The Memoirs of the Chief of the Paris Secret Police

The fate of Eugène-François Vidocq (1775–1857) is truly remarkable. The son of a baker from a small French town, a criminal who had been behind bars numerous times and had escaped from prison more than once, turned out to be an outstanding detective whose name is known worldwide.

The fact is that, blackmailed by former cellmates and risking losing his freedom once again, Vidocq took a desperate step and offered his services to the Paris police. He formed a special team of former criminals, guided by the principle: «Only a criminal can solve a crime».

Vidocq made a huge contribution to criminology: he was the one who came up with the idea of compiling a database of criminals based on verbal descriptions, preserving shoe prints using plaster casts, conducting investigative experiments, and much more. Additionally, he established a private investigation bureau, becoming one of the first private detectives.

Vidocq served as a prototype for many literary characters, and films have been made about him (Vidocq was played by such actors as Gérard Depardieu and Vincent Cassel). Yet, the biography of this extraordinary man is best understood through his «Memoirs», which also contain many interesting details about the major trials of that time.

The text is published with illustrations from a 19th-century French edition.