100 Most Infamous Criminals

by Jo Durden-Smith

100 Most Infamous Criminals is an astounding compendium of crimes and their perpetrators. The range of crimes is extraordinary, from the bizarre to the horrific, and from the heartbreaking to the ridiculous. The book includes some of history's most infamous criminals and tells in vivid detail the story of the lives they led, the crimes they committed and the destruction and sorrow they left in their wake. From the unsolved horror of Jack the Ripper to the king of the gangsters Al Capone, Ted Bundy to Harold Shipman, each entry is illustrated with fascinating photographs and artwork, and detailed accounts of each terrible crime. 100 Most Infamous Criminals is a gripping and compelling portrait of the darker side of life, and reveals the strange and grisly stories behind the world's most infamous murderers, swindlers and crooks.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, History, Reference

207 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Jo Durden Smith was a British author and a documentary film maker.
He was educated at Haileybury and Merton College, Oxford. He worked for World in Action, Granada TV's documentary team, where his rock films were made.
Subsequently he lived in New York, and then Moscow. He was a columnist for The Moscow Times, to 1997.

Reviews

[AleJandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

***3 Los criminales son mas interesantes que las personas normales STARS***

Fue un libro entretenido, el 80% de criminales que menciona este libro ya los conocía, solo un 20% aproximadamente me permitió conocer cosas nuevas.

Tenemos historias muy fuertes, con toques gore y que son capaces de traumatizarte de por vida.

"In what he called ‘an expression of love,’ he began to eat her. He cut slices of flesh from her buttocks and consumed them raw, shuddering with delight."

Las historias que mas me gustaron fueron la de los estafadores (bueno mis favoritos son los Mafiosos, pero todos los que menciona este libro ya los conocía), me impresiona lo inteligentes que son y las grandes cosas que lograron.

Los que me dejaron con ganas de saber mas sobre sus historias.: Chizuo Matsumoto (aka Shoko Asahara) y Jacques Mesrine

Mis quejas:

1- El orden es alfabético pero hubiera enganchado mas si fuera en orden cronológico. Me perdía constantemente en los saltos de tiempo. En un momento estoy leyendo algo de 1800 al siguiente ya estaba en la actualidad.

2- Las separaciones "geográficas. El libro se divide en 3 áreas: Internacional, Estados Unidos y Australia. Lo cual no tiene sentido.

Por ejemplo: A mi querido Lucky Luciano lo pusieron en la parte Internacional, si el nació en Italia, pero todo su imperio criminal lo desarrollo en Estados Unidos.

3- No tenemos ningún criminal de Latinoamérica, y no queda claro porque. Pablo Escobar o el Chapo Guzmán hicieron cosas mucho peores (o mejores) que muchos de esta lista.

Lo que mas me causo miedo, es ver como varios de estos criminales no recibieron castigo alguno por sus crímenes.

En conclusión: El mundo siempre ha sido un lugar peligroso.

[Hiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book deserves a high rating because I can only imagine what it would take to gather information about 100 figures and make each one of them fit into a few pages.

Reading this, I couldn't help but ask myself what wouldn't a human being do for his pleasure, to what extent would people go just to have a momentary feeling of high. Where does it stop?
The human mind is evil, it could create an infinite number of ways to inflict harm and still not be satisfied. And I seek to know what lies behind these minds, not the superficial analysis of shrinks who only know about what these people did, but an in-depth study of each and every one of them.

The book was heavy, though. It was hard getting through all of those stories, knowing about all of those victims, and not feel a pang every single time.

I wonder again, what is the limit of the human mind?

[book fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely fascinating , altho it can be quite a lot to take in for someone who doesn't have a clue on serial killers. I devoured this book and got to learn a lot from it , I wish it was a tad bit more detailed on some aspects especially the psychological one as it is the most important , I understand how they wanted to keep it brief to be able to fit 100 criminals in here. From Bundy to Kemper , Manson , Son of Sam to even Jack the Ripper and many other terrifying figures in history , altho I wonder why they forgot about BTK ? Dennis won't be too happy if he gets wind of this.

It's truly astonishing what lengths some humans can get to to achieve and act out their own depraved fantasies , can they even be considered humans after all the atrocities they commit or plain fucking monsters ? worse then the ones you see on TV because those are REAL.

AIA , highly recommend for people who like to know a little bit more about the most famous SK in the world.

[Liam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was interesting to say the least. The facts and background information for all these criminals was insane. From your most popular criminals, such as Jack the Ripper and Billy the Kid, to some of the craziest lesser known criminals from around the world, each with a description of the crimes they'd committed and background information on them if there was any. From the most bizarre cases, to the most mysterious murders, this book covers it all. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books about tragic historical events, or for people who enjoy a good non-fiction read about crime and mystery.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book and I leave it out as a coffee table book, but for someone who is truly interested in the people in this book this is just a starter

[Melody · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the romp through history looking at the more infamous criminals and murderers. Most I was aware of but some were really deviant!

[Lonicocopuffs · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is hard to criticize grammar when in the process I might make a grammatical error myself 😂
But the grammar in the book was not great. It was boring at some points and lacking at others. Nevertheless, I enjoyed as much as I could.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely interesting.

[Petrina Binney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guess who’s researching for a book…

In this brilliantly concise guide, each of a hundred criminals gets a few pages explaining their background, their crimes, and the consequences of them. The book is only 281 pages long, according to Amazon, so there’s no flowery language or padding here. It’s just the facts, crisply written.

Of course, I agree entirely that we should spend more time on the victims of crimes and remember their names, not those of their monsters. Fact is, sometimes a name that’s sort of half familiar crops up in conversation, or in some pop culture reference on an animated show and you wonder why that’s ringing a bell.

This is the book for those situations. From Mafia men, to Bundy, Gacy, and Manson, to Sutcliffe, Jack the Ripper, Lord Lucan, and Harold Shipman, to less well-known but equally frightening people throughout history, this is an excellent reference, thoroughly researched and well written.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok; not extraordinary, but enough to get me curious on various criminals in history. It was nice to have a summarization of the most reputable killers in various periods of time. Covered all types: Mafia members, cannibals, rapists, western outlaws, serial killers, mass murderers, conmen. Just a short passage of every person in this book details their times of deviance and transgressions. Profiles people such as Al Capone, Charles Manson, Jack The Ripper, Timothy McVeigh, and Ted Bundy. As far as content goes, it is just informational, don't expect things to be over sensationalized. Plus, it is not an be all end all book on these characters. Use it as a starting point to look deeper into these people by looking up articles and read sources off Wikipedia.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think one of the biggest issues I had with this book was how disorganized it was. There was no intro or conclusion and really no rhyme or reason to the criminals mentioned. It could have been by time period or country or crime. But no. There is nothing to explain why these individuals were chosen as they range from serial killers to gang members and then people with nothing really to back up the "criminal" label. The bio goes back and forth from reasonably in depth and a fascinating overview to a very drab intro. Sometimes it starts out when they start killing or are born or when they are caught. A little more consistency would have been nice as well.

[Brea Rogers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I wanted a brief overview of cases and to guide me into which ones interested me and where to research further. Brief is the defining word of this book. While it's to be expected that a book covering 100 criminals can't take the time to deeply cover each case, Durden-Smith doesn't frame each case well and doesn't explain time, place, or players thoroughly. There is no sense of organisation to how each case is placed within their country category. It would have been much easier to make my way through if they were in chronological order, particularly since some criminals overlap.

[Grace Challinor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a compact yet gripping survey of the world’s most notorious lawbreakers. Spanning centuries and continents, the book profiles murderers, mobsters, dictators, and terrorists with concise biographies and chilling details. Durden Smith’s clear, journalistic style makes complex histories accessible, while vivid photographs and timelines enhance the reading experience. Though it doesn’t delve deeply into psychological analysis, it succeeds as an engaging overview for true crime enthusiasts. The balance between sensational facts and historical context keeps readers hooked. It’s an ideal introduction to the dark side of human history—informative, fast-paced, and unsettlingly fascinating.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if these are the most infamous criminals ever but the selection chosen by the author is quite extraordinary. International (e.g. Amin, Bathory, Fritz Harmann, Peter Kurten, Ilse Koch and many more), USA (Bundy, Al Capone, Mark David Chapman, D.B. Cooper, Dahmer, Gein, Charles Manson and many more), British (Dr Crippen, the Krays...), Australia (Ned Kelly...). In catchy articles you'll read what crimes made those culprits famous. You'll also get many photos or drawings. Top. Fantastic selection. Excellent starting point for every true crime fan. Highly recommended!

[Jade Crewe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative Reading - This is a guide through the history of criminals that lived centuries ago to modern day. It gives an insight to the crimes committed by people such as Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ruth Ellis, The Kray Twins and Al Capone to name a few. This book must of taken a lot of time and research to put together - definitely worth a read if it’s the type of genre you like.

[Phil Stokoe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting, but it only really scratched the surface of each individual and really could have been a little more in-depth. There was also an occasional annoying, to me at least, inaccuracy in some facts.

[Jo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Smith gives a brief overview of various criminals ranging from Ivan the Terrible to Peter Sutcliffe. Very short pieces but they give you an idea of who they were and what they did. Good book to dip in and out of.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

100 most infamous criminals

Wished some of the stories would have went into more details. Was looking for a book that would have been more in-depth of the crimes.

[Holly Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book with lots of different criminals however there was very little and no information on some of the victims

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The wording wasn’t done as thoughtfully as it should have been. The overviews of the lives, crimes & sentences of each person have some wrong information

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short 2-3 page summaries of a mixture of criminals, by far most in the US, a handful of British and Australian, and a score of International dreadfuls - including the gross appalling Countess Elizabeth Bathory of Hungary of the first decade of the 17th century.

Of course the book includes Billy The Kid, Lizzie Borden, Al Capone, Butch Cassidy, Geza de Kaplany, John Dillinger, Ted Kaczynski, and so on up to Charles Manson. Curiously one among these murderers was Margaretha Gertruida Zelle (aka Mata Hari)who in her late 30s dealt in World War I secrets among the British, Germans and French, which led to her being arrested in Paris, tried, and shot for espionage in 1917. So she qualified as one of the "most infamous criminals."

Other criminals were of widely varied cast. Some were serial killers; some only killed one or two.
A few such as Sada Abe in 1936 Tokyo killed, sentenced to 6 years, but released under an amnesty in 1941. The Muslim from a minority tribe, Adi Amin had hundreds killed in Uganda, fled to Libya, and then to a private hotel suite in Saudi Arabia, courtesy of the Saudi royal family. Adolf Hitler was not included among the 100 most infamous! And the end of a few is given as vague and probably very unsatisfactory.

For one instance a dozen years after Natalie and I were newly living in Palo Alto and dreadfully shocked by his pouring acid on his wife and killing her, Dr. Geza de Kaplany was released well before his first official parole date, in 1975, given that he was 'urgently needed as a cardiac specialist' at a Taiwan missionary hospital. "He was in effect smuggled out of the country in one of the most flagrant abuses of the parole system in California ever seen. Whether he in fact went to Taiwan - and indeed is till there [in 2004] - is unknown."

Mr. Durden-Smith's book is good for learning a few basics of infamous criminals. Interesting book, but superficial treatment with few details and no depth whatsoever. Some portraits illustrate the book, but not of all. Inferior editing, with many typos. A book for the sensationalist market.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

the information on each criminal is very limited. Not much there but a headline and a few paragraphs. No bio data.

[Austin Graves]

Have you ever found yourself wandering who the most viscous and frightening criminals were, well if you want to know Jo Smith could answer that for you. Jo Durden-Smith was born on December 24, 1941 and was a music producer before he became a writer. Jo Durden first found his interest in criminals when he watched a documentary on ted Bundy. If you want to know Ted Bundy was one of the many infamous criminals in this book, Ted was an intelligent man from Pensacola, Florida. Between January 1974 and January 1978 He was arrested in his home town he had brutalized and killed perhaps as many as Thirty-six girls and young women in four states. After the judge sentenced Bundy to death he had this to say “Take care of yourself, young man. I say that to you sincerely. It’s a tragedy to this court to see such a total waste of humanity. You’re a bright young man. You’d have made a good lawyer…”
100 most infamous criminals is an astounding book of criminals and the crimes that they committed. This is truly one of the most graphic and horrifying books ever, there are many different crimes in this book from some of the most gruesome murderers to the thugs and gangster of the mafia. Overall it is a book that is gripping and reveals the strangest and most grisly stories. I love this book and I believe that you should enjoy just as much as I do. This book should have won an award.

[Kenley Bunch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such an interesting book. I loved being reminded of those serial killers I've researched and learned about throughout the years and I loved even more learning of ones I had never even heard of before.


This book could, however, of used another run through with the grammar. Some of the sentence structuring was horrible and I'm pretty sure I found at least a handful of misspelled words in there. You could definitely tell that the "author" just shot this one out of his ass to make a few quick bucks.

Doesn't matter though, because I got it on a clearance sale at B & N. :p

[Chuck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will tell you everything you wish to know about the most deviate personalities in history from Ivan the Terrible to Ted Bundy to Charles Manson. The really redeemimg part of the book, however, was that there was no one in there that I play golf with.

[Megan Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, some stories could have had a little more detail. In contrast, some could have had a few less details. Overall, very interesting and pretty disturbing. It was fabulous light reading for when I only have a few minutes to read at a time.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short 2-3 page summaries of a mixture of criminals. Good for learning basics of select infamous criminals. Interesting, but ultimately a quick read.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is more about serial killers and mass murders than just famous criminals. Lots of very disturbed people in the book. Recommended

[Kestra Derise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and informative, but definetly missed some of the big time criminals like The Zodiac. Unfortunately there are a lot of grammatical and spelling errors.