The Father of Forensics: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury and the Beginnings of Modern CSI

Science News,  August 5, 2006  

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THE FATHER OF FORENSICS: The Groundbreaking Cases of Sir Bernard Spilsbury and the Beginnings of Modern CSI

COLIN EVANS

Building on the increasing popularity of forensic science in the media, Evans provides a glimpse into the beginnings of crime-scene investigation. The author credits the field's transformation to Sir Bernard Spilsbury, an obscure Oxford graduate who became renowned as a real-life Sherlock Holmes in the early 1900s. With details of some of Spilsbury's most famous murder cases, Evans demonstrates the contributions that the investigator made to forensic techniques. For instance, be was first to recognize the signs of death by rapid drowning, the secrets held in blood spatters, and the best toxicological technique for revealing arsenic poisoning. Over the course of his career investigating English crimes, Spilsbury performed more than 25,000 autopsies and was an almost daily presence in newspapers. Unfortunately for legions of future forensic specialists, Spilsbury left behind little in written records. Evans' biography will appeal to fans of crime history. Penguin, 2006, 326 p., b&w plates, paperback, $14.00.

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