Synopsis
Memoirs Of Vidocq, Written By Himself. Tr. By H.T. Riley. With Plates, CM.16 — Eugène François Vidocq. This work presents the life and exploits of Eugène Francois Vidocq, a notorious French criminal who became the head of the Police of Safety in Paris and later a prominent entrepreneur. Translated from the French, Vidocq recounts his ascent from convict to founder of investigative methods, the use of ex-convict spies within the force, and his pragmatic, often controversial, approach to crime control. The memoir covers his early career behind bars, his collaboration with M. de Sartines and others, the formation of the “brigade de sûreté,” and his intricate operations against thieves, pickpockets, and professional robbers across 19th-century Paris. It details his philosophy on provocation, surveillance, and deception as tools of public security, along with vivid vignettes of prison life, disguises, and the social underworld: courtesans, gamblers, and street gangs. The narrative blends autobiography, crime history, and social critique, offering an unvarnished portrait of crime, punishment, and reform in Napoleonic and Restoration France.
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