For anyone who likes the work of writers like Dick Kirby who does a lot on police history and bravery, 'Death on the Victorian Beat' is one to read too.

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For the Love of Books

The short chapters are just about long enough for readers who aren’t particularly interested in all the details about how these men died but are sufficient to tell the stories, and the book is a breeze to read, nipping along at a good pace and holding one’s attention. It used to be said so often that it became a cliché, but these days when you hardly ever see a copper on the streets it is all too easy to forget that police officers put their lives on the line every day they go to work. This book is a good reminder of that fact and, if it doesn’t sound too corny, that we have every reason to be grateful that there are men and women prepared to do the job.

Ripperologist, January 2019 – reviewed by Paul Begg

As featured by

Salford Link, Winter 2018

Baggoley’s book is a good introduction to the subject of Victorian policing and to the individuals who lost their lives through their policing of communities; it also serves as a useful companion to Gaynor Halliday’s more detailed Victorian Policing.

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Criminal Historian

Having served with the British Transport Police, a national police force, it was inevitable that I had an interest in railway, dock and canal police history along with police history in general. This was an ideal book for me to review.
Being a native of Lancashire the chapters on the Lancashire deaths and that of Robert Kidd, a railway detective, drew my attention immediately. That is not to say that the other chapters didn’t receive any less attention.
The introduction sets the scene of life in the early police force.
Analytically presented in an easy to read way, by the author who has a wealth of previous writing experience.
Although compact, each chapter is carefully and thoroughly researched by the author who has a wealth of previous writing experience, they are analytically informative. I found it hard to put the book down. In general, the book tells in dramatic, meticulous details the accurate and extortionary circumstances surrounding the shocking deaths of the police officers, who were sadly liked in brutal circumstances whilst going about their everyday duty protecting the members of the public.
The accompanying photographs and facsimiles of the posters very much enhance the written work of this book.
Overall this captivating and interesting book is clearly invaluable, not only to the scholar of police history but to others interested in early police deaths

Bill Rogerson MBE, Secretary, British Transport Police History Group

'Baggoley’s book is a good introduction to the subject of Victorian policing and to the individuals who lost their lives through their policing of communities.'

For the full review click here

Criminal Historian Blog

As featured in

The Mail Online

A useful and informative survey of the hazards faced by Victorian officers on their often isolated beats or in town centres where many of the population had no love of or respect for the police.

Police History Society