Having watched documentaries and reading another book about the same.criminal, not a lot really surprised me this book and I found it a little ling, considering not much time was spent in the crimes committed but rather the childhood and abuse received as a kid

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Thank you redroor and netgalley for this interesting arc in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this, it was very interesting being in the mind of Dennis Nilsen.
A lot of it was stuff I already knew after reading Killing for Company and watching some tv documentary’s but I still found it interesting to read.

I enjoyed this, it was very interesting being in the mind of Dennis Nilsen. A lot of it was stuff I already knew after reading Killing for Company and watching the tv documentary but I still found it interesting to read.

Thank you to RedDoor Books for this digital ARC copy.

Never did I think I would ever empathise with a serial killer, but I did.

Nilsen seemed quite misunderstood; but aren't a lot of people? However, they don't go on to be convicted of murdering 12 young men and boys.
Is this a classic case of nature versus nurture? We'll never know. But one thing's for sure; this is an absolute must-read for serious true crime fans.

Review: 5/5

I had a very hard time deciding on a rating for this book. I really really wish we could give half stars as a 2.5 would have been prefect. I love love love true crime books and getting to read a book from the killer himself sounded prefect to me. But this book was so long and boring. I had an awful time trying to get into the book and then could only read it for short periods of times before my mind would wonder. I'm glad I read it, I have no desire to read it again!

This is Nilsen’s autobiography, written whilst he was in prison for the murder of 12 men.

I have read a lot of true crime around Dennis Nilsen’s murders and studied aspects of his court case so was familiar with the case. I was interested in reading from a different POV as there is so much true crime written but nothing like this has been released before.

It was interesting to read from Dennis’ view point, however I think this was written with the intention of minimising his blame and therefore guilt in his actions. It reads as though Dennis has played up aspects of his past in order to try to humanise himself and make excuses for his deviant behaviour (which started a long time before he murdered anyone).

I’m glad I read this as a juxtaposition to the material I have previously read around the case, however I wouldn’t recommend it as great literature or a good overall examination of the case.

AD - This copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

History Of A Drowning Boy was a harrowing yet fascinating look into the psychology and past of the infamous killer Dennis Nilsen. As a true crime fan I already had an understanding of his crimes and his candor at the time of his arrest but his brutal honesty within these pages was quite a shock. Understandably, Dennis had been diagnosed with a myriad of personality disorders over his time, so some of what he says may need to be taken with a pinch of salt, but it is very clear from his words and reflections that he was a very troubled man who was deeply affected by his grotesquely horrible childhood.

It is a brutal account and at no point does Nilsen shy away from the details of the sheer ruthless ways in which he acted before, during and after the murders. However, it is wildly engrossing to see his interpretation of the cause of the events, the murders themselves and indeed the aftermath.

Towards the last third of the book Nilsen is mainly recounting his day to day routine, interactions in prison, and his construed 'misrepresentation' by the media. I found this section of the book overly chunky, self-indulgent and without real direction for the most part.

I'd definitely recommend it for people with a keen interest in true crime and the psychology of how a serial killers mind works. It really stands out as something different than the mountains of books by psychologists analysing killers after the fact.

TW for graphic descriptions of murder, child abuse and animal abuse.

Although not many people will agree, I believe that everyone deserves to tell the truth and express their side of the story... regardless of what they have done. Dennis Nilsen, though posthumously, has written this book with brutal honesty. Since his arrest, he never once denied, or been in denial, about what he did. He has always been completely honest about his crimes and victims, his fantasies etc. And for me, after reading this the whole way through, I have some level respect for him. He's very open and very honest, and let's face it... you don't ever see serial killers do this. I also have a level of respect for the utmost remorse he has for what he did, that he expresses a few times throughout this book.

His childhood was traumatic. I mean, imagine being homosexual in the 50's, 60's, 70's etc., it was illegal and frowned upon. He didn't have any friends and his mother was an utter cow (not going to mince my words here) and he ended up living in a fantasy world, though not a healthy one but nevertheless, he did. He had no one to talk to about his thoughts, his sexuality. He was abused by his grandfather and was too scared to tell a soul. I mean, read this for yourself. There is so many triggering and mitigating factors from his past that I am not totally surprised that he did what he did... thought let me say this... I would never, ever condone what he did. He took lives in a brutal way.

I am glad he carried on his biography of his life in prison. It truly shows how the British penal system are flawed. The officers treated him like a dog, he was beaten and bloodied many times and reprimanded because of what officer's did. It is disgusting. What happened to Human Rights? I believe, whilst in prison, Nilsen did reform, and he did get better. He did not hurt a soul in his many, many years inside and that says something.

He did some heinous crimes, but what happened to him in prison was disgusting. I guarantee the officers involved did not get punished... they never do.

All in all, I feel heartbroken for Dennis Nilsen as a little boy, who lacked the love and empathy that every child needs in life to progress into a healthy minded adult. I felt sorry for him for his treatment in prison. But I understand why he did what he did, even if he couldn't quite understand himself. And although he did bad things, I hope he rests in peace.

One of my most anticipated reads of the year and it did not disappoint. It was intruiging and very interesting.

I first found that I was interested in Dennis Nilsen's story when I watched the TV show about his life recently.

I found his honest approach and method of playing games with the police to be intriguing - I was curious as to who someone could commit the horrid acts that he did and not really seem to feel any remorse.

This book gives great insight into the workings of the author's mind, and it was a chilling read.

Definitely worth the time if you enjoy true-crime books.

We all know the story of Dennis Nilsen through true crime books and the recent TV series. I was intrigued to read this as it was written by him in his own words. I can't say it was an enjoyable read, because nothing relating to this subject matter can be. But it was interesting up to a point. It is well put together but I did not enjoy Nilsen's writing style. It doesn't flow naturally, I can only think that he sat with a thesaurus and added things which weren't needed. I found parts very long winded and quite repetitive.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in his crimes.

I knew this book would be a tough read going into it, but I was fascinated by the subject matter. I've read many true crime books but this was my first time reading an actual memoir -- the thoughts of a serial killer in their own words. It was an unusual insight into the mind of a killer and was both fascinating and disturbing. Nilsen comes across as intelligent and fairly honest, although he is the epitome of an unreliable narrator so we never really know what's true. I found the story of his heartbreaking early life and descriptions of his crimes far more interesting. He does have a tendency to ramble at times, but this is still an interesting read if you are into true crime. I felt the narrative started to drag after his arrest and conviction, becoming almost a discussion on the British penal system of the time.

I am extremely grateful to NetGalley and RedDoor Press (especially Helen) for providing me with a copy of History of a Drowning Boy in return for my honest opinions.

⭐⭐⭐Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. I have read books about this case previously and was very excited to receive a copy of this book. Written by Dennis himself, it's a disturbing and haunting book. I have always wondered what his perspective was as to what led him to commit such awful murders. In this book he gives answers from his point of view as to what led to such a seemingly nice quiet guy leading such a horrific life behind closed doors. Dennis details his childhood, his crimes and his life in prison.. it was very interesting to read his thoughts and perspectives. #dennisnielsen #historyofadrowningboy #tea_sipping_bookworm #netgalley #goodreads #amazonkindle #litsy #thestorygraph #truecrime #bookqueen #bookstagram

Thank you to Netgalley and RedDoor Books for the arc of History of a Drowning Boy by Dennis Nilsen and Mark Pettigrew as contributor to the book.

This gives you an insight into Dennis Nilsen, the notorious serial killer whom murdered 12 men and attempted others, 7 years after he got convicted he started writing his own autobiography.. it uncover his first time killing to his motives on the murders, and even gives you clear insight into of how horrific events could of happened.. Then it provides insight into his 35 years in maximum security prison, like his everyday life in the wings to his own interactions with other notorious prisoners....

TW: animal abuse, sexual abuse, sexual assault, graphic content, murder, mutilation and necrophilia/necrofetishism. Firstly, I want to say thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc. This is a very difficult review to write and give a star rating and I even considered whether to give it a rating at all but from a psychology point of view this book is incredibly interesting and thought provoking regarding the mind of a serial killer. Also, without trying to glamorise Dennis Nilsen, he is a very compelling and honest writer to the point where in some sections it is very harrowing. For those that are unaware, Dennis Nilsen was a serial killer throughout the 70's-80's who murdered at least 12 men and boys and attempted to murder another 6 in London. This book is the first of it's kind, to my knowledge, and was written by Dennis Nilsen himself whilst he served life in prison. Personally I feel there has always been a fascination in terms of his psychology as when he was arrested he was extremely calm and never tried to deceive or lie to the police about his crimes. This memoir discusses his entire life in a very open way and includes the sexual abuse he endured as a child from his Grandfather, the lack of male role model in his life and his suspected sexual assault whilst he was in the army. Without going into too much detail or expressing my opinion, it does make you wonder from a psychological point of view as to whether these events had an impact on the person he became in his later life. Overall, I think if you are interested in true crime or psychology then this is a very intriguing read and I would recommend it.

I have always been interested in true crime, so was keen to read The History of a Drowning Boy.

I knew it was going to be a tough read and it seemed to take me forever. I picked it up at the end of January, put it down for a week and then went back to it. I will be honest, it didn’t hook me as much as I first expected.

The History of a Drowning Boy is Dennis Nilsen’s autobiography, written in his exact words and only edited for chronological purposes, with repetitive sections removed. It is an absolutely fascinating documentation of his life, as he knew it. It is important to note that there is no way of knowing whether his words and experiences are true.

The book starts off with Nilsen’s early childhood, documenting broken relationships and a dysfunctional family, right up until his incarceration. It’s clear that Nilsen was an intelligent man, his writing is witty, clever and even poetic. You really do get a sense of seeing the real person through this book, his own perspective on his incredibly turbulent life.

It was fascinating to read his reasoning behind his despicable crimes, although this by no means justifies them. It explains so much about his behaviour and fantasies. Ultimately, he was an isolated, lonely, traumatised individual. Although this does not excuse his behaviour, it does help you to understand his thinking.

You often forget you’re reading the words of one of the most prolific serial killers in the UK. Nilsen was intelligent and artistic. He shares anecdotes of his prison life (and he experienced a lot - being moved around so often!).

It was an uncomfortable read, but in terms of psychology and the mind, absolutely fascinating.

In his own words, Nilsen tells the experiences from his perspective of the murders he committed. He humanizes himself by taking an introspective look into his life experiences, beginning in childhood. He takes full accountability for his crimes and his actions. People interested in true crime will find this to be an interesting perspective about crimes committed by the author.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own honest opinions written voluntarily.

Thank you to @netgalley for my eARC of History of a Drowning Boy. This book contains Nilsen’s own writings about his life, giving insight into his background, his crimes and also his life in prison.

It’s always hard to say you ‘enjoyed’ a true crime book, by the very nature of the content it’s impossible to enjoy them. However, this is surprisingly well written and put together. Nilsen’s writing style is perhaps a bit wordy, but this never crosses the line into florid and it keeps events fairly matter of fact.

Nilsen doesn’t try to excuse his crimes, and in fact there’s a healthy amount of remorse and and understanding of the impact on his victims’ families and loved ones. Of course, Nilsen was writing after he’d been convicted and it’s difficult to decide what parts of his story are fact and which are fiction. I suspect the truth perhaps lies somewhere in between.

The book does rely somewhat on a knowledge of Nilsen’s crimes - so it’s probably worthwhile doing even a brief google search before reading this. Or watch the brilliant UK TV show starring David Tennant.

Rating wise, this was a 4 ⭐️ book for me - it was interesting to read the story in Nilsen’s own words, and it was engaging throughout. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in true crime and gaining an insight into the mind of a serial killer.

A very difficult read but an interesting one for any true crime fanatic due to the completely unique premise of the serial killer writing his own story

Nilsen is obviously not always a reliable narrator but learning his background was eye-opening as to the reasons why he believes he did the atrocious things that he did

Possibly the book could have been condensed a little more as at times it seems to ramble but as this was Nilsen who wrote the book, this would make sense as he was not in any shape to be a critically acclaimed author

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.