand it. How does one get to that twisted place in life? This book is a very fast read, which is great, and it doesn't get too heavy and factual for those who not too interested in the super nitty gritty of the individuals and their crimes, and so serves for a really good introductory novel for someone unfamiliar with the content, or a brush up for those who are familiar with the stories. The writing style flows, and the author has made some interesting choices as to who to include in their round up of the ten worst psychopaths, and I feel that McQueen picked some terrifying individuals, to be sure. The book barrels along and provides you with the details you need to become acquainted with the individuals on the pages, but you will not be reading a long and tedious investigation and account of anyone you are do not care to familiarise yourself with. The book is interesting and I enjoyed it, and could definitely recommend for a quick read. I liked the structure of the book, too, and what McQueen chose to include as relevant information - it paints the quick and violent, shocking nature of each one of the psychopaths, as well as highlights where things started, where they escalated, and how they ultimately ended. This book is a wonderful in between read and well worth looking into, even if just for the sake of curiosity.
December 15, 2020
Received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.
Overall rating : 4*
Writing : 4*
Subject matter : 5*
Factual content : 4*
Having read a similar book a few years ago I was under the impression Id be reading things I already had general knowledge of. But how very wrong I was. Out of the 10 case subjects, I'd actually only heard of one.
It felt well researched, and believable. The previously read book was so poor in comparison of content, I am really pleasantly surprised. It read almost like reading a newspaper with a clear timeline of events, sticking to facts only. That didn't take away from the harrowing tales within, written in an unemotional way to give a clear picture of each case.
If the content matter is a topic of interest to you Id highly suggest reading this one and forgetting the rest.
Overall rating : 4*
Writing : 4*
Subject matter : 5*
Factual content : 4*
Having read a similar book a few years ago I was under the impression Id be reading things I already had general knowledge of. But how very wrong I was. Out of the 10 case subjects, I'd actually only heard of one.
It felt well researched, and believable. The previously read book was so poor in comparison of content, I am really pleasantly surprised. It read almost like reading a newspaper with a clear timeline of events, sticking to facts only. That didn't take away from the harrowing tales within, written in an unemotional way to give a clear picture of each case.
If the content matter is a topic of interest to you Id highly suggest reading this one and forgetting the rest.
February 8, 2016
I have read quite a few true crime books, books on psychopaths, the psychology behind the crimes committed and how they were captured and this book is one of the better ones available to read in the current market. The chapters are concise and they have a lot of detail about the crimes/murders and it is laid out really well. I was quite surprised by some of the 10 that were discussed and mentioned and for me it made a nice change that it went away from the normal mainstream psychopaths that you see in the majority of books - a good and interesting read.
February 21, 2016
I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Wow. This book was packed with information. I was interested in reading this book because the horror of the subject must be told. That said, I was surprised by some of the people that I had never heard of. This was a very well written often terrifying glimpse into the minds of some of the worst people that ever lived. Great job.
February 5, 2016
Thank you Netgalley and Arcturus Digital for letting me review this book for my honest feedback.
This was a pretty good book. There were details that I didn't know on some of the psychopaths which made it interesting. It was broken out well and it was easy to follow.
This was a pretty good book. There were details that I didn't know on some of the psychopaths which made it interesting. It was broken out well and it was easy to follow.
June 25, 2016
very interesting but nothing I didn't already know lol
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