Vidocq: The Fugitive Who Transformed Criminal Investigation

Duels. Affairs. Jail breaks. The life of Henry Vidocq, the father of modern forensic science, is the stuff of legend. A quick-witted diagnostician and master of disguise, Vidocq revolutionized the way criminal investigations were performed. His exploits inspired Balzac, Hugo, and Dumas; a suggested model for Sherlock Holmes, Vidocq's work became the inspiration for the forensics of the early detective novel. Petty criminal turned prison spy, Vidocq was, by forty, a friend to judges and kings, and one of Paris' most influential men. He pioneered techniques like matching bullets to guns and fingerprinting in the early nineteenth century, decades before they became common methods. Follow Vidocq's precipitous rise and fall in a history of intuition, science, and the perils of innovation.