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Inside Broadmoor

Up Close and Personal with Britain's Most Dangerous Criminals

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Inside Broadmoor

By: Jonathan Levi, Emma French
Narrated by: Karl Jenkinson
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About this listen

'There is time and then there is Broadmoor time.'

Broadmoor. Few place names in the world have such chilling resonance. For over 150 years, it has contained the UK's most violent, dangerous and psychopathic.

Since opening as an asylum for the criminally insane in 1863 it has housed the perpetrators of many of the most shocking crimes in history; including Jack the Ripper suspect James Kelly, serial killers Peter Sutcliffe, John Straffen and Kenneth Erskine, armed robber Charles Bronson, gangster Ronnie Kray, and cannibal Peter Bryan.

The truth about what goes on behind the Victorian walls of the high security hospital has largely remained a mystery, but now with unprecedented access TV journalist Jonathan Levi and cultural historian Emma French paint a vivid picture of life at Broadmoor, after nearly a decade observing and speaking to those on the inside.

Including interviews with the staff, its experts and the patients themselves, Inside Broadmoor is the most comprehensive study of the institution to-date.

Published at the dawn of a new era for the hospital, this is the full story of Broadmoor's past, present and future and a dark but enlightening journey into the minds of Britain's most dangerous and how they are treated.

©2019 Jonathan Levi and Emma French (P)2019 Bonnier Books UK Murder True Crime Crime Mental Health Health
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Well worth a listen. I just wish it was a longer book but that isn't what the writers were going for.

Dark and fascinating

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Overall history of mental health care is an amazing listen & demonstrates changes over 150 years

Brilliant insight

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Loved learning about a different part of history.
Well written and interesting, although a few sentences are repeated which is a bit annoying!

Really interesting.

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Found this to be very interesting and informative . l enjoyed learning about the passed and how it is now. How much the treatment of mental illness has changed. The narrator was excellent.

Informative

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I really enjoyed this fascinating insight into what is arguably the most famous hospital in the world. The stories of the very infamous patients and the long standing staff kept me riveted.

Interesting Insight

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Good casual listen. Narrator has a nice voice. Interesting subject matter. Well paced. Doesn’t really have the tales of inmates if that is what you are looking for.

Informative

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This had less about the Patients than I expected. Not really interested in 75% of the story and commentary. I did listen to the end but for some reason, it didn't hit the mark for me. Well narrated by Karl Jenkinson

Not quite what I expected.

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not what I was expecting , but all the same , fairly interesting . although a bit amateurish in the writing , but I may be over critical

Worth it for a cold winter night

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The first case study is graphic and disturbing but don’t let that put you off. Most of the book is much less disturbing. This book is an interesting mix of social history and true crime and it is done really well. Plenty to learn about how we have treated the “criminally insane” over many decades and interesting analysis of whether rehabilitation is a reasonable and realistic goal in this space.

Interesting and disturbing

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This was so interesting. Changed some of my views on mass murderers and others with severe mental health issues

Really interesting

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